Wexner Medical Center receives $2.1 million grant for trauma recovery program

Amanda Parrish
Thu, 13 Dec 2018 00:07:05 +0000
Campus, News, college of medicine, dewine, Dr. K. Craig Kent, grants, Ken Yeager, Mike DeWine, Ohio, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, Ohio Attorney General’s office, ohio state, ohio state college of medicine, ohio state university, Ohio State's Neurological Institute, osu, star program, STAR Trauma Recovery Center, Stress Trauma and Resilience Program, Trauma Recovery Centers, wexner medical center

The Ohio Attorney General’s office has awarded a $2.1 million grant to the Wexner Medical Center’s STAR Program, which plans to hire additional clinical staff to help with their specialized services to survivors of crime and their families across central Ohio. Credit: Jack Westerheide | Managing Editor for Design

The Ohio Attorney General’s office has awarded a $2.1 million grant to the Wexner Medical Center’s Stress, Trauma and Resilience Program, according to an Ohio State press release. ?

The STAR Trauma Recovery Center, which offers specialized services to survivors of crime and their families across central Ohio and part of Ohio State’s Neurological Institute, will hire additional clinical staff to provide case management, therapy and medication management to help patients after a traumatic experience.

“This crucial new funding will enable growth of the STAR Trauma Recovery Center,” Dr. K. Craig Kent, dean of Ohio State’s College of Medicine, said in the press release. “We’ll create new survivor support service options and broaden community outreach efforts to enhance access to care in traditionally marginalized and underserved parts of our community.”

The funding is part of $111.8 million in grants to more than 400 crime victim service providers across Ohio that was announced earlier this year by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine.

“Expanding the capacity of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s STAR program helps ensure victims of crime have support they need, often when they are feeling the most vulnerable and alone,” DeWine, who will take office as Ohio’s next governor next year, said in the release. “By providing services beyond traditional care, we can help reduce the impact of trauma and care for the whole person.”

The STAR Program’s Trauma Recovery Center was first funded in January 2017 when the Ohio Attorney General’s office awarded $2.6 million to establish five Trauma Recovery Centers across the state.

“With this new round of funding, we’ll increase access to our program that facilitates healing for adult survivors of trauma, violence, and loss through an innovative, evidence-based model of comprehensive trauma-informed care, advocacy, and outreach,” Ken Yeager, director of the STAR Program, said in the release.

At the Board of Trustees meeting in November, an update on the progress of the mental health task force recommendations was given by Undergraduate Student Government President Shamina Merchant, which included placement of two STAR staff members — a case manager and a counselor — inside Counseling and Consultation Service this spring.

Shawn Semmler, USG vice president, said the STAR Program has been trying to work more closely with CCS as the populations of students that use STAR and that use CCS tend to intersect, so he sees this new funding to STAR as a compliment to CCS.

“STAR treats almost a different population [than CCS], and oftentimes a population that intersects. So I think that STAR is another really good option here on campus,” Semmler said. “But for one reason or another they don’t see as much traffic, and I think some of that has to do with the promotion that they get, but then also how integrated they are with popular offices like CCS.”