Published on February 10, 2026
Franklin County Board of Commissioners
Franklin County's Soul Talk mental health initiative is entering its second year with a new model: community organizations leading the events, with the county providing support rather than carrying the full load of planning and coordination.
Commissioner Kevin Boyce announced the update at the February 10 General Session, ahead of a Soul Talk event scheduled for Wednesday, February 11 at Afrocentric School on the east side of Columbus. Check-in begins at 5:30 p.m. and the program starts at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are free, but the event is at full capacity.
City of Grace Church on Stelzer Road initiated the partnership. Pastor Young approached Commissioner Boyce and asked to host a Soul Talk using the brand the county built in 2024. The church coordinated the event and invited panelists and speakers from across the country. When the initial event at the church sold out within 24 hours of the advertising launch, the county moved the event to Afrocentric School and doubled registration.
Soul Talk began in 2024 as a county-led effort to bring mental health conversations and resource connections to Central Ohio residents. Boyce credited Commissioners Crawley and O'Grady as full partners in the work, describing them as central to the initiative's direction and support.
This year the county is also releasing a refreshed version of its mental health resource book. The updated edition, developed in close collaboration with county staff, focuses on free resources. Four times as many copies will be distributed compared to last year, when demand at every stop of the mobile unit tour outpaced supply.
Boyce said the City of Grace partnership represents the template for how Soul Talk events will be run going forward.