Mental health professionals are in more demand than ever in Ohio, but there’s a shortage that’s leaving more than 2.4 million Ohioans with inadequate access to mental health care.
The state’s mental health agency is trying to handle that, as well as the 988 suicide crisis line, problem gambling services, and a name change – all with less money than Gov. Mike DeWine originally asked for in the budget.
Since 2013, Ohio’s behavioral health workforce has almost doubled, but the need has grown by 350%, said Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services director LeeAnne Cornyn.
"We've actually done a really great job growing our behavioral health workforce. In fact, since 2013, we've almost doubled it," said Cornyn in an interview for "The State of Ohio". "But the demand for services, the need for behavioral health supports has grown twice as fast as our supply."
Cornyn said Beat the Stigma, an agency-backed effort to get people to consider mental health treatment, has worked really well.
"We know that stigma is the thing that holds so many people back from seeking out behavioral health care. And through our Beat the Stigma campaign, we know that more than 90% of Ohioans saw those commercials. And when you asked them if they recall the messaging, almost 100% of Ohioans said that they recalled the message," Cornyn said. "More people are reaching out for help. So that's a good thing. We just need more compassionate behavioral health care providers in the field to deal with that increase in demand."
The agency is offering stipends and sign-on bonuses for former workers who come back through the Welcome Back campaign, which continues through 2026. The Great Minds Fellowship program is offering scholarships for undergrads in their second-to last or final year of college who commit to a year on the job. And Cornyn said because a lot of workers say they leave the field because they don't feel they have the skills they need, the Workforce Technical Assistance office is working on resources to help support and further train behavioral health professionals.
“It can feel heavy sometimes," Cornyn admitted. "But also the really positive feeling that you have from helping someone transform their life, helping to see them go from some of the darkest days to living their full potential—I think that there are a lot of positive attributes to it too."
The agency got a slight boost and a rename as the Department of Behavioral Health in the final budget, but the increase was $15 million less than DeWine’s initial request. The agency's name change takes effect Oct. 1.
The agency manages the state’s 988 suicide crisis line and its problem gambling services, and Ohio’s continuing response to the opioid crisis, which killed 3,664 Ohioans in 2023. That's a 11% drop from 2022 and far off the record high of 4,293 in 2017. But that 2023 death toll still represents more than 10 Ohioans a day who died from opioid overdoses.
