Statehouse News Bureau

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DeWine's plans for improving mental health services in Ohio includes paid internships

By Jo Ingles

Published November 30, 2022 at 9:32 PM EST

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) speaks to reporters. [Daniel Konik / Statehouse News Bureau] — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) speaks to reporters.

Gov. Mike DeWine, who just won his bid for re-election to the office, said he’s going to focus on improving the physical and mental well-being of Ohioans in his second term in office.

At an Ohio Chamber of Commerce event focusing on health care Wednesday morning, DeWine said his office is working with lawmakers in three key areas during his second term.

“One, growing our behavioral health force so it is the most robust in this country. Two, leading the nation in mental health research and innovation. And three, providing Ohioans with the best access to behavioral health care in this country," DeWine said.

DeWine said a key part of his plan will be increasing how many people who work in this field. DeWine said he wants the state to invest more in high school workforce programs and he wants to invest $85 million dollars to pay students for internships and residencies for those who are studying to work in these areas at Ohio's universities. He said some students are dissuaded from unpaid internships and residencies.

"We are going to look at the area of scholarships for students — Ohio students going to an Ohio university, what the level of the scholarship should be that the state is providing, and who the state should be providing that scholarship to," DeWine said.

He added that middle class families are already struggling to send their children to state public universities.

"That should not be happening. And just as we have urged our colleges not to raise tuition, certainly during the time someone is there, we have also urged them to be very careful about raising tuition at any other time, we have an obligation, as we ask them to do that, we have an obligation to make sure the scholarships are there and they are robust," DeWine said.

DeWine said he wants the state to do a landmark study on mental health barriers. That information can then be used to come up with ways to break those barriers down.

DeWine also said he wants to build a statewide center of innovation for behavioral health along with increasing research capacity for Ohio’s universities. DeWine said these changes would make mental and behavioral health services more accessible for Ohioans.