MHARS Board Observes June as Pride Month
June marks Pride Month in the United States. The Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services (MHARS) Board of Lorain County supports access to services for all community members and understands the impact that support, inclusion and empathy can have. The celebration of Pride symbolizes the recognition, inclusion and vitality of LGBTQIA+ individuals.
To highlight the importance of access to mental health care, affirming services and life-saving support, last year’s National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health 2021 found that:
- 42% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth.
- 12% of white youth attempted suicide compared to 31% of Native/Indigenous youth, 21% of Black youth, 21% of multiracial youth, 18% of Latinx youth, and 12% of Asian/Pacific Islander youth.
- 94% of LGBTQ youth reported that recent politics negatively impacted their mental health.
- More than 80% of LGBTQ youth stated that COVID-19 made their living situation more stressful — and only 1 in 3 LGBTQ youth found their home to be LGBTQ-affirming.
- 70% of LGBTQ youth stated that their mental health was “poor” most of the time or always during COVID-19.
- 48% of LGBTQ youth reported they wanted counseling from a mental health professional but were unable to receive it in the past year.
- 30% of LGBTQ youth experienced food insecurity in the past month, including half of all Native/Indigenous LGBTQ youth. 75% of LGBTQ youth reported that they had experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity at least once in their lifetime.
- Half of all LGBTQ youth of color reported discrimination based on their race/ethnicity in the past year, including 67% of Black LGBTQ youth and 60% of Asian/Pacific Islander LGBTQ youth.
- 13% of LGBTQ youth reported being subjected to conversion therapy, with 83% reporting it occurred when they were under age 18.
- Transgender and nonbinary youth who reported having pronouns respected by all of the people they lived with attempted suicide at half the rate of those who did not have their pronouns respected by anyone with whom they lived.
- Transgender and nonbinary youth who were able to change their name and/or gender marker on legal documents, such as driver’s licenses and birth certificates, reported lower rates of attempting suicide.
- LGBTQ youth who had access to spaces that affirmed their sexual orientation and gender identity reported lower rates of attempting suicide.
Check out The Trevor Project National Survey to view interactive survey results and to learn more about the relationship between mental health, support and access to affirming services.
Learn More4,047 Pounds Collected in Lorain County Drug Take Back Day
Thanks to everyone who came out and made Drug Take Back Day a success – from those who dropped off their unused medications to those who volunteered and the law enforcement who collected the meds.
In total, 4,047.3 pounds of unused meds were collected, according to the final count.
Here is how much was collected by location:
- Amherst, 556.2 lbs – 29 boxes
- Lorain Police, 540.8 lbs – 26 boxes
- Avon Lake, 253.2lbs – 13 boxes
- Oberlin Police, 250.6 lbs -15 boxes
- Lorain County Sheriff, 430.8 lbs – 32 boxes
- Wellington Police, 173.2 lbs – 10 boxes
- Elyria Police, 333.5 lbs – 24 boxes
- North Ridgeville Police, 309.2 lbs -13 boxes
- Avon Police, 598.6 lbs – 39 boxes
- Grafton Police 186.4 lbs – 13 boxes
- LaGrange Police, 82.2 lbs – 4 boxes
- Columbia Township, 147.4lbs – 8 boxes
- Kipton Police, 24 lbs – 2 boxes
- Sheffield Lake Police, 31.8 lbs – 1 box
- Sheffield Village Police, 36.4 lbs – 1 box
- Vermilion Police, 87 lbs – 6 boxes
Total collected – 4047.3
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$1.5 Million Awarded by US Congress to Fund Lorain County Crisis Receiving Center
From Joint Release with The Nord Center:
The Nord Center applied for and was awarded $1.5 million in Congressionally Directed Spending. This request was made through United States Senator Sherrod Brown who worked to make this funding a reality.
This earmarked federal funding underlines of The Nord Center’s commitment to being an active and meaningful participant in the new Lorain County Crisis Receiving Center. The federal funds awarded to this project in combination with the funding received already from the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services (MHARS) Board of Lorain County , the Lorain County Commissioners, the Nord Family Foundation, and the Bass Family, set the stage in Lorain County for breakthrough behavioral health and substance use disorder crisis care.
This center, based on a best practice model used successfully elsewhere in the country, will expand the County’s capacity to provide inpatient detoxification services and revolutionize the care continuum for behavioral health and substance use disorder in Lorain County.
“The Lorain County Crisis Receiving Center project has been the culmination of many years’ work and support from countless members of our community. They include civic leadership, healthcare, schools, law enforcement, courts, both state and federal legislators, philanthropic organizations and private business owners,” said Don Schiffbauer, Nord Center CEO. “Our local emergency rooms and law enforcement agencies are currently the treatment choice options for those in crisis. This center will provide a therapeutic, warm and welcoming setting in which to facilitate recovery by providing help through medication stabilization, access to case management, counseling services and appropriate assessment. Providers can also triage on-site for the right level of care, making seamless connections to community resources that will facilitate the recovery and healing process.”
The planned Crisis Receiving Center is an alternative and much improved vision for how Lorain County provides behavioral health and substance use disorder care. The project will enhance the crisis continuum in Lorain County with a first-of-its-kind facility to treat those experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder crisis. The project owner will be the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services (MHARS) Board of Lorain County in partnership with The Nord Center, The LCADA Way and many other valuable community partners.
Currently, residents of Lorain County, experiencing a behavioral health crisis or substance use disorder emergency, primarily have two options: go to an emergency department at potentially great expense to the patient and to the community; or be taken to jail, which can overburden local law-enforcement agencies.
In the Crisis Receiving Center model, people can receive rapid counseling, medication stabilization and assessment with immediate access to an appropriate level of care in a setting that is warm, inviting and therapeutic to both clients and their families and friends.
In addition to significantly benefitting clients and their families, a Crisis Receiving Center also benefits the community by reducing crowding in emergency rooms and decreasing the use of law enforcement personnel for crisis management. This because, at a Crisis Receiving Center, law enforcement can drop a client off in a matter of minutes rather than potentially spending hours waiting with them at an emergency department.
“We thank you, Senator Brown, for this critically important investment in strengthening the crisis continuum in Lorain County,” said Michael Doud, Executive Director of the MHARS Board of Lorain County. “This funding will help bring this first-of-its-kind facility closer to opening its doors to anyone in our county experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder crisis.”
Learn MoreNational 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.
Learn MoreRFQ Issued for Project Manager/Owner Rep for Crisis Receiving Center
The Mental Health, Addiction & Recovery Services (MHARS) Board of Lorain County has issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for a project manager/owner representative for the Lorain County Crisis Receiving Center. To view the full RFQ, click here.
Respondents interested in being considered may submit questions by 5 p.m. on Friday, October 8, 2021. On or before 5 p.m. on Friday, October 22, 2021, Respondent shall deliver by mail or in person any qualifications, along with all materials and other items supporting any proposals, to the MHARS Board offices at 1173 North Ridge Rd. E, Lorain, OH 44055. If submitting materials in person, they must be delivered during normal business hours, Monday-Friday between 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Proposals received after this deadline will not be considered.
All proposals are to be prepared at the submitter’s expense. The MHARS Board reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals, in whole or part, and accept any proposal which it deems favorable. The MHARS Board shall have no liability to any submitter whose proposal is not accepted. Acceptance of a proposal shall not constitute an Agreement between the submitter and the MHARS Board until a contract is negotiated between both parties.
Learn MoreSept. 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.
Learn MoreMHARS 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.
Learn MorePHOTOS: 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.
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.”
Learn MoreMHARS 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.
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