OneOhio funds to support ADAMHS services for FCS

Findlay City Council voted earlier this month to rush through legislation appropriating $100,000 for mental health services provided to Findlay City Schools. The money will be used by the Hancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) to support its school services. Mayor Christina Muryn said the money will be placed into a city project fund, which will require ADAMHS to provide invoices to document the spending and receive the funding. The city needs the invoices to demonstrate that the money was spent on its intended purpose. The money can be used for programs that address prevention, treatment and long-term recovery; criminal justice; and public awareness costs that promote Ohioans' overall health and well-being. Council voted 8-1 to waive its three-reading rule on the legislation, giving it a first, second and third reading at its regular meeting on Feb. 18, with Councilwoman Holly Frische, R-1, opposed. Councilwoman Beth Warneck, R-3, was absent. The rule is meant to give the public and council members time to review proposed legislation. The vote to approve the legislation was 8-1, with Frische again opposed. Frische has questioned whether it would be better for the city to use the funds to support either police or fire department activities. Muryn said the use of the funds was discussed with the police department, but said being able to track the spending "specifically" to how it tied to drug utilization could be problematic. About $50,000 is being held in the fund to support the police department's work with the schools, and Muryn said that's still an option. Over the past year, Findlay has received about $100,000 more from the settlement, bringing the fund total to $150,000. Spending from the special fund will require council to approve each appropriation. In a letter dated Dec. 17, and addressed to the mayor, Precia Stuby, executive director of ADAMHS, requested $100,000 of the fund to provide "the financial support necessary to sustain mental health services provided to Findlay City Schools." "There has been consistent and considerable emphasis by the local Coalition on Addiction, coordinated by our office, to ensure prevention remains a priority, especially for our youth," she said. "The youth of Findlay have not only been negatively impacted by the epidemic, but also have lingering impact because of the pandemic due to the loss of close relatives, especially grandparents." In the letter, Stuby said the cost of existing services continues to increase, but the increase in ADAMHS' "base allocation" from the state of Ohio was in 2012. Stuby said the last increase in millage for the local mental health levy was 20 years ago. Money from the OneOhio settlement would be used to allow the schools to continue to access ADAMHS' services, including a therapist, case manager, prevention specialist, family coach and a mobile response/stabilization services team. OneOhio combined the majority of pending lawsuits across the state suing McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health. The companies are considered the "Big Three Distributors" of opioids throughout the U.S. The OneOhio Foundation is a nonprofit created by the state to distribute $1.8 billion in settlement funds over 18 years to fight opioid addiction. The group has broken the state up into regions. Region 17 is made up of Crawford, Hancock, Hardin, Ottawa, Sandusky, Seneca, Wood and Wyandot counties. Estimated funding for Region 17 will total $1.6 million for the first two years of the payouts. Hancock County's share is estimated to be about $230,000.