Pizzulli introduces legislation to address unregulated recovery housing
Pizzulli 's office said the bill will empower the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to establish a certificate of need program to assess and set the appropriate level of recovery housing in each Ohio region to ensure a fair distribution of services statewide.
It will also allow local Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services boards to inspect recovery housing facilities, investigate complaints and impose penalties on facilities that fail to comply with statewide standards.
"Unfortunately, Ohio's recovery housing industry is currently operating without adequate oversight, creating a 'Wild West' environment and allowing bad actors to exploit the system," Pizzulli said. "By instituting strong local oversight, this legislation will help root out bad actors, protect vulnerable residents, and ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely."
According to Mapping the Gap: An Assessment of Capacity, Cost-Benefits, and Disparities in Utilization in Ohio Recovery Housing, 21 Ohio counties lack any recovery housing, while 22 counties are running at over 100 percent capacity — some exceeding 500 percent capacity.
Pizzulli encourages those who are interested in providing testimony on the bill during the committee process to contact his office at Rep90@ohiohouse.gov for more information.
He also encourages those who have concerns about a recovery home in their area to complete the form found at https://rhoads.orh.ai/complaint.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Tiny worms found in ponds and river could help treat schizophrenia
Tiny flatworms which usually live in ponds, rivers and streams could replace lab rats in the development of treatments for schizophrenia, drug addiction and other mental health disorders, after scientists discovered the worms react to certain drugs in a similar way to rodents. The worms come from a family known as planaria, with some species previously thought to be "immortal" due to their unique regenerative abilities, which includes the ability to regenerate lost body parts, including entire brains. A team of scientists at the University of Reading gave the worms haloperidol, a drug used to treat mental health conditions, and found the worms became much less active, just like mice and rats do. Previous studies have used planaria to research epilepsy treatments and to investigate drug addiction, as the flatworms exhibit signs of withdrawal symptoms. This new study could help to develop treatments for mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and hallucinations. A 2024 study reported that one in 69 UK adults are using anti-psychotic medication long-term. Professor Vitaliy Khutoryanskiy, who led the study from the University of Reading, said: "This finding adds to growing evidence that tiny flatworms like planaria could play a valuable role in how we study the brain. They display certain responses to psychiatric drugs that resemble those seen in mammals, but using them involves far fewer ethical concerns." According to UK government data, 882,000 mice and 144,060 rats were used in animal research in 2023. A 2016 study suggested the use of rats and mice in neuroscience had risen from 20 per cent in the 1980s, to over 50 per cent by the 2010s. Despite efforts to make research more ethical, scientists still rely heavily on rodents for testing. The researchers said using flatworms for studying brain conditions could potentially reduce the number of rodents used by scientists. Professor Khutoryanskiy added: "Close to a million mice and rats are used in UK research each year, but using planaria instead could potentially cut those numbers and still give us the answers we need to develop better treatments for people with serious mental health conditions. It's good for science and it's good for animal welfare." The research is published in the journal Pharmaceutical Research. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
NYC Mayor Adams seeks power to force drug addicts into treatment
NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams called on Albany lawmakers Thursday to grant New York City powers to forcibly hospitalize people struggling with drug addiction — a proposal that was quickly met with intense pushback from civil rights and homeless advocates. Adams' plan — unveiled during a Midtown event hosted by the conservative Manhattan Institute — proposes the state Legislature acts to expand the involuntary commitment standards during next year's legislative session. The plan would build on a provision Albany included in this year's state budget that gave the city expanded authority to hospitalize homeless people against their will if they're dealing with severe mental health issues. Adams, addressing a conservative crowd at the Midtown Hilton, characterized the new proposal as a 'lifeline' for those in the throes of drug addiction. 'Doctors should have the ability to seek a court order to mandate treatment for substance abuse even if the person's addiction makes them unwilling to accept treatment on their own,' Adams said to applause, adding that such an expansion would become 'the single most effective tool to help us end the drug abuse crisis we see all around us.' The plan faces a number of obstacles. Lawmakers in Albany may balk at the expanded powers, while Adams, reeling from record low approval ratings and continued fallout from his corruption indictment, faces a difficult path to reelection in November's election, with polls showing he's unlikely to be mayor next year. The proposal also sparked immediate pushback from the advocacy community. The Legal Aid Society, which by statute represents New York City's homeless population, blasted Adams' latest proposal as raising 'serious civil rights concerns' and doing 'nothing to address the root causes of substance use.' 'If the mayor were serious about saving lives, he would invest in proven harm reduction strategies, voluntary treatment, permanent housing, and community-based supports — not policies that amount to state-sanctioned incarceration in medical settings,' the group said in a statement. 'Expanding involuntary commitment laws will not solve the drug war or end the overdose crisis; it will only deepen mistrust, waste resources, and cause lasting harm to the very people the city claims to want to help.' According to a fact-sheet released by Adams' office, the plan, dubbed the 'Compassionate Interventions Act,' would fill a gap in state law that prevents clinicians and police officers from forcing a person into treatment primarily due to suspected substance use disorder. Under the reforms adopted by Albany this year, the city can involuntarily commit anyone who 'appears' mentally ill, and the new proposal says a similar standard should exist for severe drug addicts. The plan stresses the call on whether to force a person into treatment for substance abuse would ultimately lie with a medical professional. The Adams plan says that would bring New York in line with 37 other states that have similar laws. Florida has had a similar law on the books since 1993, and homeless advocates have long argued it infringes on people's civil liberties. The State Assembly and State Senate, which are controlled by super majorities of Democrats, were for years skeptical of the mayor's proposal to expand powers related to involuntary commitments of mentally ill individuals. The proposal to further expand the protocols to include drug addicts could thereby be a tough sell in the capital, especially given Adams' longshot chances at reelection. After his speech, Adams was asked in a Q&A with Manhattan Institute President Reihan Salam how he envisions being able to rally support for the proposal, given the anticipated pushback in Albany. 'Our statehouses and even our City Council — they have been hijacked by the numerical minority with far extremist, far left extremist views, and they have gotten in the way, the noise has gotten in the way of real progress around these quality of life issues,' Adams replied. 'And so the first thing that I did when I became mayor, I went out and purchased a bunch of ear plugs and put them in my ears so I could ignore the noise.' Donna Lieberman, the executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said Adams' proposal comes from the 'same old, failed playbook.' 'Forced treatment can greatly increase the risk of a fatal overdose, raises serious due process and civil liberties concerns, and contributes to harmful stereotypes about people with substance use disorders,' she said. On the funding question, Adams' plan proposes to allocate a $27 million new investment in expanding services for those in need of addiction care. It was not clear over how long of a period that funding would be allocated, and the blueprint is light on details on what exactly the new services would involve. Spokespeople for Gov. Hochul and state legislative leaders didn't immediately return requests for comment. Fabien Levy, Adams' deputy mayor for communications, said he didn't know whether Adams' team has had conversations with the governor about the proposal. In his speech, Adams argued the drug addiction crisis has been a problem in the city for years. Asked by the Daily News why Adams is first now rolling out the new proposal, Randy Mastro, his first deputy mayor, said, 'It's always right to do the right thing.' 'This administration has worked so hard for the past three and a half years to address these issues, and we're going to continue to put out policies,' Mastro said. _____
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
OhioHealth plans ‘medical use' for Big lots Columbus HQ after $36 million sale
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — OhioHealth is taking the next steps to expand services in northeast Columbus after purchasing Big Lots' former headquarters for $36 million. The healthcare provider applied on July 29 to rezone the 24-acre property at 4900 E. Dublin Granville Rd. 'for expanded medical uses,' NBC4 confirmed. The move comes as 'OhioHealth has a significant presence in the New Albany area which includes a major ambulatory facility, an urgent care and a freestanding emergency department,' a spokesperson said. Intel CEO under pressure to resign from President Trump, Ohio Senator Moreno 'As part of our continued interest in growing services in the communities we serve, OhioHealth purchased the former Big Lots' headquarters near New Albany and submitted an application to rezone the property for expanded medical uses,' the spokesperson said in a statement. OhioHealth's effort will position the building to meet a variety of future community healthcare needs, but no specific project is planned or funded at this time, the statement noted. The provider's New Albany footprint includes an emergency care center and a medical campus with an urgent care center along nearby Hamilton Road. Big Lots entered into an agreement with the healthcare provider to sell its headquarters in January, then closed on the $36 million sale in April, Franklin County Auditor's Office records show. The property includes two buildings constructed in 2017 as part of the Hamilton Quarter development. The first building is office space spanning four stories and 273,000 square feet, and the second is 329,348 square feet with distribution space and a parking garage. Once a Columbus-based retailer, Big Lots announced in a city notice last year that 555 employees based at the East Dublin Granville Road headquarters would be terminated. The letter said the 'mass layoffs' were expected to begin the week of Dec. 29 and conclude by April. An Ohio dealership repossessed her car, so she took their name and then sued The agreement with OhioHealth came as Gordon Brother Retail Partners acquired Big Lots in January, which included a deal to transfer the ownership of several hundred storefronts to Variety Wholesalers, a Henderson, North Carolina, company that operates several hundred discount stores. Variety then moved to relaunch dozens of Big Lots stores in waves. The first round reopened nine stores in early April, followed by nearly 60 storefronts in the second wave in May, including seven in Ohio. A third round featured eight Ohio locations, while the final set featured nearly 80 stores, including 13 in Ohio. Big Lots filed for bankruptcy last September and was almost acquired by a top Dollar Shave Club and Toms investor for $765 million before the sale fell through. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
