Funding & Sustainability

With funding and support from the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), Sources of Strength Ohio (SourcesOH) has trained thousands of youth and adults and launched hundreds of new programs.                                                      

Secondary Program Funding in 2026

SourcesOH is covering the annual $750 licensing fee for all active Secondary Programs in 2026, effectively covering this fee for the 2025 – 2027 school years for any program that completes the licensing fee form in 2026.

SourcesOH may request that schools contribute toward the cost of their next Adult Advisor and Peer Leader Trainings. Funding is available to cover 100% of this cost for a limited number of schools, and several counties have Local Trainers who provide this training at no cost to local schools. In addition, many Adult Advisors can attend a Re-Training nearby at no or low cost. Please reach out to Evi.Roberts@OhioSPF.org or your Local Trainer to learn more about cost-sharing requirements and how to schedule Adult Advisor and Peer Leader Trainings. 

Elementary Program Funding in 2026

Due to financial constraints, funding for the Elementary Program is limited as follow: 

• SourcesOH is no longer able to cover the cost of curricula for any new or established programs.

• Funding is no longer available for new schools to receive the staff training (i.e., Coaches Training) required to launch a new program.

• Schools that have already purchased Sources curricula may reach out to SourcesOH to learn about options to train a new Coach if they lose their certified Coach due to turnover.

• Schools are still welcome to reach out to SourcesOH or Sources of Strength with questions or requests for technical assistance. 

Additional Notes about Funding

Thanks to funding from the Central Benefits Foundation and the Ingram White Castle Foundation, initial and ongoing Sources of Strength programming costs are covered for Franklin County schools and community-based programs through September 2026. 

Sustainability Efforts

SourcesOH will continue to advocate for local, state, and federal funding to cover the initial and ongoing costs of this life-saving program. Schools can also do their part to reduce the costs of local and statewide programming by doing the following:

• Have Adult Advisors participate in a Regional Adult Advisor Re-Training. Sometimes called “Refresher Trainings,” these 2- to 4-hour trainings have typically been held for each individual school, inflating training costs and straining trainer capacity. Over the past several years, however, many Local Trainers have started offering Regional Re-Trainings where Adult Advisors can network and learn from Adult Advisors at other schools while they review core content and talk to the Trainer about barriers they’re experiencing and changes they’d like to make for the next year of programming. Through Regional Re-Trainings, SourcesOH, including its many wonderful Local Trainers, has saved tens of thousands of dollars that can be used instead for licensing fees and other costs. 

   

• Seek other sources of funding to cover some or all programming costs. Special grants, Educational Service Centers, behavioral health boards, and other entities can sometimes provide funding for suicide prevention programming. Interested schools may consider reaching out to these organizations to inquire about the possibility of funding to cover costs not otherwise paid for by SourcesOH. In addition, schools that have funding for mental health and wellness may be able to allocate some funding in their budget for Sources training, curricula or other costs. 

• Host a fundraiser. Several Sources Adult Advisor and Peer Leader Teams in Ohio have held bake sales and other events to raise funds for mental health organizations or campaign activities. Other teams have reported special fundraising opportunities such as having a local business donate proceeds for a day. 

• Do you have other ideas? Maybe your sister owns an Airbnb and they’d be willing to donate or discount lodging for your Trainer, or you’ve got a lead on a pizza place in town that can donate food for your annual Peer Leader Training. Have a success story? Send suggestions that we can share with others to Evi.Roberts@OhioSPF.org.