Mental health board OKs funding

SANDUSKY — After inviting all local providers to submit proposals, the ADAMHS Board of Erie County has approved funding for organizations that provide help for mental health and substance abuse issues. It's the first full-year budget approved by the local board since it launched in October 2021 after splitting up the joint Erie County-Ottawa County mental health board. The board functions mainly as a safety net board, helping people who need help but can't afford the expense of treatment, and its two largest expenditures reflect that. For the new fiscal year, which started July 1, the board reserved $1.8 million to Firelands Counseling and Recovery Services and about $778,000 for Bayshore Counseling. Significant dollars went to local agencies that operate residential treatment centers with $683,000 going to Road to Hope and about $672,000 going to Volunteers of America. Peer support funding included $360,000 for Sandusky Artisans Recovery Community Center in downtown Sandusky, which helps people going through recovery for substance abuse disorder, and $166,000 for Erie Shore Network, which provides support and social activities for people dealing with mental health issues. Other significant allocations include about $163,000 for the Erie County Health Department, which operates a detox center for people beginning their journey toward sobriety, $160,000 to local schools to support prevention programs and about $75,000 for Catholic Charities. An allocation of about $43,000 for Ohio Guidestone is the first time the board has funded the agency. Ohio Guidestone, based in Berea but with offices in much of northern Ohio, is a behavioral health organization that focuses on youth. In Erie County, the organization will perform home visits, working with local schools and the local juvenile court system, said Diane Taylor, executive director for the ADAMHS board. Taylor said the board had to make some difficult decisions to stretch taxpayer dollars as much as possible. "We are seeing a tremendous need for mental health and substance use services in the community. The board had to make tough decisions to ensure we could provide a breadth of quality services to those in need. Additionally, we are committed to being fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars," Taylor said. The board, seeking to be fair and to consider as many funding requests as possible, began the funding process by asking all local providers to submit requests. The proposals were considered first by a board subcommittee and staff, then the board's planning and finance committees and then finally by the full board. The ADAMHS board also has new leadership. Tom Tucker declined to serve another term as chairman of the board. Board members elected Lisa Crescimano to serve as the chair. Crescimano had served as finance chair for the board. Rob Quinn was re-elected as the vice chairman.