Issue 9: MHARS asks for 0.6-mill renewal for mental health and addiction care

Emergency rooms, jails and courts are overflowing with people who have mental health issues, and expert care is needed to turn the tide. Michael Doud, executive director of the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services Board of Lorain County, declared the need as his agency sees it firsthand. The publicly financed body cares for people in crisis, works with teachers to identify children who need help, provides access to opioid addiction treatment and trains mental health care workers. "We are the safety net in the community, and we partner with a number of agencies to make available services," Doud said. MHARS operates on an annual budget of about $24 million. A 0.6-mill levy is the biggest part of that income but is set to expire Dec. 31. Issue 9 on the fall ballot calls for a five-year renewal of the levy, affecting all Lorain County property owners. If passed, it would continue to raise about $3.9 million per year. Homeowners would pay $12.94 per year for every $100,000 their property is worth, according to the Lorain County Auditor's Office. Doud said the money is desperately needed. In 2020, there were 45 deaths by suicide here, he said — that put Lorain County above the state average of 13 deaths for every 100,000 residents. Overdoses also are a major issue for local residents. Last year, there were 463 nonfatal overdoses counted, and another 143 that killed people, he said. Nearly 13,000 Lorain County residents received mental health and recovery services last year, according to the agency. Of those, 24 percent were children. Diversion programs and community-based services are needed, Doud said. MHARS already is planning to build a crisis receiving center on the campus of the Nord Center in Lorain. For nonviolent offenders, MHARS wants to find alternative treatments instead of landing people with substance abuse disorder and other behavioral health issues behind bars. Incarceration hasn't historically been effective at stopping the problem, Doud said. Don Schiffbauer, Nord Center CEO, said he has two mobile crisis teams and a lot of ground to cover. He's worked with MHARS to try to get help out to people in rural ends of the county, providing police in Oberlin, Wellington and Kipton with tablet devices that connect to crisis counselors — push a button, and officers get immediate support if someone is having a mental health crisis that can't wait for a counselor to drive 30 minutes. It's exactly the kind of program that levy dollars make possible, Schiffbauer said. The MHARS board also funds support organizations such as LCADA Way, Applewood Centers, Far West Center, Pathways Counseling and New Directions Inc. The renewal, if passed, would not raise taxes. Jason Hawk can be reached at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.