PRESS RELEASE – The final contracts for the new fiscal year starting July 1 were approved by the Four County ADAMhs Board at its meeting on Thursday (June 9).
Several of the contracts were with Toledo area hospital systems for four county residents needing inpatient psychiatric care.
An agreement for up to $125,000 was approved with the Mercy Health System’s St. Charles Hospital for adult patients.
A contract for up to $250,000 was approved with the University of Toledo Medical College for children and adolescent patients, and an extension of the current contract with any ProMedica psychiatric hospital for child, adolescent or adult inpatient care was also approved.
Several agreements to provide behavioral health-related support for individuals involved with the courts were approved.
The Henry County Family Court and Fulton County Common Pleas Court can be reimbursed for up to $15,000 for a behavioral health professional to identify persons, particularly those with children, who might benefit from referrals to a behavioral health provider.
Up to $50,000 was approved for the Williams and Henry county juvenile courts special docket initiative.
The funds can be used to support each judge’s decisions to replace detention or incarceration with treatment interventions for the youthful offender and more involvement of the family.
The board also approved $35,000 to support the drug courts in both Fulton and Williams counties. Both courts have been approved by the Ohio Supreme Court to provide coordinated treatment options rather than incarceration for offenders who the court has reason to believe would respond well to treatment.
NAMI Four County will receive $7,000 to support the free mental health awareness and educational programs as well as support groups that the local NAMI chapter provides.
A contract for up to $87,418 with the Montgomery County ADAMhs Board was approved to provide management information, claims processing and consultation services related to the enrollment and billing for services of individuals who receive behavioral health services that are supported by the Four County ADAMhs Board.
The board approved a grant carry-over agreement with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services for up to $310,000.
The grant funds can be used to treat individuals diagnosed with opiate and other substance use disorders.
A board operating budget for fiscal year 2023 totaling $650,000 was approved.
John Nye of Liberty Center was elected to serve as ADAMhs Board chairperson starting July 1 and Sandy Herman of Defiance was elected vice-chairperson.
During his report to the board, CEO Rob Giesige reported that the final state allocations for next year will total $2,588,943. That amount is largely unchanged from the current fiscal year.
He also explained that an anticipated state transportation pilot grant to provide transportation for behaviorial health clients that was to be made by the Henry County Transportation Network was not completed. So, a $50,000 matching grant that the board had approved in April will not be used.
And, a final update was given on the planned July 16 start of the national 9-8-8 crisis hotline.
Giesige said it was his understanding that calls made to 9-8-8 for at least the first four months will be directed to a call center based on the area code registered to the phone that the call is made from.
Therefore, he noted, that some cell phone crisis calls to 9-8-8 may go to the wrong call center if the cell phone doesn’t have a local area code or if the person is traveling and not near home.
By mid-November, crisis calls to 9-8-8 should go to the call center closest to the location of the phone when the call is made.
The board held an executive session to discuss the employment of a public employee.
Following the executive session, the board approved a four percent salary increase for CEO Rob Giesige based on his job performance, noting that he will receive annual performance reviews.