Mental health board provides updates

TIFFIN - At the Seneca County Commissioners' meeting Thursday morning, Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Seneca, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wyandot's Executive Director Mircea Handru provided the county with an update. The update included the board's annual report for fiscal year 2023, a OneOhio update and recovery housing information. Fiscal year 2023 annual report The report began by discussing what the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board does. It is a volunteer board, made up of community members who represent the counties the board serves. The board plans, develops, funds, administers and evaluates local systems of care of mental health and substance abuse disorder. Some of the board's responsibilities include the establishment of a unified system to address the prevention, treatment and support services for recovery. The board receives funds through federal, state and local funds. Local levy funds allow the board to focus on implementing and planning community services like in-school counseling, mental health and substance use disorder education, housing assistance for people with mental illness and crisis intervention team training for first responders. During the meeting, Handru said that a levy recently passed in Sandusky County. He also noted that the levies in each county of the board's coverage area are only used for the county in which it was passed. For example, Seneca County's levy for the Board is only utilized for projects and services in Seneca County, its funds are not mixed with the funds of Ottawa, Sandusky or Wyandot counties. Initiatives The report also discussed important initiatives in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, the Board hosted its first Behavioral Health Summit in Ottawa County. The event featured speakers in the mental health and recovery services field. Area legislators also attended. The summit was hosted to provide community stakeholders with information on 988, OhioRise, Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation and how the board services the residents of its coverage area. In the summer of 2022, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline was launched, a transition from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The number provides free, confidential support 24/7 from a licensed counselor and is to be used by people in emotional or mental distress. "In fiscal year 2023, Seneca County had a total of 154 calls, Sandusky County had 195 calls, Ottawa County had 318 calls and Wyandot County had 27 calls to the 988 hotline," the report stated. "The highest month was June 2023 with a total of 130 calls. The smallest number of calls in a month was September 2022 with 6 calls." The board distributed 988 information to Tiffin City Schools, Vanguard-Sentinel, Upper Sandusky Middle School, Norwalk State Patrol, at county fairs and other community events. The Hope Recovery Network, a peer support service, serving residents in Seneca, Ottawa, Sandusky or Wyandot counties, started in June 2022. Those who provide peer support are required to complete a 40-hour approved training or have three years of work experience in providing peer services for behavioral health. Supporters are also required to pass an approved exam, agree and sign a code of ethics and PASS FBI and BCI background checks. According to the report, the network has served 133 people and 88 people continued to receive services at the end of 2023. During that time, 39 people were receiving mental health support and 49 received support for substance use disorder or both mental health and substance use disorder. There are 52 residents from Ottawa county and Seneca and Sandusky counties. Of those counties, they had 18 residents receiving services. Although Wyandot County does not have any clients in the network, the network is available to Wyandot residents if needed. Starting March 2023, the board selected Harbor as the community mental health and addiction services for Wyandot County. The selection of Harbor was made after the board received notice from Firelands Counseling and Recovery Services in 2022 of its plans to discontinue services in Wyandot. "Through June 30, 2023, Harbor served 137 mental health clients, 13 substance use disorder clients, 99 adult clients, 1 medication assisted treatment client, 42 youth clients, 26 crisis clients, and 9 clients at the Wyandot County jail," the report read. In June 2023, the board opened its second women's recovery house in Seneca County. The house, dubbed Lotus II, is named after the county's first women's recovery house. Lotus II can serve up to seven women at a time and has four bedrooms. Both recovery houses are managed by HOPE in Fostoria and are available to woman in Seneca, Ottawa, Sandusky or Wyandot counties. Sandusky County started the Individual Growth Naturally and Intentionally Through Education program with the help of Sandusky County Sheriff Chris Hilton. The board provided funding for the program. INGITE aims to educate inmates, so they have better outcomes both during and after incarceration. According to the annual report, 12 men and five women graduated from the program. Fiscal report Revenue – FY 2023 The board received $4,373,370.83 in levy funds, accounting for 42.73% of revenue. The board received $3,324,647 in Ohio MHAS state funds, accounting for 32.48% of revenue. The board received $2,021,981.70 in Ohio MHAS federal funds, accounting for 19.76% of revenue. The board received $494,851.57 in other federal funds, accounting for 4.83% of revenue. The board received $20,269.31 in miscellaneous funds, accounting for .20% of revenue. In total, the board received $ 10,235,120.41 in funding in fiscal year 2023 with levy and state funding account for majority of the revenue. Expenses – FY 2023 The board spent $704.480.21 on administration, accounting for 7.48% of expenses. The board spent $408,556.81 on board operations accounting for 4.34% of expenses. The board spent $62,226.17 on capital, accounting for .66% of expenses. The board spent $388,235 on school funding, accounting for 4.12% of expenses. The board spent $7,838,366.11 on behavioral health services, accounting for 83.24% of expenses. The board spent $15,236 on behavioral health legal and clinical reviews, accounting for .16% of expenses. In total, the board spent $9,417,070.70 in fiscal year 2023. OneOhio OneOhio, a private non-profit foundation which distributes funds the state receives from opioid settlements. Handru serves as the representative for Seneca County in region 17 of the foundation. He also serves as the region's representative on the state level of the foundation. "The really exciting news is that on March 4, the first request for funds will be live on the OneOhio Recovery Foundation website," Handru said. "The first pot of money is ready to be bid out. Agencies can go and read all the requirements that we (OneOhio) have put together and worked really hard for the last year or so to develop." He also said there will be online and Zoom sessions for agencies to learn how to apply for funds. Both public and private agencies, for-profits and non-profits can apply for funding. There will also be an in-person listening session in Tiffin April 22 with the application deadline being May 3. Applications can be for 12, 24, or 36 months. Recovery housing The board is aiming to open two recovery houses for men this year. "We're really hoping within the next 30 days to take in applications for the first male recovery house," Handru said. "We are also in the process of working on another home, which we hope to have closed by June 30." Online applications for recovery housing can be found here: https://mhsosw.org/recovery-housing/