Data Graphics

A new analysis by HPIO in honor of Black History Month found that it took 77 years after Ohio’s founding before an African American – George Washington Williams of Hamilton County— was elected to Ohio’s state legislature, which is known as the General Assembly. It would take a change to federal law, more than 80 years later, before the number of Black Ohioans serving in the legislature would reach double-digits.

Between 1880 and 1965, there were an average of 1.4 Black legislators in each General Assembly. After the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 required population proportioned districts, 12 Black Ohioans were elected to the 107th General Assembly (1967-1968).

Over the past two decades, the number of Black legislators has averaged 18 per General Assembly, with 14.3% of state legislative seats held by Black Ohioans in 2023.

Many Black legislators have championed legislation to address issues important to Ohioans facing challenges to health and well-being.

Examples of key legislation sponsored by Black legislators includes:

• Rep. Henry Clay Smith (1894-1901) sponsored the Ohio Civil Rights Act of 1894, which prohibited discrimination on the basis of race or color in public accommodations and provided for fines on proprietors who violated the law.
• Sen. Ray Miller (1981 to 2010) sponsored the Community Mental Health Act of 1988, which created the state agency that is now the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. He also sponsored a budget amendment in 1987 that created the Ohio Commission on Minority Health.
• Sen. Charleta B. Tavares (1993-1998 and 2011-2018) sponsored several health-related bills, including the Clean Indoor Air Act.

As we celebrate and uplift Black history, this month and every month, we honor the significant contributions of trailblazers who have shaped our state and improved the health and well-being of Ohioans.

The Health Policy Institute of Ohio has released a new Data Snapshot detailing trends in suicide deaths in Ohio.

In Ohio, approximately five people die by suicide every day. These preventable deaths have a tremendous impact on Ohio families and communities. With the rate of suicide climbing over the past decade, both in Ohio and nationally, there are evidence-informed strategies that public- and private-sector leaders can implement to address the issue.

As illustrated above, suicide rates in Ohio vary greatly by county, with higher rates often found in Appalachian and rural counties. Vinton County had the highest rate, at 29.4 per 100,000 population. That is seven times higher than Holmes County, which had the lowest rate at 4.2.

This HPIO data snapshot includes visualizations on suicide prevalence and trends in Ohio, geographic differences in suicide rates and changes in mental health challenges among Ohio high school students. It also includes a list of resources to improve suicide prevention in Ohio.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org 24/7 for free and confidential support.

The Health Policy Institute of Ohio has released a new publication titled “Strategies to Prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in Ohio: Promoting Positive Social Norms and Intervening to Lessen Harm.”

Since 2020, HPIO has released a series of policy briefs on ACEs in Ohio.

As part of its Ohio ACEs Impact Project, HPIO has outlined a comprehensive and strategic approach to preventing ACEs, elevating 12 key evidence-informed strategies. This latest brief examines the implementation status of four strategies to promote social norms that protect against violence and adversity and intervene to lessen immediate and long-term harm.

One of the strategies highlighted is behavioral health treatment. As illustrated above, provider shortages cause challenges in accessing behavioral health treatment, especially for Ohioans living in rural counties. Holmes and Harrison Counties have the lowest rates of mental health professionals per population, meaning some people in these counties may not be getting the mental health services they need.

HPIO will host a webinar on the topic on Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at 11:30 a.m., with a guest speaker from the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. For more information and to register visit our website: https://www.healthpolicyohio.org/events.

Support for this project was provided by the Harmony Project, the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association and HPIO’s other core funders.

HPIO released a new policy brief last month that explores the impact of parental criminal justice involvement on the health, safety and well-being of children and families in Ohio.

The brief is the latest in a series of HPIO publications on the connections between criminal justice and health.

The new brief explores the generational cycle of justice involvement and includes a collection of evidence-informed policy options that leaders across the state can act on to prevent and mitigate the impacts of parental justice involvement on children and families.

As illustrated above, data in the brief shows that Ohio has a higher rate of juvenile detention than the U.S. overall, signaling that more can be done to prevent children from becoming justice-involved, including reducing the state’s high adult incarceration rate and supporting families before and after they are engaged with the criminal justice system.

HPIO will host a webinar on the topic at 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 12. The event will include HPIO Policy and Evaluation Specialist Jacob Santiago and guest speaker Kim Kehl of the Ohio Department of Children and Youth.

Last year, HPIO released a pair of reports designed to assist stakeholders and policymakers in taking lessons learned from promising health and human services pilot programs and developing policy and systems change.

The two reports, which examine how evidence-informed programs can be taken “from pilot to policy,” contain considerations for state and local policymakers and tools for program staff, philanthropy and other stakeholders.

The report for policymakers includes the above illustration of an evidence continuum developed by the state of Colorado that can be used to gauge whether programs are achieving their intended results.

On Friday, February 23, HPIO will host a webinar on the topic of elevating results, evaluation and research in policymaking. More details about the event will be released soon.

Funding for the Pilot to Policy project was provided through a grant from bi3, a philanthropic initiative of Bethesda Inc., and HPIO’s other core funders.

HPIO’s 2023 Health Value Dashboard includes, for the first time, an equity profile for LGBTQ+ Ohioans. Among the data highlighted in the profile is that transgender Ohioans are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, report poor overall health or drink excessively than their cisgender peers, as displayed above.

Research indicates that homophobia and transphobia are primary drivers of poor outcomes experienced by LGBTQ+ Ohioans. Experiencing these forms of discrimination can cause toxic stress, leading to poor health outcomes over time. Policies and practices that limit access to necessary and developmentally appropriate health care and a lack of protections for Ohioans based on gender identity contribute to these disparities in health outcomes.