wecarepeople

Financing Ohio's Behavioral Health System

2010-09-10T12:32:00.000-07:00

Ohioans are dying from lack of access to vital services due to years of neglect in the state budget.

In a recent statewide poll, 2 out of every 3 Ohioans stated they were impacted by a friend or family member with an addiction and / or mental illness

Based on the most recent statistics, suicides in Ohio are at a 10 year high. Most suicides (43%) occur in men between the ages of 36 and 65

In Ohio, the annual deaths related to unintentional drug / medication overdoses are higher than the annual deaths due to vehicular accidents

How do we ensure access to life saving behavioral health services so that more Ohioans don't die needlessly?

1. Fund behavioral healthcare Medicaid Match from the state's 525 budget that was established specifically for Medicaid Match. It is no longer acceptable to shift costs to the local communities to pay for diseases of the brain while the costs for every other organ of the body are paid for from a well funded line in the state budget. This is stigma at its worst and must be corrected!

2. The local community levy for behavioral health services was never intended to offset the costs of a federal and state entitlement. These funds were intended to provide vital services to local residents not covered by these entitlements.

3. State funding for behavioral health care that was cut by @ $2 million locally must not be cut any further.

We have a choice now - Either provide our families and loved ones with the treatment they need so that they can live full and productive lives at a fraction of the cost of providing care in emergency rooms, jails, prisons, and long term care facilities at a massive cost.

Please tell our local legislators Senator Keith Faber, Representatives Matt Huffman, Cliff Hite, and John Adams that our families and our communities are depending on them to make the right choice.

Mike Schoenhofer

Ohio's Community Mental Health System at a Crossroads

2010-07-27T06:43:00.000-07:00

According to the Cleveland based Center for Community Solutions, a think tank dedicated to providing strategic leadership in the areas of health, social, and economic conditions, Ohio's mental health system is collapsing due to a lack of investment over many years. This lack of investment is leading to high costs in other systems and poor health outcomes.

Funding Cuts Cost More

According to Susan Ackerman, Fellow, Public Policy and Advocacy at the Center, Ohio's community mental health system is on the brink of failure and collapse. A combination of factors over time has led to this situation. But, among these factors, the lack of funding is the most damaging. Failure to meet the needs of people with mental illness in a community setting has resulted in increased hospitalizations, nursing home placements, and incarceration. Not only are these alternatives inappropriate - and in many cases inhumane - but they are significantly more expensive.

Though Ohio faces a crushing state revenue shortfall, more spending is needed now to stabilize the communty mental health system. This would not only improve the care of individuals with mental illness but would be prudent fiscal policy as it would stave off the need for future spending in other systems that are ill-equipped to provide long-term treatment and stabilization for people with mental illness.

ADAMHS Boards Worked!

The funding structure that initially created Ohio's Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services Boards was initially very effective at deinstitutionalizastion, reducing the number of state hospitals from 17 to 7 representing better care in community settings and massive institutional cost savings. However, now that those savings have been realized it is important that funding levels be tied to cost drivers in the community mental health system - caseload, price, and service utilization.

Have we returned to the 1840's?

Around the country, care for people with severe mental illness is reverting to something that resembles the system that existed when Dorothea Dix began her raids on jails and almshouses in the 1840's. Ohio has the chance to reverse it current course, by leveraging the changes that resutl from federal health reform and actively design a system that will improve the health of our citizens. Nowhere else is it more important to seize this opportunity right now than in the behavioral health system.

Mike Schoenhofer

Behavioral Health Care IS Health Care

2010-07-22T07:37:00.000-07:00

There is an increasing need for community based alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services. Unfortunately, this increasing need had been met with decreasing financial support from the state. We hope it is the result of lack of understanding on the part of lawmakers that behavioral health care is a vital part of an individual's overall health.

Perhaps there is a confusion that mental illness or addiction are really just people "acting badly or misbehaving" rather than truly understanding that these are diseases of the brain, biologically based, and just as lethal as any other untreated illness like cancer or heart diesase.

In the previous state budget, the Governor explained that "health care was held harmless from budget cuts," when in fact behavioral healthcare locally was cut by $1.7 million. Perhaps the Governor didn't understand that mental illness and addiction are killers too.

Perhaps there is a greater tolerance at the Governor's Mansion and in the State House that persons with brain disorders can find treatment in jails, nursing homes, and emergency rooms? That sounds like prejudice to me.

Please stand with us in helping our lawmakers understand the critical need for mental health and substance abuse services in our local communities.

Behavioral Health Care is Health Care.

Mike Schoenhofer

Girls More Vulnerable to Substance Abuse?

2010-07-19T10:04:00.000-07:00

Parents of teenage girls may be surprised to learn that their daughters may be more vulnerable to developing alcohol and drug problems than their male counterparts according to a survey by the Partnership for a Drug Free America. They are more susceptible to substance abuse because they are more likely to use alcohol and drugs to self-medicate.

Specifically, teen girls more than boys perceived the potential benefits of using drugs and alcohol.

The fact that girls, more than teenage boys think that drugs can help them deal with their problems was revealed in an analysis of the 2009 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study.

Girls More Likely to Turn to Drugs

Some of the findings of the study about teen girls included:

68% of girls said "using drugs helps kids deal with problems a home"

53% said drugs helped teens forget their problems"

59% of teen girls reported using alcohol

Past year use of marijuana increased 29% from 2008 to 2009

Boys Drug Use Increasing

The report also foudn some disturbing trends among teenage boys:

The percentage of boys who said "drugs help you relax socially" grew from 45% in 2008 to 52% in 2009

34% of boys said "parties are more fun with drugs"

Use of marijuana increased among boys 15% between 2008 and 2009

Parents should pay close attention to their daughters' moods and mental health neds while addressing their worries and stresses. If parents suspect their teens are experimenting with drugs, they should take immediate action.

If you are concerned about your son or daughter using alcohol or drugs please call either the HopeLine 1 -800-567-4673 or Family Resource Centers 419-222-1168

Mike Schoenhofer

Addiction is a Disease of the Brain

2010-07-07T12:50:00.000-07:00

A few times a week someone calls and asks for help because of an addiction they are struggling to overcome or an addiciton of a loved one. Addiction is a complex brain disease. It is a chronic disease characterized b y craving, seeking, and use that can persist even in the face of extremely negative consequences. Accohol and other drug seeking behavior may become compulsive, in large part, as a result of the effects of prolonged use on brain function and on behavior.

Addiction is considered a brain disease because alcohol and other drugs change the brain - they change its structure and how it works. These brain changes canbe long lasting, and can lead to harmful behaviors seen in people who abuse alcohol and other drugs.

According to Dr. Daniel Amen, alcohol and other drugs have a significant and seriously debilitating impact on the brain. In brain image scans the brain of an addict looks like it is full of holes.

Why does this matter?

1. Unintentional drug poisioning is the leading cause of injury death in Ohio, surpassing motor vehicle crashes and suicides for the first time on record.

2. The death rate in Ohio due to unintentional drug posionings increased 350% from 327 in 1999 to 1,472 in 2008.

Now more than ever we need strong community based alcohol and drug treatment and prevention programs that are designed to keep kids from getting started on drugs and to get people into recovery who have developed an addiction.

Funding cuts to behavioral health services for some is a death sentence and for others means a lifetime of suffering and imprisonment.

Addiction is a treatable disease. Success rates for addiction treatment exceed success rates for other chronic illnesses - approximately 70% of men and women who complete treatment and attend self help groups like AA, NA, or Celebrate Recovery are likely to remain abstinent from alcohol or other drugs.

Please join with us in advocating for treatment and prevention programming. Our families and loved ones need our help!

Mike Schoenhofer

We All Need a Little Help from Our Friends

2010-06-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

A few years ago just after my father died unexpectedly, my mother was looking for a grief support group. The first one she tried was very clinically organized and she ended up crying most of the time the group was in session and for hours after it was over.

Then she discovered a simple peer group of women who had lost their husbands. They spent some time talking but then the rest of the time they played cards and then went out to lunch. My mother never missed another group after that.

As one clinician told me, "Sometimes we just over therapize people." Sometimes we just need a little support. For persons with serious mental illness the greatest threat they face is social isolation and so support groups become a life line. But we all need those social supports and without them slowly become isolated and depressed.

Celebrate Recovery is a wonderful example of a faith-based support group for people with all manner of habits, hurts, and hang-ups. The groups meet at St. John's Church on Wednesday at 6:00 PM and at the Church at Allentown at 8:00 PM on Saturday. Whether your hang-up is substance abuse or your hurt is depression there are people there who share your pain and can lift you up.

Just like my mother, sometimes we all just need a little help from our friends. I hope you find the support you need.

Mike Schoenhofer

More Mentally Ill Persons Are in Jails and Prisons

2010-06-17T12:44:00.000-07:00

Using using 2004 - 2005 data not previously published, the natiounal sheriff's association found that in the United States there are now more than three times more seriously mentally ill persons in jails and prisons than in hospitals. America'a jails and prisons have become our new mental hospitals.

Recent studies suggest that at lest 16 % of inmates in jails and prisons have a serious mental illness. In 1983 as similar study reported that the percentage was 6.4%. Thus, in less than three decades, the percentage of seriously mentally ill prisoners has almost tripled.

It is now extremely difficult to find a bed for a seriously mentally ill person who needs to be hospitalized.

In historical perspective, we are returning to the early nineteenth century, when mentally ill persons filled our jails and prisons. At that time, a reform movement sparked by Dorothea Dix, lead to a more humane treatment of mentally ill persons. We have now returned to the conditions of the 1840's by putting large numbers of mentally ill persons back into jails and prisons.

Dr. Stephen Moffic, a prison psychiatrist at a Wisconsin Prison, says that in many cases prisoners have better access to mental healthcare in prison than in the community because the community's resources have been so drastically cut.

What a shame that people may have to be imprisoned in order to have good access to mental health care and at what cost to our economy and at what human cost! The state can solve this problem if it has the political will.

Mike Schoenhofer

OF-1-MIND: www.of-1-mind.org

2010-06-09T12:11:00.000-07:00

Why is behavioral healthcare treated so much differently than physical healthcare? Is it stigma? Is it lack of knowledge? Yet 1 in every 4 Ohioans has a diagnosable mental illness and 1 out of 10 have a substance abuse problem or addiction.

These are your family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and classmates.

It is time to speak out on behalf of ourselves and those we love. Mental illness and addiction are diseases of the brain that not only impact the health of an individual but also the health of our families and our communities. That is the reason why the Ohio Association of Behavioral Health Authorities launched the education and advocacy campaign: OF-1-MIND.

Think of this, recovery rates for major mental disorders are far greater than for other physical illnesses like heart disease. For every dollar spent on treatment, there is an economic return of at least $7 when taking into account productivity at work and school, reduction in crime, child abuse, and homelessness. And most importantly, recovering people work.

Please log onto http://www.of-1-mind.org/ to get involved in this vital campaign.

Now more than ever you owe it to yourself, your family, and your community to make a difference and to let your voice be heard. Maybe one day we can accomplish the vision of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health; that is, ". . .a future when mental illnesses can be prevented or cured, a future when mental illnesses are detected early, and a future when everyone with a mental illness at any stage of life has access to effective treatment and supports. . ."

Mike Schoenhofer

Three Out of Five Ohions Affected by Mental Illness and/or an Addiction

2010-06-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

In a recent survey of 414 households in December 2009 conducted by the Ohio Association of Behavioral Health Authorities, 45% of the respondents reported they had a friend or family member who has a substance abuse problem. Almost one out of two respondents were aware of a friend or family member with mental illness (49%). When combined, 63% of respondents had someone they were close to suffering with a behavioral health issue - that's three out of five.

Amazingly, almost 60% of respondents agreed that drug and alcohol addiction is a diesase of the brain and 96% agreed that through treatment these men and women can become productive citizens.

When it comes to mental illness 83% agreed that it is a diesase of the brain and also agreed that people with mental illness can recover.

It is estimated that one in four Ohioans have a diagnosable mental disorder in any given year.

63% of Ohioans have a family member or friend with a mental illness and /or substance abuse disorder

25% of Ohioans have a diagnosable mental disorder

We need to pay be paying attention to this epidemic.

These disorders are treatable! Look at the success rates of behavioral health conditions compared to other physical disorders:

Bipolar Disorder 80% success rate

Heart Disease 45% success rate

Schizophrenia 60% success rate

Hepatitis C 40% success rate

Addiction 60% success rate

This is a time when we have the technology and the means to successfully treat our loved ones so that they can become productive citizens. With so many of our citizens impacted by mental illness and/or substance abuse shouldn't we be paying attention to this issue.

It is time we make our voices heard. Our silence does not help the ones we love who need us all to speak out on their behalf.

Let's afford the right to the "pursuit of happiness" to all of our citizens by making sure that the treatment they deserve is there when they need it.

A small investment in treatment today create a productive citizen tomorrow.

Mike Schoenhofer

Faber, Huffman, Hite and Adams can do the right thing

2010-03-17T11:28:00.001-07:00

I have just come from a Board meeting where services for adults, children, and families with mental illness and substance abuse will be reduced by almost $400,000 beginning in July. This is a tragedy for our families and a tragedy for our community. Yet there are three things our legislators and Governor could do that would not cost the state anything and yet have a huge impact locally. Here they are:

Medicaid Administrative Claiming - Local Boards could receive federal funding for the work they do in overseeing the Medicaid Program. Locally, that could mean up to $50,000 a year. I ask, "Why aren't our legislators and Governor advocating for us?"

Medicaid Program Oversight - Currently the Medicaid program is completely unregulated and the costs of services are so out of control that they threaten to wipe out prevention programming, programming for school children, crisis services, and supportive services for adults. By simply passing legislation that gives local Boards the authority to oversee amount, scope and duration, hundreds of thousands of dollars could be saved just in Allen, Auglaize and Hardin Counties alone. I ask, "Why aren't our legislators and Governor working to help us reign in a runaway program?"

Medicaid Benefit Package - Currently recipients of Medicaid Healthcare programs have better coverage than every working family in the state. Shouldn't our state government be seeking an equal coverage for our citizens regardless of socioeconomic status. A clear benefit package with reasonable limits on coverage based on diagnosis needs to be implemented immediately saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. I ask, "Why aren't our legislators and Governor paying attention?"

Many of our local citizens are being denied access to lifegiving services because our state legislature has not taken responsible action.

Please email your legislator today.

Senator Faber: SD12@senate.state.oh.us

Representative Hite (Hardin): district78@ohr.state.oh.us

Representative Adams (Auglaize): district78@ohr.state.oh.us

Representative Huffman (Allen): district04@ohr.state.oh.us

The Power of Partnership

2010-01-28T05:18:00.000-08:00

The idea of "rugged individualism" has been part of our collective myth for centuries. The images of the pioneer, cowboy, or even the Lone Ranger struggling against insurmountable odds are enthralling. Yet this individualist approach pales in significance to the power created in partnerships. Whether it was the struggle for independence in our American Revolution or the search for the cure of disease, it was the collaborative effort of people coming together for a single purpose that created success.

For the past 10 years the We Care People have worked to create partnerships within our communities so that people could recieve the care they needed in order to live the life they deserved.

Partnerships like the ones we have with Law Enforcement, Courts, DD Boards, Health Departments, Schools, Faith Community, CSB, Aging, and Housing have created many portals for anyone in need to find and receive help. What we have all created is stunning! It is a system of care that is always under constrtuction; a work in progress. And it must be a work in progress because as we learn and change and improve so too our systems must learn, and change and improve.

More partners means more opportunities to grow and we welcome that with open arms. It is a work that will never be finished.

This week we are inviting more agencies to come together with us to not only learn what we do but we hope to contribute to our learning of what needs to be done.

"No man is an island," observed John Donne, "No man is an island, entire of itself . . . because I am involved in mankind." What is true for each of us, our need for connection with others, is true for agencies, organizations and systems. In our partnerships there is power that enables us to discover new approaches that create better lives and a better community.

Thank you to all who have walked with us, learned with us, and created with us this wonderful and ever growing system of care over the past decade.

Mike Schoenhofer

Relearning Cultural Competence in our System

2010-01-13T10:59:00.001-08:00

Monday marks the 81st birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This is a time for us to reflect on those things which we have accomplished in our journey to a more socially just community, and to identify those areas which are our growth edges.

Traditionally, mental health and substance abuse systems and professionals have been a proactive group about issues of inclusion, equality, access, and dignity. A simple scan of our system shows so many people and organizations working to balance justice for our consumers. Every day, people who are marginalized by larger majorities are included in our services, shown compassion by our providers, and restored to their rightful places through the recovery supports they receive.

All of the agencies and providers in the We Care system have strong policies and leadership about respecting the differences of clients - their cultures, races, unique experiences, points of view, and histories. I have personally seen directors of our agencies take strong stands against discriminatory practices and interactions, advocating on behalf of our consumers with conviction that makes me proud to be their colleague. Every day our providers set aside the confines of their own culture and experience to nourish their understanding of our consumers' culture and to create a niche of safety for them to express themselves and to grow.

We have a unique asset in Lima UMADAOP. One of only 12 such organizations in Ohio, the Lima UMADAOP exists to ensure that African American and Hispanic/Latino people in our area receive prevention programming that is culturally appropriate. Lutheran Social Services, whose parent organization has a long history of attention to social justice, has one of the only Spanish-speaking counselors in our region, and has opened a thriving set of group services for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered. Family Resource Centers, our agency that concentrates on children and families, works every day in community settings such as schools to empower consumers who represent all types of familes, not just the traditional family with two parents and a white picket fence. It's all tough work, and in some ways very countercultural.

Even with these great examples, we need to do more. Cultural competence is often a sideline or even an afterthought in our program design and evaluation. Though we are well intentioned, we often neglect to ask the question of our consumers: "what do you really need from us, and do we create it with you in a way that celebrates the unique person you are?"

Dr. Debra Wilcox is a friend and mentor in this issue of deliberate attention to culture. She works with the Wellness Management and Recovery Coordinating Center of Excellence and is president of Confluency Consulting, Inc. She shares these ideas for enhancing our expertise and shaping our attitudes. She sees that providers need certain beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, and skills to improve their practice.

Beliefs and Attitudes
Culturally skilled counselors have moved from being culturally unaware to being aware and sensitive to their own cultural heritage and to valuing and respecting differences.
Culturally skilled counselors are aware of how their own cultural background and experiences, attitudes, and values and biases influence psychological processes.
Culturally skilled counselors are able to recognize the limits of their competencies and expertise.
Culturally skilled counselors are comfortable with differences that exist between themselves and clients in terms of race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, gender expression, and beliefs.

Knowledge
Culturally skilled counselors have specific knowledge about their own racial and cultural heritage and how it personally and professionally affects their definitions and biases of normality-abnormality and the process of counseling.
Culturally skilled counselors possess knowledge and understanding about how oppression, racism, discrimination, and stereotyping affect them personally and in their work. This allows them to acknowledge their own racist and sexist attitudes, beliefs, and feelings. Although this standard applies to all groups, for white counselors it may mean that they understand how they may have directly or indirectly benefited from individual, institutional, and cultural racism (white identity development models).
Culturally skilled counselors possess knowledge about their social impact upon others. They are knowledgeable about communication style differences, how their style may clash or facilitate the counseling process with minority clients, and how to anticipate the impact it may have on others.
Skills
Culturally skilled counselors seek out educational, consultative, and training experiences to enrich their understanding and effectiveness in working with culturally different populations. Being able to recognize the limits of their competencies, they (a) seek consultation, (b) seek further training or education, (c) refer out to more qualified individuals or resources, or (d) engage in a combination of these.
Culturally skilled counselors are constantly seeking to understand themselves as racial and cultural beings and are actively seeking a non-racist identity. (Wilcox, 2007).

Throughout 2010, it is our commitment to remember to ask the questions of our consumers, our providers, and our system that lead us to a deeper understanding of the true cultural needs and aspirations of our consumers and our workforce. Every time we raise the question, we learn and we move our system and ourselves toward a deeper justice for all.

Peace,
Phil Atkins

Our Wish

2009-12-16T05:21:00.000-08:00

Presents seem to be on our minds during this season. We are concerned about giving the right gift for some special person in our lives. Yet the greatest gift that we have to offer one another is this moment right now. This moment is the greatest gift, that's why it is -The Present.

Worries about past mistakes or hurts can be overwhelming at times. Concerns about an unpredictable future can be paralysing. And these worries and concerns take us away from enjoying this moment.

Our wish for you this holiday season is that you will discover a new and deeper peace and contentment here and now. We hope that you will discover a new strength or talent that you missed before right now. We want you to find a new opportunity that you might have overlooked because you were distracted by the past or the future.

Be happy about giving but be also open to receiving wonders from unexpected places. The joy of living in the here and now is that it allows you to be childlike in wonder and awe at the magnificence of life - letting go of past hurts or errors, letting go of future worries and concerns - just living fully this special moment.

Try it for a few minutes today. You might find it life changing. Begin to live the life you were meant to live - the life you deserve!

Remember, if you find your life overwhelming and need some help, our Hope LIne is there for you 24 / 7 at 1-800-567-4673

Mike Schoenhofer

With Gratitude in Mind

2009-11-16T06:31:00.000-08:00

"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has." ~Epictetus

The upheaval of the last few months has left us all scrambling to find solid ground. Budget cuts have crippled our programs and left us breathless as we run to make the difficult changes necessary to keep the most essential services. It has been a challenge.

But every challenge brings opportunity. We are fortunate to have so many assets in our community bank - relationships and connections that are impervious to budget cuts because they are golden intangibles. And we are very grateful for them.

As Thanksgiving approaches, we want to take this opportunity to be mindful of our gifts. It is risky to list them, they are so numerous that we will inevitably omit many. Listed or not, we want to express our thanks to our supporters and those who share our vision of recovery for people with mental illness and addictions.

Here are a few:

Our Law Enforcement Task Force is transforming the way officers and first responders interact with our consumers. Many have given hours of valuable time to be trained in CIT and attend our Task Force meetings. Thank you.
Our Family and Children First Councils have worked right along side of us to make sure that our most vulnerable kids have needed services. They bring needed resources to the table, and we have been happy to help them as they have helped us. Thank you.
We are privileged to have ethical, responsive leadership at our agencies. Confidence in their leadership management is something that money simply cannot buy. They have responded professionally to the cuts that have affected their agencies and continue to be creative in meeting needs with fewer dollars. Thank you.
The We Care Faith Partners have transformed our outreach. Never in our history have people of such good will come together to support us and the community in such a selfless and energetic way. This is a group of doers - people who give hours and hours of time to make things like support groups, Oksoberfest, and Debra Jay's presentation happen in our communities. They make a difference with us and for us. Thank you.
The number of partnerships we have is unbelievable. Our relationships with seniors and senior serving agencies, our connection with agencies serving people with developmental disabilities, our connections with agencies committed to making sure that people have safe and affordable housing, our presence in local schools - all of these help further our mission of reaching out. To all of you, thank you.
Every day nearly 200 professionals work within the We Care system to make sure that our consumers get what they need. Administrators, counselors, social workers, case managers, support staff, medical records technicians, doctors, nurses, and facilities support give tirelessly to our consumers. They do not have easy jobs. They deserve higher salaries and lighter work loads, but they do it because they believe in it. To all of you, thank you.
Finally, we are incredibly fortunate to have a Board of Directors that understands the intricacies of what we do, and finds a way to balance their responsibilties of governance with sensitivity and compassion for our consumers and the staff. Remember, they are volunteers. To a person, they take their roles and responsibilties seriously, giving hours that could easily be spent with their families and careers in order to give us support and direction. To the 15 people who guide us, we say of course, thank you.

With gratitude we remember our strengths and bring the last weeks of 2009 to a close. We know that the year to come will continue to bring challenges, false starts, and unforeseen roadblocks. Bring them on. We have relational cash in the back to meet them and with all of the creativity and compassion of our partners - we will make a way.

Please enjoy a little Josh Groban. The song is "THANKFUL" from his Noel CD.

The Power of Support

2009-10-30T08:39:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago I received a call from an elderly woman. She was going through resources in the phone book and came across our number. Her voice was quiet and I could tell that she had been crying.

Her husband of many years had passed away and she was having a difficult time with the loss. She talked to me about him, telling me that he was a good man and a good provider, and that he had taken wonderful care of her throughout their life together. And now she needed a different kind of care and support.

She asked if there was a support group for widows who were experiencing the same devastating losses. She wanted to be with someone who knew firsthand about her sadness, her fear, and her sense of being left alone.

I took her phone number and promised to call her back. When I hung up, I sent a far-flung email to everyone I could think of asking if there was such a group. Almost immediately I got a reply from a friend who directed me to the YWCA. Such a group meets there, I confirmed, and in fact they met the next day. I called the woman back and shared the information.

That was all I did. She did the rest, along with the group of women who meet at the YW. I called her back about a week later to see how it went. Her voice was different, more controled and certainly composed. The group, it seems, was exactly what she needed.

The Mental Health & Recovery Services Board feels strongly that support groups are our first line of defense in helping people live happier lives. I could have offered this woman counseling and antidepressants and lots of formal services. They would have probably helped, but all she really needed was to be with other women who shared her grief and hugged her as she wept out the story of her broken heart, offering her the hope of their experience a little farther down the path.

It's not just our opinion that support groups help. There is solid science behind our commitment to getting people to share experience, strength, and hope with each other. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently issued a report on the role of support and self-help groups in recovery. "What was once considered as an alternative is now considered an element of mainstream services..." the report stated.

We believe that given the right environment, people have an infinite capacity to heal themselves. We also believe that helping others heal brings us a sense of wholeness, joy, and recovery.

Sometimes, all we need to do is get out of the way.

Phil Atkins

[For the full text of the SAMHSA report visit: http://oas.samhsa.gov]

State Budget Cuts Cripple the most Vulnerable

2009-10-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

The tragic consequecnces of the Governor's State budget was felt deeply by our community yesterday. The Mental Health and Recovery Board at it's meeting yesterday took action to end programming at Changing Seasons peer support center as of December 31. The lease for the space will continue until June 30 and a grant for an outreach worker was put into place. The Board was placed in the difficult position of having to choose between funding 1000's of hours of psychiatric services and case management or supportive services for clients.

Family members who belong to NAMI voiced their concern but also vowed to work with Lutheran Social Serivces and the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board to keep the spirit of Changing Seasons alive through collaborative efforts, volunteers, and students from local universities and businesses that might be willing to partner.

Over 40 people a day attend Changing Seasons.

Tammie Colon, Vice President of Behavioral Health at Lutheran said that staff were crying when she delivered the news last week.

The Mental Health System is still in a state of shock that state lawmakers and the Governor would deliver cuts to a system that cares for persons with brain disorders while other systems remained unscathed. The Governor's promise to protect the most vulnerable Ohioans falls on deaf ears when those with a biologically based brain disorder are singled out for reduced care.

Over the next weeks and months our system will need the help of the whole community to stand shoulder to shoulder in providing care for these people who deserve our help. Volunteers will be needed to work with an outreach staff in order to keep Changing Seasons open for a few hours each day. Businesses will be sought out who might be looking to co-locate downtown. Colleges and Universities will be contacted and students asked to volunteer their time so that during the coldest months of the year these vulnerable Ohioans will have a place.

We need your help.

Mike Schoenhofer

Postpone Income Tax Reduction Letter to Governonr Strickland

2009-10-19T13:26:00.000-07:00

October 19, 2009

The Honorable Ted Strickland
Governor, State of Ohio
77 South High Street, 30th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
Dear Governor Strickland:

The postponement of the scheduled reduction of personal income taxes is the right thing to do. On behalf of the residents of Allen, Auglaize and Hardin Counties these funds must be used to stop any additional cuts to the community mental health and alcohol and drug addiction services programs that make the difference between life and death. Singling out persons with biological brain disorders that result in mental illness or addiction for funding cuts is wrong!

Governor Strickland, mental illnesses and addictions are physical illnesses! Persons with these brain disorders need your help as much as children need education and seniors need to be able to live with dignity. People with brain disorders are Ohioans too!

Since the passage of Am. Sub. H.B. 1 the community mental health and alcohol and drug addiction system has lost over $90 million in funds for local mental health services, and $8 million in funds for alcohol and other drug treatment services. Due to these budget cuts, many Ohioans are unable to access necessary life saving treatment, only to have their conditions worsen. These Ohioans suffering from brain disorders had previously been served in the community mental health and/or alcohol and drug addiction system, and are now left with only the options of receiving needed services in emergency rooms, state psychiatric hospital and/or prison. Without adequately funding the community based system of care; the cost to the State will be a great deal more in total dollars and human life.

Our residents have lost over $2 million of state funds that has resulted in the loss of peer support programs, vocational programs, addiction treatment and intervention services and a reduction of in-school programming that our Lima City Schools have identified as being essential to their success so far. Longer waiting times and reduced access for psychiatry and therapy are among some of the critical services that impact the health and well being of our communities.

Specifically we would ask for the following

ODMH
We request that the $36 million ($20 in 2010 and $16 in 2011) presently in the 635 line be placed in the 505 line, and that the entire amount be allocated to the Boards via the general 505 distribution method with no earmarks.
Additionally, we ask that the $7.35 million per year cut from 408 be replaced in the 408 line to be distributed to Boards.

ODADAS
Ohio’s liquor profits are steadily increasing, yet only 1% ($4.4 million) is allocated to ODADAS. We request that the 1% be raised to 2% for an additional $4.4 million per year to go to ODADAS.

Ohioans with biologically based brain disorders must be given the same opportunity for treatment as persons with any other physical illness. Please work to find additional funding for mental health and addiction services; as Ohioans with a disease of the brain, are counting on you to ensure that they have the necessary life saving healthcare available.

Sincerely,

Michael Schoenhofer
Executive Director

Cc Senator Faber
Representative Huffman
Representative Hite
Representative Adams

Economic Downturn Taking Toll on Americans' Mental Health

2009-10-15T05:45:00.000-07:00

New National Survey Finds Jobless Individuals Four Times as Likely To Report Serious Problems.

Thirteen percent of unemployed individuals report that they have thought of harming themselves which is four times more than reported by persons with full time work.

A new national survey shows the economic downturn is taking a toll on the mental health of Americans. Individuals who are unemployed are four times as likely as those with jobs to report symptoms consistent with severe mental illness.

Americans who experienced involuntary changes in their employment status, such as pay cuts or reduced hours, also are twice as likely to have these symptoms, even though they are employed full time.

The survey was conducted for Mental Health America and the National Alliance on Mental Illness in collaboration with the Depression is Real Coalition. The results come from telephone interviews of 1,002 adults nationwide from September 17-20.

"This survey clearly shows that economic difficulties are placing the public's mental health at serious risk, and we need affirmative action to address these medical problems," said David L. Shern, Ph.D., president and CEO of Mental Health America. "Individuals confronting these problems should seek help for their problems - talk to their doctor, trusted friend or advisor or mental health professional."

Persons experiencing a mental health crisis can call 1-800-567-4673 or go to the We Care Regional Crisis Center located at 797 S Main Street on the outpatient campus of Lutheran Social Services anytime of the day or night.

Please contact your legislator and the Governor and let them know that these services are vital to our community. Post cards are still available for pick up at the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board, 1541 Allentown Road, Lima.

Senator Faber - Telephone: 614/466-7584 Email: SD12@senate.state.oh.us
Representative Huffman (Allen) - Telephone: (614) 466-9624 Email: district04@ohr.state.oh.us
Representative Hite (Hardin / Auglaize) - Telephone: (614) 466-3819 Email: district76@ohr.state.oh.us
Representative Adams (Auglaize) - Telephone: (614) 466-1507 Email: district78@ohr.state.oh.us
Governor Strickland - Telephone (614) 644-4357

Please don't wait to get the help you need so that you can lead the life you deserve.

Mike Schoenhofer

Lima Senior High School Begins Support Groups

2009-10-02T14:21:00.001-07:00

Lima Senior staff that has been trained as group facilitators by the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board will begin support groups for students next week in an effort to reach out to students in need of help. Family Resource Centers' staff will be providing assistance as the groups start up. This is an excellent partnership between the schools and the community mental health provider. This is the kind of collaboration that really saves lives.

Lima City Schools and the We Care People Providers are also teaming up to develop a comprehensive and targeted effort to reach students and their families who need mental health or substance abuse treatment. Early intervention will mean that these young people and their families will have a chance at living full lives that contribute to the well being and happiness of the whole community.

Congratulations to all concerned.

Mike Schoenhofer

We Make It Better

2009-09-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

There is a commercial for BASF, a chemical company that runs with the tag line: “We don’t make the products you buy, we make the products you buy better.” I have no idea what they make but I’m glad that whatever super-secret ingredients they use quietly enhance my quality of life.

We do the same thing.

The Mental Health & Recovery Services Board does not provide counseling services, psychiatric evaluations, or crisis interventions. We can’t by law. But we do make the services you receive better. And it’s not just the traditional services that you think of: counseling at Lutheran Social Services or case management at Family Resource Centers.

We’re everywhere!

The Mental Health & Recovery Services Board is committed to being a quiet value addition to the community and the many other agencies, schools, and organizations that help our community.

Here are some examples:

Over the past five years, the Board has invested more than $100,000 in training for our agency personnel, the community, our Faith Partners, and other agencies. We’ve trained more than 140 people to be support group facilitators, we’ve trained our providers in total quality management, we’ve offered two trainings for faith communities to help people right in their congregations, we’ve done dozens of small trainings for workplaces and other organizations.

The Board also assists other organizations with designing brochures, web sites, and promotional materials for events and groups that offer help. Often, a volunteer group facilitator only needs a little “back office” support to make amazing things happen.

Take for example Barb Link, a member of Faith Partners, a graduate of our support group facilitator training, and now a Mental Health & Recovery Services Board member. Barb began a group for women who have been victims of sexual assault called “I Have a Voice.” The group has grown so large that it is now two groups. All it took from us was the training and help with the brochure.

Don’t underestimate the amount of silent support the community receives from the Mental Health & Recovery Services Board. We don’t make the services, but we make the services better. We are everywhere. We want to help. Please help us.

Phil Atkins

Support Groups Save Lives

2009-09-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

We support wholeheartedly Eric England's request to the Lima City Schools Board to develop and put in place much needed suicide survivor support groups. Happily Lima City Schools staff participated in Board sponsored support group facilitator training in the past and are well equipped to step in and respond to this young man's request.

For the past 3 years the Mental Health and Recovery Service Board has sponsored support group facilitator training. During this time over 140 people have been trained in the community to facilitate support groups ranging from Parkinson's Disease to Suicide Recovery Support.

This investment by the Mental Health and Recovery Serivces Board identified early on the need for the community to support families, friends and neighbors as they struggle with life's challenges.

Support groups provide an ongoing care system for those facing chronic physical problems, grief issues and are particularly helpful for suicide survivors. Support groups can also be a life saving link when times get tough and a friend or family member needs more professional help.

Congratulations Eric for taking such a bold step and we look forward to supporting you and the schools in the development of these groups.

Mike Schoenhofer

Recovery - It's All About Hope - Faith Partners

2009-09-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

This week's feature in the Lima News couldn't be more timely. One in three families is affected by alcoholism or drug addiction. The message is that recovery from addiction is possible but it takes a loving community and competent professionals.

Our community is so fortunate to have a wonderful collaboration between the faith community and the professional community called - We Care Faith Partners. This group of some 32 church communities and local mental health and addiction treatment professionals and the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board has created a powerful force for change. Reaching out to embrace families and persons suffering from the effects of addiction this small group has made a big difference in our community.

Already sober living envrionments are springing up - places where people can heal and recover from addiction. The nationally recognized author Debra Jay spoke to gatherings in Kenton and Lima as a result of Faith Partners and she stated that she was simply amazed at what Faith Partners has accomplished. On October 3, Faith Partners is sponsoring Ocksoberfest from 12:00 Noon to 9:00 PM on South Main Street in Lima - a fun filled alcohol / drug free event that celebrates the harvest time and our families. And much more is happening with children and faith communities as a result of their efforts.

Individuals Recover! Families Recover! Communities Recover!

Thanks Faith Partners from the bottom of my heart.

Mike Schoenhofer

Teen Attempts Suicide

2009-09-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

Our hearts go out to the family of the young person who attempted to commit suicide yesterday. Our question is: "How long will we allow our Governor and State Lawmakers to ignore the needs of our families for mental health and alcohol and drug treatment services."

Tragedies grab the headlines but this needless pain and suffering experienced by our neighbors, our families, and our friends can be reduced and even eliminated by investing in treatment services that save lives.

Please stand up and stand with us as we tell Governor Strickland, Representatives Huffman, Hite, and Adams and Senator Faber that behavioral health services in our community are vital to our health and well being.

Mike Schoenhofer

Advocacy Action Alert - Postcard Campaign

2009-09-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

The Mental Health and Recovery Services Board, the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities, and the Coalition for HealthyCommunities has developed an advocacy postcard campaign to be used to keep the pressure on the Governor and legislators to fund behavioral health in the budget corrective bill later this fall.

We are asking staff, family members, human service agencies, emergency services personnel, and community residents to make a concerted effort to get as many people as possible to send postcards to Governor Strickland and their Ohio House and Senate members.

It is a bold card with a bold message: Access to recovery services is not an issue of politics. It’s not an issue of finances. It’s an issue of life and death.

Postcards will be available soon from the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board. Please alert everyone you know to participate in this campaign on behalf of our loved ones and families.

Mike Schoenhofer

Youth Alcohol Consumption Very Disturbing

2009-09-04T07:31:00.000-07:00

38% of Auglaize County youth and 34% of Allen County youth had at least one drink in the past 30 days and 69% had five or more drinks on that occasion according to Auglaize and Allen County Health Assessments recently released.

What is most disturbing are these facts about youth and drinking:

2 x's more likely to be in a fight
2 x's more likely to contemplate suicide
3 x's more likely to have had sexual intercourse
5 x's more likely to have used marijuana

Our young people are literally killing themselves and permanently damaging themselves.

A Glimmer of Hope

Last year Family Resource Centers touched the lives of over 3000 youth in programs targetted to school age children that aim to prevent alcohol and drug use, identify youth thinking about commiting suicide, and offer help to families to provide the care and nurturing environments children need to thrive.

More Hope

Last year Family resource Centers also worked with over 400 families with children under the age of 5 - intervening earlier creates a better chance that these families and children will thrive.

Our Choice

We can either help families, children and youth now when it will make the most difference or watch as families break apart, our youth damage and kill themselves and our future hope becomes bleak.

Please stand with us as we advocate for our families. The Governor's budget was wrong and if we don't speak up we have only ourselves to blame.

Treatment Works

Don't wait to get the help you deserve so that you can lead the life you were meant to live - Call 1-800-567-4673.

Mike Schoenhofer

8000 People Use Crisis Services Last Year

2009-09-03T13:39:00.000-07:00

The numbers are staggering!

Lutheran Social Services treated over 2100 people at the We Care Regional Crisis Center last year.
The Hope Line spoke to over 6000 people in the same time period, and
Lutheran's mobile crisis unit assessed 228 people at area hospitals.

That is over 8000 people.

People are seeking help and getting help from the crisis services and the information and referral services offered to the residents of our three counties by Lutheran Social Services.

If you or someone you love needs to talk to someone because of an emotional crisis, a mental illness, or a problems with addiction - I urge you to call the Hope Line today: 1-800-567-4673.

You can get the help you deserve to live the life you are meant to live!

Mike Schoenhofer

Economic Stress Can Affect Mental and Physical Well-Being

2009-08-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

Several recent studies have identified Ohioans at particular risk for poor emotional health due to increased unemployment, foreclosures, and other negative financial indicators. According to a Gallup-Healthways poll, Ohio ranks at the bottom in emotional health with a score placing it 47th out of the 50 states. Individuals aged 30 - 55 years are at higher risk.

What are the warning signs?

Lack of sleep / constant fatigue
Excessive Anxiety
Increased drinking
Persistent sadness
Difficulty paying attention or staying focused
Not being able to function well at work, school, or home

Take care of yourself and your loved ones!

Take time each day to recognize the good aspects of life.
Strengthen connections with family and friends.
Take some time each day to walk or exercise.
Engage in volunteer activities.

These activities can help to increase your resilience and get you through difficult times. However, challenging times can also uncover a mental illness or substance abuse problem that had gone unrecognized or undiagnosed.

If, despite all your efforts, you still feel bad please call our Hope Line: 1-800-567-4673 and take the first step toward getting the help you deserve so that you can lead the life your were meant to live.

More information is available at http://www.wecarepeople.org/

What can you do to help?

Support community-based behavioral health services
Reach out to family and friends affected by the economic downturn
Seek help if you or someone you know is at risk for suicide

The help you deserve is only one call away - 1-800-567-4673

Mike Schoenhofer

Governor Strickland Must Release Funds

2009-08-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

Representative Matt Huffman in a letter to Governor Strickland advocated on behalf of local citizens for the release of over $40,000,000 being held at the State Department of Mental Health. These funds are desperately needed locally to continue programs that serve families and children, youth, adults and seniors in need of help.

The Mental Health and Recovery Services Board is very grateful for Rep. Huffman's advocacy on behalf of our local citizens. These funds need to be in the community where they can do the most good.

It is time for all of us to stand up and be heard on behalf of those who need us most and who deserve these vital services.

See Matt Huffman's letter at http://www.wecarepeople.org/

Mike Schoenhofer

Mental Health and Alcohol and Drug Treatment Still Strong

2009-08-24T12:38:00.000-07:00

For the past 4 years the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board along with Family Resource Centers, Lutheran Social Services, Lima UMADAOP, and ASTOP have been working together to develop efficient and effective programming in Allen, Auglaize and Hardin Counties. As a result of these efforts, high quality behavioral health programming continues to be provided to children, families and adults despite the unprecedented cut in state funds.

For example, our 24 hour crisis service is now consolidated on Lutheran Social Service's South Main Campus and has expanded to include a 24 hour Crisis Stabilization Unit and 24 hour Hope Line. This consolidation of programs actually enabled the service to expand offering the community better and enhanced care.

Programs and services to schools continue with a focus on identifying children and families at an earlier stage of treatment need.

Psychiatry services at both FRC (530 S Main Street) and LSS (799 S Main Street) are the best in the region.

Treatment for children, families, and adults is comprehensive and available for people from all walks of life.

Auglaize and Hardin Counties enjoy one stop services in St. Mary's and Kenton.

As always one call to 1-800-567-4673 gives you access to the whole range of services available in all three counties.

The budget cuts have stopped expansion of services that would have helped 1000's more:

Housing
Employment
Wellness and Recovery Center
Senior Programming
Prevention Programming

Our real fear is that as the economy continues to splutter more and more families will be seeking help because of the stresses of the financial situation.

Please let the Governor and our Legislators know how much we depend on these services locally. It is time to speak out.

Senator Faber - Telephone: 614/466-7584 Email: SD12@senate.state.oh.us

Representative Huffman (Allen) - Telephone: (614) 466-9624 Email: district04@ohr.state.oh

Representative Hite (Hardin / Auglaize) - Telephone: (614) 466-3819 Email: district76@ohr.state.oh.us

Representative Adams (Auglaize) - Telephone: (614) 466-1507 Email: district78@ohr.state.oh.us

Governor Strickland - Telephone (614) 644-4357

Mike Schoenhofer

Why Medicaid Matters

2009-08-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

The growth of Medicaid spending is strapping Ohio’s budget and putting a strain on our economic recovery. Medicaid is the public insurance program for people with low incomes and people with disabilities. There are over 1 million children and hundreds of thousands more parents, senior citizens, and people with disabilities enrolled in the Ohio Medicaid program. Medicaid is different from Medicare. Medicare is the public insurance program for nearly all senior citizens and is not based on income but age.

Medicaid is a partnership between the federal government and the states which began under Lyndon Johnson in the mid 1960s. The federal government pays a portion of the cost and the states pick up the difference – usually on about a 60/40 or 70/30 percent split. For example: if a Medicaid-covered child needs to go to the doctor and the charge is $100, the federal government pays around $70 and the state pays around $30. Most of the Medicaid spending in Ohio and other states is for long-term care for the elderly (e.g. nursing homes).

States are required to cover certain medical expenses in order to receive the federal portion their money. Hospital stays, physician costs, home health, nursing home care, and medical/surgical care for vision and dental are all required services. States have the OPTION of covering other services and Ohio has a very rich menu of options including prescription drugs, speech therapy, regular dental care, hospice, and others.

Mental health and substance abuse services are included as options under the Ohio plan. In the 1980s, advocates for mental health and alcohol/drug treatment services were successful in getting these vital services included in the options menu. Being included in the options however, was not free to local communities.

There was a catch: the partnership for behavioral health services is not between the federal and state governments but between the federal and LOCAL governments. If a Medicaid covered person receives an hour of counseling at $100, the federal government pays $70 and the local Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board - that's us -pays the match of $30. The Board can use state funds and local levy dollars to pay their share.

And it worked. Until now.

In the past, our Board has funded many wonderful (but optional) non-Medicaid services. Support services such as helping our adults with severe mental illness prepare for and find meaningful work, providing a safe and productive place to socialize and get support such as Changing Seasons, or helping working but uninsured families pay for their counseling services through a sliding fee scale, are what has made the We Care system strong. All of these things are now gone or threatened due to severe budget cuts and our requirement to pay Medicaid match.

Unlike most insurance plans, there is no limit to Medicaid. If someone with a Medicaid card wants a particular service, then they get it. No limits, no real proof that the service is necessary. Without checks and balances, the sky is the limit. That’s great if service providers are principled in their provision of service. It is a runaway train if service providers overuse the system. In either scenario, we have to pay our part of the bill – no questions asked.

The We Care system is committed to providing mental health and alcohol/drug services to as many people as we can possibly afford. We would never want children or anyone to not get the counseling and support services they need to be happy and healthy. We just want to make sure we use YOUR resources wisely. In the case of Medicaid, it is YOUR tax dollars that are paying the bill. We want to partner with you, the tax payer, to make sure that when YOUR family needs help, we can be there!

Medicaid Reform Must Happen Now

2009-08-20T09:10:00.000-07:00

Uncontrolled Medicaid spending is sinking the budget, literally. Locally, the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board budgets over $1,000,000 to pay its 30% share of costs. Yet the Board has no say whatsoever in the quality of the services, the outcome of the services, or whether the service is appropriate. Even state oversight is minimal.

Yet, an unscrupulous provider can deliver as much therapy as they want without regard for level of care or whether the cost of the service is proportional to the result.

The Mental Health Board has received bills for services delivered to a residential client for 10 or even 15 hours in a single day. We ask, "What difference has this made?"

No one at the state level, where some controls in the Medicaid Benefit could make a difference in quality, outcome and cost, is concerned.

But no one at the state has a problem with gutting our local care system $2,200,000.

This is wrong! A simple benefit package that assures that people receive services based on their need - not because they have an entitlement - is the answer.

Our issue is not to deny services but rather to deliver the right service in the right amount.

Please call or write Keith Faber, Matt Huffman, Cliff Hite, and John Adams today. Tell them that Medicaid is costing us the loss of desperately needed services. State Medicaid Reform needs to happen now.

Mike Schoenhofer

Plea from the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation

2009-08-18T11:34:00.000-07:00

Please look at this message from the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation.

13% of Youth Have Contemplated Suicide

2009-08-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

Recent Needs Assessments sponsored by the Auglaize County Health Department and the Allen County Helath Department identified that 13% of youth from 6th grade through 12th grade "reported seriously considering attempting suicide in the past twelve months."

Even more shocking is the fact that 5% of Allen County youth and 6% of Auglaize County youth had actually attempted suicide in the past 12 months. Some of those attempts (8%) "resulted in injury, poisoning, or overdose that had to be treated by a doctor or nurse."

In both Auglaize and Allen county the number of youth who contemplated suicide (13%) is more than double the number of adults (5%) who contemplated suicide.

Today almost every public school in Allen, Auglaize and Hardin Counties is served by a mental health or alcohol and drug professional from the We Care System (Mental Health and Recovery Services Board, Family Resource Centers, Lutheran Social Serivces, Lima UMADAOP). For many youth these services are the difference between life and death.

Write a Letter to the Editor. Contact a Legislator today.

Mike Schoenhofer

Board Seeks Help from Faber, Huffman, Adams, and Hite

2009-08-17T11:39:00.000-07:00

The Mental Health and Recovery Services Board is asking Senator Keith Faber, Representatives Matt Huffman, Cliff Hite and John Adams to intervene on behalf of their constituents in Allen, Auglaize and Hardin Counties. The Ohio Department of Mental Health is not releasing $42,000,000 in mental health funds that are desperately needed in local communities. I believe our legislators intended these funds to be used to assist our families, neighbors and friends suffering with depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses.

The Board is asking these legislators to intervene with the Governor who could order the release of these funds to our communities.

Please call your legislator today and ask for his assitance in protecting our most vulnerable citizens.

Keith Faber - (614) 466 7584
Matt Huffman (Allen) - (614) 466-9624
John Adams (Auglaize) - (614) 466-1507
Cliff Hite (Hardin & Auglaize) - (614) 466-3819

Mike Schoenhofer

Budget Cuts Have Drastic Impact

2009-08-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday (8/5/2009), the Planning Committee of the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Allen, Auglaize and Hardin Counties learned that it had received the most severe cuts in its history. The recently passed state budget leaves Allen, Auglaize and Hardin County residents with $1.69 million less, about 34%, in state funding for services than last year and about 44% less state funding since July 2008.

"It is hard to imagine that our Governor, State Representatives and State Senators truly understand the devastating impact that this level of service cuts means to our residents who in this time of economic crisis need our services most," Michael Schoenhofer, Executive Director of the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board told the committee. "Without these vital services people will die, they will end up in the emergency rooms, they will be in jail, and they will be homeless."

More than 6000 children and adults ranging in age from 3 years old to 70 years old receive Board services in the three counties of Allen, Auglaize and Hardin each year. Prevention programs alone serve an estimated 5000 people annually. All of the Board's programs and services were affected. The largest cuts were reductions in counseling, inpatient care, early-childhood, housing, and employment services.

"At this time the Board is struggling to maintain core services for persons with mental illness and addictions. We are not equipped to help the increasing number of people seeking services for depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, Schoenhofer said. "Our priority has been to work with adults, families and children earlier to keep people in the community, families together, and children at home. Some of our most effective services in the three counties are in jeopardy."

In recent years the Board has developed a 24 hour crisis service with Lutheran Social Services, outreach programs in schools for children and families through Family Resource Centers, housing for women in recovery through Lima UMADAOP, and many other programs that enable people to lead fulfilling and productive lives.

"These budget cuts passed by our state lawmakers and the Governor will impact our families, our neighbors and our communities in ways that will likely shock everyone in the months ahead," Schoenhofer said.