National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is October 23

The Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services (MHARS) Board of Lorain County is supporting the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on October 23 across Lorain County. In April 2021, Lorain County Drug Take Back events resulted in the collection of 3,883.7 pounds of prescription drugs.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., volunteers will provide free locking medication safes and other drug safety resources across the county at the locations noted below with an asterisk. At the locations listed without an asterisk, visitors can drop off their medications with law enforcement officers or other personnel for disposal. All are encouraged to clean out their medicine cabinets of potentially harmful drugs by safely disposing of them at this free, confidential annual event. The effort is led nationally by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Locations in Lorain County include:

• Amherst Police Department* at 911 North Lake St. 44001
• Avon Lake Police Department at 32855 Walker Rd. 44012
• Avon Police Department at 36145 Detroit Rd. 44011
• Columbia Township Fire Department at 25540 Royalton Rd. 44028
• Elyria Police Department * 18 West Ave. 44035
• Grafton Police Department* at 1009 Chestnut St. 44044
• Kipton Police Department* at 299 State St. 44049
• LaGrange Police Department at 301 Liberty St. 44050
• Lorain County Sheriff’s Office* at 9896 Murray Ridge Rd. 44035
• Lorain Police Department * at 200 West Erie Ave. 44052
• North Ridgeville Department* at 7303 Avon-Belden Rd. 44039
• Oberlin Police Department at 85 South Main St. 44074
• Sheffield Lake Police Department * at 609 Harris Rd. 44054
• Sheffield Village Police Department at 4340 Colorado Ave. 44054
• Vermilion Police Department* at 5791 Liberty Ave. 44089
• Wellington Police Department* at 117 Willard Memorial Square 44090

The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.7 million people misused prescription pain relievers, 4.9 million people misused prescription stimulants, and 5.9 million people misused prescription tranquilizers or sedatives in 2019. The survey also showed that a majority of misused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.

New Board Members Appointed to MHARS Board of Directors

New board of director members have been appointed to the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services (MHARS) Board of Lorain County. Two members were appointed this week to the Board and one was reappointed earlier this month. More info about them and the appointing authority is below.

• Hope Moon (Lorain) – Moon was reappointed to serve on the MHARS Board of Lorain County in September 2021. She was appointed by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. Moon is currently a Professor of Nursing at Lorain County Community College, and is a resident of Lorain. As an educator, her focus is to appropriately educate the workforce on addiction and mental health issues. She served as a nurse in the emergency department of the former St. Joseph/Lorain Community Hospital. Moon earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Kent State University, a Master of Science from School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University, and ultimately, a Doctoral of Nursing Practice in Educational Leadership.
• Patricia Bell (Oberlin) – Bell was appointed by the Lorain County Commissioners to serve on the MHARS Board of Directors in September 2021. She was sworn in on September 28 at the board of directors scheduled meeting. Bell has nearly 20 years of experience working in the fields of mental health and addiction and is a registered nurse. She holds an associate degree from Lorain County Community College.
• Michele Flanagan (Avon Lake) – Flanagan was appointed by the Lorain County Commissioners to serve on the MHARS Board of Directors in September 2021. She was sworn in on September 28 at the board of directors scheduled meeting. She is a partner at the Westlake-based Comprehensive Behavioral Specialists LLC. She has more than 20 years’ experience as a therapist working throughout Northeast Ohio. Flanagan is a licensed social worker and professional clinical counselor. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Westminster College in Pennsylvania and her Master of Arts from the University of Akron.

“Our new board members bring with them a wealth of experience and knowledge,” said Board President Dan Urbin. “I welcome them to the MHARS Board of Directors and look forward to working with them.”

Anyone interested in a board position should complete the application by clicking here. More information about requirements and about serving on the board is available by clicking here.

Sept 30: QPR Suicide Prevention Virtual Training

Talking about suicide can be difficult, for the person experiencing suicidal thoughts, or their concerned friend or family member. In fact, the difficulty is so great that people who are considering suicide often speak in “coded messages.” They might make indirect statements like, “You won’t have to worry about me much longer,” or “Everyone would be better off without me.”

QPR, which stands for Question Persuade Refer, teaches people to recognize suicide communications and actions, intervene safely and confidently, and connect the person in need to the right help. It takes abut 90 minutes to learn, and can help you save a life. Join us for this important virtual Zoom training on Sept. 30, 2021 from 9-10:30 a.m.

Register via Eventbrite by clicking here.

Sept. 27: Free Virtual Training – Addiction Recovery Supports & Tools for Families

We often miss, overlook or underestimate the impact of a person’s struggle with addiction and their intimate connection or lack thereof that the person has with their family. How the family responds, communicates, and intervenes can change the entire family system and have long-lasting effects from generation to generation. This National Recovery Month workshop will explore family dynamics in addiction recovery and revealed tools and supports to help the family reach recovery together.

Join us for this free virtual training on Sept. 27 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Register on Eventbrite by clicking here and the event info will be sent via email with confirmation. 

Objectives:

• Examine intervention models that assist the family in changing their response to their loved one’s disease.
• Identify recovery supports for families and the importance of making sure the family gets the help they need.
• List the needs of the addicted family system and the family roles that develop due to those unmet needs.
• Formulate an individual advocacy strategy to assist families in recovery in Lorain County, Ohio.

Agenda

Introductions

How Addiction Affects the Family -53 minutes

• Defining addiction
• Case study of Sam’s family
• Codependence and what is really going on in the family
• Closer look at family roles

Trauma and Addiction- 7 minutes

• Safety
• Fight -Flight Response: Survival Brain States
• Three Family Rules

Interventions-10 minutes

• The Johnson Institute Model
• Love First Intervention
• The Community Reinforcement and Family (CRAFT) Training MODEL
• ARISE

Family Recovery Supports -30 minutes

• Support groups
• Family counseling
• Family education
• Peer Parent Coaching
• Recovery planning

Advocacy Strategies to Assist Families in Recovery -20 minutes

• Professionals support families
• Community support families
• Words Matter: Reducing Stigma
• Individual advocacy strategy

Questions & Evaluation

About the Presenter

Tonya Birney, MS, LPC, LICDC, OCPC, is the Dissemination and Implementation Director of Prevention Services for the Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Services Board of Lorain County. Birney earned her Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from Walden University. She is a Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor, Ohio Certified Prevention Consultant, Licensed Professional Counselor and a trainer for multiple programs. In a previous role, she provided administrative oversite and supervision for behavioral health and public health, including alcohol and drug outpatient treatment, behavioral health prevention, and harm reduction services. Birney resides in Grafton, Ohio.

MHARS Board Celebrates Front-Line Workers During First Responder Week of Appreciation

As part of a statewide show of gratitude to front-line workers who confront the opioid epidemic, the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services (MHARS) Board is leading Lorain County’s efforts for the First Responders Week of Appreciation, September 20-26.

The National Institutes of Health called the opioid epidemic within the coronavirus pandemic a “collision of public health crises.” 

The statewide team identifies children’s services workers, EMTs, emergency department staff, 9-1-1 dispatchers, law enforcement officers, firefighters, behavioral health workers, and “anyone else who may experience burnout or secondary trauma as a result of their work with individuals with addiction” during the Week of Appreciation.

The MHARS Board supports successful interactions between first responders and members of the community who are in distress by offering trainings on solving challenges related to mental illness and substance abuse. The MHARS Board also funds Quick Response Teams of a police officer and behavioral health clinician to visit overdose survivors with the goal of engaging individuals to seek treatment, and funds mobile response teams to support crisis calls throughout Lorain County. Local Week of Appreciation efforts are sponsored by the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

To learn more about how to help a loved one in active addiction or recovery, visit mharslc.org/recovery. The Addiction Helpline is available at 440-989-4900. To view photos, visit our Facebook page throughout the week at www.facebook.com/mharslc.

PHOTOS: International Overdose Awareness Day Vigil Held Aug. 31

Approximately 200 people filled Lakeview Terrace on August 31 to remember those whose lives were lost to accidental overdose in Lorain County. In 2020, 138 lives were tragically lost to accidental overdose. The families of those whose lives were lost as well as those in recovery spoke about their experiences. Several partners from the Lorain County Opioid Action Team provided resources.

Leading up to the event, a number of locations around Lorain County displayed 138 flags and signage in memory of the 138 lives lost in 2020 due to accidental overdose. On August 31, employees at the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services Board of Lorain County dressed in purple in honor of the lives lost. The Lorain County vigil was one of hundreds that were held around the world on August 31 for International Overdose Awareness Day.

Below are some scenes from the event.

OhioGuidestone Receives Amy Levin Fund Dollars

OhioGuidestone, a valued MHARS Board provider, is the recent recipient of a $23,600 Amy Levin Fund award for training and implementation of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) for youth.

The MHARS Board congratulates OhioGuidestone on its receiving of these funds. A committee consisting of a Levin family designee, two board members and two staff reviewed the proposal and determined it was consistent with the spirit and intent of the Amy Levin Fund.

TF-CBT is nationally recognized as a best practice, evidence-based model in the treatment of youth who have experienced trauma. It is a treatment model that improves a range of trauma-related outcomes following 8-25 sessions with a child/adolescent and their caregiver. Although TF-CBT is highly effective at improving youth post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and diagnosis, a PTSD diagnosis is not required in order to receive this treatment. TF-CBT also effectively addresses many other trauma impacts, including affective (e.g., depressive, anxiety), cognitive and behavioral problems. It also can also improve the participating parent or caregiver’s personal distress about the child’s traumatic experience, effective parenting skills and supportive interactions with the child.

MHARS Board of Lorain County Receives Grant Funding for Mobile Response Stabilization Services

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS), in partnership with Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s Children’s Initiative and the Ohio Department of Medicaid, has announced that the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services (MHARS) Board of Lorain County is the recipient of a $224,368 grant for Mobile Response Stabilization Services (MRSS).

“This grant will allow us to reach youth and their families with critical services when and where they are most urgently needed,” said MHARS Board Executive Director Michael Doud. “It is an important addition to our toolbelt to ensure we improve our crisis response in Lorain County.”

The MHARS Board of Lorain County is one of eight behavioral health boards in Ohio to receive an MRSS grant. Ohio’s MRSS program provides mobile, on-site and rapid intervention for youth ages 0-21 who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis. This allows for immediate de-escalation of the situation in the least restrictive setting possible, prevention of the condition from worsening and the timely stabilization of the crisis. The mobile crisis component of MRSS is designed to provide time-limited, on-demand crisis intervention services in any setting in which a behavioral health crisis is occurring, including homes, schools and emergency departments. Depending on the needs of the child, the stabilization component may include a temporary, out-of-home crisis resolution in a safe environment.

“These investments are an important step forward for Ohio in meeting the needs of children and families experiencing a mental health crisis,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “While nobody can predict when and where a mental health crisis will occur, Ohio’s MRSS Program represents an important first line of defense in providing timely access to services, improving outcomes for children and families, and reducing burdens on law enforcement and emergency departments.”

“The goal of this program is to intercede before urgent behavioral situations become unmanageable emergencies,” said OhioMHAS Director Lori Criss. “This expansion will allow us to engage young people and their families immediately to de-escalate a crisis and provide local stabilization services that help keep them safe and healthy in their own homes and communities.”

Click here to view OhioMHAS’s press release.