Agencies champion mental health across Ohio

COLUMBUS — Board members and directors of mental health and suicide prevention organizations advocated for Ohioans at the Statehouse and Rife Building in Columbus Wednesday afternoon. NAMI boards from across the state joined forces with the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities and the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation to focus on ensuring policies and funding are put in place to respond to the needs of all Ohioans impacted by mental illness and addiction. "Having our three groups come together to do legislative advocacy is a very exciting thing," the association's Chief Executive Officer Cheri Walter said. "Today is not only an opportunity to talk about our issues but it's an opportunity to bond with our legislators." The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities represents county Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health boards to promote their responsibility to plan, develop, fund, administer and evaluate their local systems of mental health and addiction services. Board members from the Huron County Mental Health & Addiction Services, Mental Health & Recovery Services Board of Seneca, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wyandot counties, the Erie County ADAMHS Board, NAMI Hancock County and the Hancock County ADAMHS Board met with senators and representatives of their districts to discuss budgeting priorities in House Bill 33. "We've been doing legislative receptions for 20 years," Walter said. "When they heard folks on the ground were coming, we got more meetings than we've ever had." The organizations' priorities for the 2024-25 budget include that Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services ensure all Ohioans have access to a crisis hotline, to build out the crisis continuum in communities, increase access to person-centered care, promote housing and recovery services, strengthen prevention activities and services and meet community needs by prioritizing investments in care line items. The crisis hotline includes 988. As of July 2022, 988 was launched as the calling code to connect callers with local crisis counselors. The new system does not replace the current hotline number, 1-800-273-8255. The three-digit system is easier to remember and quickly connects the caller to suicide prevention, substance abuse and mental health resources in their community, officials say. "Suicide rates are rising," Ohio Senator Nathan Manning, R-North Ridgeville, said Wednesday. "It's something we need to work on." Manning represents District 13, which includes Lorain and Erie County and parts of Huron County, including Norwalk. "We need to help people more," Manning said. Other budget priorities include sustaining and enhancing the workforce through the Ohio Department of Medicaid and enhancing mental health services for students through the Ohio Department of Education. "The crisis system is important. We have a lot of families who don't qualify for Medicaid," said Kristen Cardone, a board member on the Huron County Mental Health & Recovery Services Board. The H.B. 33 budget, as introduced, includes a proposed 10% increase in Medicaid rates for community behavioral health services. It also includes a $46.5 million investment to support statewide operations of 988, $9 million a year for the Access to Wellness program that the ADAMHS boards use to provide services and support to adults, and $13.8 million a year to support suicide prevention and wellness. The Student Wellness and Success Fund, as introduced in the bill, ensures funds to increase behavioral health in Ohio's children while establishing accountability and transparency. "Flexibility of student wellness funds has been very helpful," Cardone said. During other meetings, organization representatives met with Ohio Rep. Dick Stein, R-Norwalk, who represents the 54th District, which includes Erie, Huron and Lorain counties, Rep. Jon Cross, R-Kenton, who represents the 83rd District, which includes Hancock and Hardin counties, and Ohio Senator Rob McColley, who represents District 1, which includes Hancock, Hardin and Putnam counties. "You're not just doing this for yourself," Stein said. "You're doing this for your community." Throughout the legislative advocacy day, representatives talked to their constituents about the health care workforce. Many Ohio counties face the same problems — trends of burnouts, low wages and increased need. "We are working at state and local levels to incentivize students to enter social work," said Diane Taylor, executive director of Erie County ADAMHS Board. "Between Toledo and Cleveland, we have to figure out how to compete and bring people here." Local board members from the three organizations spoke out on the need for help to help fellow Ohioans. "Responding to a crisis and not being able to do something is frustrating," said Mary Wolff, assistant director of the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation.