Franklin University’s Leadership Center Partners with MOPS to Support House Bill 33 To Provide Resources to Help School Athletic Coaches Better Support Athletes

Contact:

Sherry Mercurio
Executive Director, Office of Community Relations
(614) 947-6581
Email: sherry.mercurio@franklin.edu

Franklin University’s Leadership Center is proud to share its efforts to address the growing number of student athletes struggling with mental health challenges. The effort backed by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine provides support to the recently passed biennial budget House Bill 33 which requires the Ohio Department of Education to work with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) to provide options of approved trainings that help coaches satisfy requirements needed to obtain the pupil activity permits, which are required for licensed educators and non-licensed school employees who direct, supervise, or coach a student activity program that involves athletics, routine or regular physical activity, or activities with health and safety considerations. 

Utilizing her expertise as an online educator and former community mental health clinician, paired with her background in educational psychology and sports psychology Dr. Kelly Renner, chair of Franklin’s Psychology & Social Sciences,  partnered with Franklin Psychology Advisory Board member, Kimberly Blair, M.A., LPCC-S, executive director of Mid-Ohio Psychological Services, Inc (MOPS) to develop and deliver to Ohio coaches relevant online training for Performance Enhancement for Student Athlete Mental Wellness, an official training offering of Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

With mental health issues on the rise, National Alliance on Mental Illness research claims one in six United States youth aged six through 17 experience a mental health disorder each year, and 50% of all lifetime mental illnesses begin by age 14. 

“Given that one in six U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year, it is necessary that coaches who are working with this population have the information needed to support student athletes experiencing challenges with their mental health,” shared Dr. Kelly Renner. “It is my hope we can educate and empower coaches to take an active role in supporting student athlete mental wellness.”

The collaborative approved training through OhioMHAS hits home to the heart for Kimberly, “As a mental health professional and parent of a student athlete, it is critical that the coaches acknowledge the impact mental health has on athletic performance. With the emergence of the pediatric mental health crisis, trauma-informed coaching is vital to enhance a student’s performance on and off the field. It is my passion to expand knowledge and awareness regarding the mental wellness of our youth.”

With the goal of helping coaches recognize risk factors, high-risk behaviors, and symptoms of common mental health concerns and learn strategies to support youth experiencing common mental health concerns, Dr. Renner and Kimberly’s new virtual training, “Performance Enhancement for Student Athlete Mental Wellness,” is set to begin June 6, 2024.

One of the select few trainings athletic coaches can take to fulfill this new requirement, “Performance Enhancement for Student Athlete Mental Wellness,” is synchronous and conveniently runs online through MOPS, targeted to coaches, athletic directors and managers, educators, youth workers, and other adults working with student athletes. 

To learn more about registering for the Performance Enhancement for Student Athlete Mental Wellness training: https://bit.ly/3UDMJA9.

House-Bill 33: https://bit.ly/3uxpwVG.

Franklin University’s Leadership Center, inspiring the creation and sharing of knowledge and innovative leadership practices through advanced teaching and transformative learning experiences in our dynamic, rapidly changing global community: franklin.edu/leadership.

About Franklin University

Accredited, nonprofit, and dedicated to educating adults since 1902, Franklin provides onsite course options at our Main Campus in downtown Columbus, Ohio, and is an innovator in providing personalized online education. The University offers applied in-demand undergraduate, masters, and doctorate programs that enable adult learners to achieve their educational and professional goals. Through agreements with partner institutions, the University also offers international academic programs, including its top-ranked MBA.

Franklin University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and holds specialized accreditations for specific academic programs through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, and the Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information Management Education. The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security have designated Franklin University as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE).