The city of Cleveland taken from a lake Erie beach at dusk. Has trees, the beach, a picnic table in the foreground with Cleveland in the background

Evaluation of Ohio’s State Opioid and Stimulant Response (SOS) 4.0 Grant

Focus: Substance Use Disorder
Expertise: Program Evaluation

Ohio continues to work collaboratively with federal and community agencies to pursue the goals outlined by Governor DeWine’s RecoveryOhio initiative to respond to Ohioans needing treatment and recovery support for opioid, stimulant and co-occurring substance use disorders.

Ohio’s State Opioid and Stimulant Response (SOS 4.0) initiative, led by Ohio Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) with funds awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), supports a comprehensive, data-driven approach to addressing opioid, stimulant, and co-occurring substance use disorders across the state. Building on prior federal investments, SOS 4.0 brings together state and community partners to expand access to prevention, opioid overdose reversal medication, treatment, and recovery services, with the goal of reducing overdose deaths, increasing access to evidence-based care, and strengthening long-term recovery outcomes for Ohioans.

In 2023, DBH selected GRC as the State Opioid and Stimulant Response program evaluator. The GRC evaluation team is led by Director of Strategic Initiatives Tina Bickert, MA, MPAL who is joined by Project Director Emelie Bailey, MA, and Senior Research Consultant Krystel Tossone, PhD. The evaluation team brings over 20 years of experience leading behavioral health policy and program evaluations.

The GRC team supports Ohio’s SOS initiatives by:

  • Conducting evaluation activities to measure program effectiveness, outcomes, and impact.
  • Building workforce capacity through training and education on data collection and reporting, and program oversight.
  • Providing technical assistance and coaching to strengthen the delivery of SOS-funded prevention, treatment, recovery, and support services across Ohio.
  • Partnering with DBH to collect, analyze, monitor, and report statewide program data, ensuring compliance with SAMHSA reporting requirements and informing continuous program improvement.

Evaluation Experts