At its October 14 meeting, ADAMhs Board CEO Rob Giesige gave an update on the board’s seven-tenths mill renewal levy to support behavioral health services.
The levy was first approved by voters in 1982 and has been extended every five years since then. If renewed on November 2, the tax would generate just over $1.8 million a year or 26 percent of the board’s total revenue.
Giesige explained that last year more than 10,400 four county residents received services from providers that received some of their funding from the ADAMhs Board.
The board approved a number of contracts for the current fiscal year, including one with the ProMedica health system, several in-school drug prevention DARE contracts and a resolution for the transfer of board-owned property in Napoleon to OhioGuidestone.
The $150,000 contract with ProMedica’s behavioral health division is for inpatient services for adults, children and adolescents at any of the system’s facilities.
D.A.R.E. contracts were approved for the Defiance County sheriff’s office, $7,500; Henry County sheriff’s office, $6,500; Napoleon, $1,000; Fulton County prosecutor’s office, $6,500; and Fayette, $1,000.
A resolution was approved to transfer board-owned property at 600 Freedom Dr. in Napoleon to OhioGuidestone. The property houses outpatient and crisis services for A Renewed Mind, which is a division of OhioGuidestone.
Along with the property transfer, OhioGuidestone assumes an agreement with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OMHAS) that requires the property to be used for behavioral health services until at least 2046 or a portion of the state loan that funded the original purchase must be returned.
The ADAMhs Board also approved the sale of a home purchased by New Home Development Company in 2000 with OMHAS funding. State rules require ADAMhs Board approval before the property can be sold.
The board approved agreements with OhioGuideston (doing business as A Renewed Mind), Maumee Valley Guidance Center and Recovery Services of Northwest Ohio to access $48,124 that the board has received from the state to help persons with mental illness who have been released from prison successfully transition into the community.
The agencies can use the funds to help qualifying clients with needs such as housing, transportation and linking with various recovery supports.
The board also approved a contract amendment with Maumee Valley Guidance Center for up to $60,000 to provide additional group home placements for clients.
Giesige told the board that the state has allocated $215,574 to the northwest Ohio regional coalition of 11 ADAMhs Boards to provide crisis services at Arrowhead Behavioral Health in Maumee. The Four County board is part of that coalition and can use the funds.
He also explained the remodeling upgrades that were completed last month by the owner of the ADAMhs Board building, which is nearly 30 years old.
Tonie Long, the board’s director of quality improvement, showed the board a 15 second ad promoting treatment for substance use/abuse.
The ads will soon air on various streaming platforms as persons with zip codes from the four county area watch movies, television shows and other programs on their devises.
Long explained that a similar ad campaign last November and December that focused on suicide prevention was seen by 35,000 viewers in the four county area.
The ads encourage persons to seek help by calling a local information and referral line (800-468-4357) that is answered 24/7.