A new recovery housing project that could accommodate six to eight women recovering from a substance use disorder is moving forward, according to Rob Giesige, CEO of the Four County ADAMhs Board. He provided the update at the board’s January 12 meeting.
Several months ago, the board approved a request from Recovery Services of Northwest Ohio to develop a recovery housing program for women from Defiance, Fulton, Henry and Williams counties.
The agency recently purchased a building that it plans to remodel. It is located a few miles south of Wauseon on State Route 108.
In the past, the building has been a veterinary office and more recently an addiction treatment center.
Recovery housing for women was identified as a needed service in the ADAMhs Board’s six year capital plan.
Giesige also updated the board about a possible option to provide additional transportation services for behavioral health clients who are served by funded providers that receive ADAMhs Board funding.
He explained that the board could contract with Triangular Processing, which is based in Fulton County, to work with organizations such as K & P Medical Transport and the Henry County Transportation Network to provide transportation to medical appointments and other basic needs.
He noted that last April the board had approved spending up to $50,000 to serve as the local match for a grant that the Henry County Transportation Network was developing that would have provided that service for behavioral health clients.
However, the grant that was finally submitted did not have any provision for persons with behavioral health issues.
Giesige told the board that additional transportation services for behavioral health clients are still needed.
Based on the motion previously approved by the board, Giesige was instructed to use those funds to develop a transportation plan for behavioral health clients with Triangular Processing.
The board approved two agreements at its January meeting.
Authorization to implement the State Opioid Response grants that now total nearly $1.1 million.
The federal grants are from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and must be used to develop an integrated behavioral health system of care for adolescents and adults with opioid use disorders as well as stimulant use disorders.
The funds would be shared by OhioGuidestone, Maumee Valley Guidance Center and Recovery Services of Northwest Ohio.
A group home placement contract amendment for $10,700 with Maumee Valley Guidance Center.
The board also approved sending all board-funded service providers a 120-day notice that their contract for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2023 is subject to change or non-renewal.
This notice is routine and required by state code if any contract changes for the next fiscal year are possible.
The action is particularly important now since the amount of state funding that the board will receive next year is not known until a new biennial budget is approved. That budget is usually not approved until June.
The board also held an executive session to discuss the employment of a public employee. However, no action was taken following the executive session.