Veterans workshop hosted in Sandusky

SANDUSKY — More than 20 statewide veteran and mental health-oriented organizations gathered for a workshop at the Erie County Health Department on Tuesday. The workshop sought to merge veteran services and mental health-related organizations in an effort to create conversation surrounding crisis intercept mapping and education of those who work with veterans. Crisis intercept mapping is an effort to identify gaps in care, highlight strengths and improve community strong points surrounding veteran mental health assistance. "This is a wonderful opportunity for the two systems to talk together," said Diane Taylor, executive director of Erie County's Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) board. The one-and-a-half-day workshop — which is the first of its kind in the state of Ohio — was hosted in partnership between Erie County's board and the Ohio Department of Veterans Services. The event concluded on Thursday. The county's mental health board encourages a healthy community through funding and monitoring a network that drives behavioral health, according to its mission statement. "It's important that behavioral health, mental health and substance abuse (prevention) partner with veterans services, to not only identify gaps but to work collaboratively to make sure that we provide support and programming to fulfill some of those gaps," Taylor said. "Moving forward, we want to be a part of the process of implementing some of the targeted plans that we'll develop here." The presentation, workshop and conversation focused on four intercept points to help community stakeholders assess the risk levels of veterans they assist through the crisis care system. They are as follows: • First contact — first responders who report to a crisis situation • Acute care — locations equipped to respond to crises immediately • Care transition — services designed to stay connected and provide support • Ongoing treatment and recovery support — opportunities to get well and stay well Organizations that identified themselves as providers of these levels of service to local veterans were present at the workshop. One such organization with representatives in attendance was the Ohio Veterans Home. "Our facility is sort of at the very end of the continuum of all of the intercepts. We are at the very far end of that spectrum. So at the veterans home in Sandusky, we provide long-term care," superintendent Ross Matlack said. Ohio accommodates veterans in two homes in both Sandusky as well as Georgetown in Brown County. The Sandusky property houses both an independent living facility and a nursing home where the primary criteria for admittance is housing of last resort, according to Matlack. "We're really focusing on that veteran aspect and making sure that when there is a crisis that occurs at any time in their life — for veterans, service members and their families — that they know who they can go to," said Margaret Osborne of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. Osborne continued: "Today's crisis intercept mapping is really that process to be able to identify what gaps are in the community, and how we're going to address those gaps as a system."