At its May 9th meeting, the Four County ADAMhs Board approved an additional $2 million in behavioral health service contracts for the new fiscal year starting July 1. The most recent allocations along with those approved last month total almost $7.4 million.
Specifically, in May the board approved a contract totaling $1,417,811 with Recovery Services of Northwest Ohio. However, that amount includes some $440,111 of unspent capital funding that will carry-over from the current fiscal year.
Board CEO Tonie Long explained that those funds will be needed for the women’s recovery housing renovation project south of Wauseon on State Route 108 that is expected to be completed later this summer, as well as renovations to the women’s residential center, Serenity Haven, which is located in Fayette.
Other contracts approved for the new fiscal year include: Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center, $80,000 to support the school navigator program at the Independence Education Center; Recovery Services of Northwest Ohio, $200,000 in federal women’s grant funding; Children’s Resource Center in Wood County, $30,000 for youth crisis stabilization services; and Pillars of Success in Napoleon, $15,000 to assist with transitional housing and support services for families and single parents who are in early recovery from substance use issues.
Also: SARAH’s House of Defiance County, $15,000; the Guardianship Service Board, $55,000 to assist juvenile and probate courts in Defiance, Fulton and Williams counties with guardianships; and $110,000 for the ADAMhs Board to use as its share of placement costs for youth who are served by more than one agency, such as Jobs and Family Service or juvenile court as well as a behavioral health agency; Northwest Ohio Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), $25,000; and Williams County Common Pleas Court, $12,000 to assist with its Parent Coordination program.
The board also approved a $15,000 contract amendment to Recovery Services of Northwest Ohio for the current fiscal year for staffing and operations at the women’s recovery house.
During her report to the board, Long said that staff have written letters of support and applied for special state funding.
Some $656,586 of funds that Ohio received in opiate settlement funds have been allocated to be awarded for qualifying projects in seven northwest Ohio counties that include Defiance, Fulton, Henry and Williams as well as Paulding, Putnam and Van Wert.
Four County ADAMhs Board staff have written letters of support for grant applications that have been submitted by four county organizations.
Long explained that it’s not clear when a decision will be made on which grants from the seven counties will be approved. However, she said that any opiate settlement funds that may be awarded will be well spent by the organizations that submitted proposals from the four-county area.
Long said that the ADAMhs Board has been awarded $12,500 of Access to Wellness funds from the state.
The funding is for individuals who struggle with chronic mental illness and also are involved with other systems (such as the courts or board of developmental disabilities) may be eligible for some of the funds.
Finally, the board nominated officers for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2024. John Nye of Liberty Center was nominated to continue as the ADAMhs Board chairperson for a second term, and Stephen Seagrave of Delta to serve a second term as vice-chairperson.