Forbes House versus Womensafe…updated 1/9/19

We have received the following questions (rephrased by LFC) via email to our website from a Lake County citizen.

(1) Why is our ADAMHS board giving over $80,000 per year to Womensafe, the Geauga County domestic abuse organization?  Womensafe refers victims of Lake County to the Forbes House. How can we be sure that Lake County funds given to the ADAMHS board stays in Lake County?   When the Forbes house was supported by the ADAMHS Board their funding was one-half of the money give to Womensafe.

(2) Please look at the space in Beacon Health that is supposed to be for Womensafe. There are no Womensafe employees stationed there full time. It is a satellite office, and you have to jump through many hoops to even see someone.  It is hard to believe that the $80,000 is going to just Lake county residents.  It would be appreciated if you could determine how much funding the Forbes House use to  receive compared to the amount Womensafe currently gets.

We had previously inquired about the relationship between the Lake County Forbes House and the Lake County ADAMHS Board, and we wrote the following two articles that you can find our our website:

https://lobbyistsforcitizens.com/2018/11/02/psa-for-womens-safe-forbes-house-fighting-domestic-abuse/

https://lobbyistsforcitizens.com/2018/03/17/adamhs-board-email-trying-to-help-others-in-the-community/

Since we have a taxpayer ask us again, we will revisit this issue with the personnel at the Forbes House and also with Ms. Kim Fraser, Executive Director, of the Lake County ADAMHS Board.  We will report back to you when we have some answers.

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Here is the response that we received from Ms. Kim Fraser, Executive Director of the ADAMHS Board of Lake County.  The ADAMHS Board is a product of the Ohio Revised Code and Ms. Fraser, and their Board of Trustees, are bound by the Ohio Revised Code in the performance of their duties.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide you with accurate information regarding the Lake County ADAMHS Board’s contract with Womensafe.  In response to your specific questions:

  1. The Lake County ADAMHS Board contracts with Womensafe for the following Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OMHAS) certified clinical services: Diagnostic Evaluation, Psychotherapy, and Community Psychiatric Supportive Treatment.  Each of these services are billed on an individual service rate, so when the service is provided Womensafe submits a claim through the state billing system, which identifies county of residence in order to verify payment Lake County ADAMHS Board dollars are used only for individuals who are Lake County residents.

    These individuals may, for safety reasons, seek shelter in Geauga County (just as Forbes House may provide shelter to individuals who reside outside Lake County). Services provided to Lake County residents may occur within the Geauga County shelter or at Womensafe’s Lake County location within Beacon Health, depending on the preference of the individual receiving services.  The Lake County ADAMHS Board also contracts with Womensafe to provide OMHAS certified Education and Consultation services in coordination with Lake County courts and Lake County schools. 

  2. Again, services are provided to Lake County residents based on their location preference. Some Lake County residents receive clinical services while temporarily residing in the Geauga County shelter. Upon discharge and return to Lake County, some of these individuals prefer to continue outpatient treatment at the shelter location, while others prefer to receive outpatient services in Womensafe’s Lake County location, currently located within Beacon Health.

The Lake County ADAMHS Board contracts with provider organizations for behavioral health services which are certified by OMHAS.  Womensafe is certified to provide both clinical services and support services. At the time that Forbes House applied for and received a contract with the Lake County ADAMHS Board (in State Fiscal Year 2017), the organization was certified only to provide Advocacy.

I hope this provides the information you are seeking.  As always, I am happy to speak with the individual inquiring about ADAMHS contracts should that individual wish to contact me directly.

Thanks, Kim
Executive Director

ADAMHS Board
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We sent another email asking for clarification on the services offered to illegal aliens by all of the ADAMHS Board agencies:

To: Kim Fraser

Thank you for your prompt and complete response.  One additional question:  Is the legal status of an individual seeking assistance from any ADAMHS Board agency verified before service is provided?  Stated a bit more directly, will services be provided to illegal aliens by the various ADAMHS Board agencies.

I did stop by the Beacon Health office in Mentor today with the legitimate intent to ask questions for a family friend that has found herself in a precarious domestic situation.  We asked the receptionist about the Womensafe services and was told that they only rent offices from Beacon Health, and they do not have any set hours at that office.  They only use the office for scheduled appointments.  Although the receptionist was very friendly and tried to be helpful, she could not find ANY contact information about Womensafe.  The only business cards that she could find was for the Forbes House and the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center.

It seems a bit ironic that the ADAMHS is supporting Womensafe, a Geauga non-profit, however is handing out business cards of the Forbes House, a Lake County non-profit that receives NO funds from the ADAMHS Board.

Brian Massie
Lobbyists for Citizens

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Response from Kim Fraser:

In order to be eligible for services an individual must demonstrate that they are a Lake County resident.  This is consistent with the Board’s statutory requirement in the Ohio Revised Code.

I’m sorry that you were not able to receive accurate information at Beacon Health. I will reach out to the agency to ensure their staff is able to provide clear information in the future.  In the meantime, should you need information about any of our provider organizations you can always call the Lake County Compass Line (440-918-2000 or 440-350-2000). Our triage specialist can help provide referral information for any of our providers.

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So there we have confirmed that the ADAMHS Board agencies, following the letter of the law in the Ohio Revised Code does not have to ask an individual asking for services if they are legally here in the United States.  So illegal aliens are being supported by the Lake County taxpayers in the public schools and with our many welfare agencies supported by your property tax dollars.

We will now proceed to take this matter up with our State Representative Jamie Callendar and State Senator John Eklund….Stay tuned there is more answers needed before we “close the books” on this issue.



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