Lorain County Commissioners Allocate $4M to Crisis Center
The Lorain County Board of Commissioners voted today to allocate $4 million for a crisis stabilization center aimed at helping those struggling with addiction and mental health issues.
“The $4 million in funding from Lorain County matches $4 million previously allocated by the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services (MHARS) Board of Lorain County for a crisis center,” said County Commissioner Michelle Hung. “The facility would help divert those struggling with addiction and mental health issues from the criminal justice system to get the help they need and ease the burden on law enforcement to deal with these medical issues in the midst of their day-to-day work in ensuring public safety.”
Commissioner Matt Lundy added, “A crisis stabilization center is not just a game-changer, it’s a life saver, and it’s critical to our local economy. Instead of flooding our courts and jails, we can dedicate ourselves to putting people back to work and most importantly back with their families. This is one of the most important decisions and investments this board will ever make to change lives in our county.”
The Lorain County facility will offer 32 beds, 16 for those struggling with mental health issues and 16 for those seeking help for addiction. It will be staffed by medical professionals specializing in addiction and mental health. The $4 million allocated from the County Commissioners is funded by dollars from Lorain County’s recent opioid settlement and from The American Rescue Plan.
“When a person experiences an addiction or mental health crisis, it may not always be clear to them, their loved ones and law enforcement how to handle these specialized medical issues,” said MHARS Board Executive Director Michael Doud. “This crisis center is a front door to access services in our community. It is an investment in modernizing the level of care we are able to provide Lorain County residents struggling with addiction and mental health issues.”
Today’s vote was preceded by a presentation to the Board of Commissioners from Executive Director Doud, The Nord Center’s CEO Don Schiffbauer, The LCADA Way’s President & CEO Dan Haight and MHARS Board of Directors President Dan Urbin.
Urbin, who shared with the Board of Commissioners the story of his road to recovery added, “My passion has been to help others who seek a life of recovery from their disease. Living a life of sobriety for me is best defined by being ‘considerate and understanding.’ We are pleased with the Commissioners’ decision to fund this important and long-awaited facility here in Lorain County. To have a crisis center in Lorain County would indeed be very considerate and, without a doubt, very understanding.”
