• The $2.9 million comes from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
  The money is expected to be used to develop statewide and local partnerships, policies, procedures and protocols to change how essential behavioral health support is deployed.
• Plans also include the development and enhancement of mobile crisis teams that can be rapidly deployed anywhere in the state for crisis support and response in providing care in the days, weeks and months after a traumatic event.
• The effort follow the derailment of a Norfolk-Southern rail car that resulted in toxic chemical being put into the air and water. Officials intentionally released some of the chemicals into the air for fear of an explosion that would have impacted the city of East Palestine, Ohio, and its resident.
• Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said the money and efforts will go through the state’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to help officials react to behavioral health needs of people affected by traumatic events, such as natural disasters, mass shootings and other large-scale man-made and terrorist events.
• “The recent train derailment in East Palestine is a prime example of how disasters can impact the well-being of individuals, families and communities,” DeWine said. “It is essential that our behavioral health care system is able to quickly respond to the immediate and long-term behavioral health care needs of those adversely affected by trauma.

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