At its September 10 meeting, the Four County ADAMhs Board approved five contracts for the current fiscal year and learned that it has received a two-year grant totaling $180,000 from the state to provide supported employment and placement services for persons who suffer with substance use issues, including those with co-occurring mental health issues.
Board CEO Tonie Long explained that the board will partner with Harbor Behavioral Health to provide the services. The funds are part of Ohio’s opioid settlement with pharmaceutical companies.
The following contracts were approved.
-$80,000 in state funding to support the Fulton and Williams county specialty docket drug courts. Each common pleas court will receive $40,000.
-$70,000 in state funding to support three specialty juvenile court dockets in Henry and Williams counties. Specifically, the Henry and Williams county juvenile court dockets for youth with substance use and other behavioral health issues will each receive $25,000. The Williams County Family Intervention Court docket will receive $20,000.
-$10,000 for Sufficient Grace Ministries based in Henry County to provide training, resources and support for hospital staff and families in the four-county area who experience the loss of a baby or young child.
-$109,323 for the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio (CCNO) to administer the Criminal Justice Behavioral Health Linkage grant from the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. This funding allows CCNO to continue to provide psychoeducation for substance addicted inmates prior to their release.
-$15,882 for NAMI Four County, the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. With the funding, NAMI will coordinate the Four County LOSS (Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors) Team and provide community education through the QPR (question, persuade and refer) process.
Both of these programs are new responsibilities for NAMI Four County. The LOSS Team is considered a postvention program that provides immediate and ongoing support to families and friends who have lost a loved one to suicide.
QPR is an emergency mental health gatekeeper training that equips co-workers, educators, parents, pastors and other community members to recognize and respond to suicidal crises.
During her CEO report to the board, Long reported that Karen VonDeylen has joined the staff as community services manager. A licensed independent social worker, she previously worked for Maumee Valley Guidance Center.
She also said that the board will be looking to replace the Cleveland area law firm that the board has used since the 1990s. Long noted that all of the attorneys that the board has worked with on behavioral health issues over the years have retired.
Long also reported that staff have been actively pursuing various grant opportunities that are consistent with the board’s strategic plans, such as the two-year, $180,000 One Ohio grant that was just awarded.
Board members will be informed when staff are working on grants with an explanation of how each grant could benefit clients, she said.
Finally, Long noted that the ADAMhs Board has completed overdose awareness events in Defiance, Henry and Williams counties. The ADAMhs Board had applied for and received a grant in the amount of $25,000 to support overdose awareness across the four counties.
Board committee assignments were approved with the following committee chairpersons: audit committee, Tim Meister, chair; integrated care (mental health/addiction) committee, Stephen Seagrave, chair; personnel committee, Stephen Seagrave, chair; nominating committee, Michelle Oyer-Rose, chair; executive committee, Karen Bleeks, chair.
Board Chairperson Tod Hug announced that he and the personnel committee have completed the annual CEO evaluation as specified by board policy.