Mental health funding restored a day after it was cut

FINDLAY— Just over 24 hours after learning that $1.5 million in federal mental health grants had been abruptly cut, the Hancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services received word that the funding had been reinstated. Zach Thomas, director of wellness and education for the ADAMHS board, confirmed in an email to The Courier Thursday morning that the organization "just received a call from Senator (Bernie) Moreno's office that the Assistant Deputy Director (of SAMHSA) has confirmed that the grants are reinstated." ADAMHS learned Tuesday evening that three local grants totaling around $1.5 million from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) had been terminated. They include a children's mental health grant of $1 million per year for the System of Care initiative for youth, managed primarily by Family Resource Center; $500,000 per year for Project HOME, which funds the low-barrier shelter; and $189,000 in funding to FOCUS Recovery and Wellness Center. City Mission, which operates the low-barrier shelter, reached out Wednesday to the community seeking support, whether in the form of other funding sources or advocacy. Without it, two leaders of the organization wrote, it would be impossible to keep the shelter open. "We believe deeply in this work," wrote Tyler Layton, program director, in an impact statement. "However, without this funding, we cannot sustain it alone." The local grants were part of an estimated 2,800 mental health and substance use grants nationwide totaling more than $2 billion that were terminated at midnight Wednesday, according to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. By Thursday morning, the National Council reported that funding had been restored nationwide.