By Brian Massie, A Watchman on the Wall
Press release from David Schick of the Lake County ADAMHS Board
The Lake County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services
Phone: 440-350-2193
Email: DSchick@LakeADAMHS.org
Kim Fraser, Executive Director of the Lake County ADAMHS Board
July 10, 2024
$79,350 Grant Awarded to the Lake County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board
Mentor, OH: The Lake County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board was awarded a $79,350 grant by the Ohio Department of Mental Health Addiction Services (OhioMHAS). The OhioMHAS accepted grant requests from Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Boards interested in participating in recommended program activities funded through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BCSA).
The BSCA provides states funding opportunities to address behavioral health system preparedness to address and enhance state and community emergency preparedness and response that will offset the traumatic experiences and lingering consequences of tragedies that may happen within our Ohio communities, such as natural disasters, mass shootings, and other large-scale man-made, terrorist or other violent events. This programming ensures that behavioral health providers and professionals have a coordinated rapid response plan by establishing the necessary statewide and local partnerships, policies, procedures, and protocols that create the systemic changes necessary to immediately deploy the essential behavioral health supports and resources in the aftermath of such tragedies.
The Lake County ADAMHS Board proposed five narratives that were approved by OhioMHAS. The first narrative was to retain current leadership and recruit additional Team Leads for the Trauma Response Team. Lake County’s Trauma Response team is a group of behavioral health professionals that provide counseling and support in the wake of a large-scale accident, assault, or other such incidents at a school, business, or community organization. Services are offered at NO COST to the community.The staff responded to 12 call-outs in the financial year 2023. The grant will increase compensation for TeamLeads for the Trauma Response Team. These 24-hour, on-call positions will receive a monthly stipend. Additionally, Trauma Response Team members get compensated for call-outs. Dan Rowles, Director of Quality & Clinical Operations at the Lake ADAMHS Board emphasized “We deeply value those with the passion and adaptability to offer this vital support, and we are committed to rewarding and recognizing their dedication.”
The second approved narrative will provide the Psychological First Aid (PFA) and Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR) training to behavioral health professionals. These pieces of training would be a recruitment tool to provide the additional staff members that can reduce burnout now and congruently train new members by veteran members. These are both worthwhile practices for disaster behavioral health response and recovery. Both PFA and SPR were developed by the National Center for PTSD and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.
The third narrative promotes the Lake County Crisis Services, Crisis Text Line, and Trauma Response Team advertisement on digital billboards translated in Spanish. This will be displayed at various outdoor billboards focusing on the eastern portion of Lake County which has a higher Spanish-speaking demographic. This would be targeted to Lake County residents, schools, businesses, or faith-based organizations.
The fourth narrative is the Lake County ADAMHS Board plans to purchase 10,000 calming strips to support Ohio’s Crisis Text Line for each school district. These calming strips are convenient sensory stickers that students can stick on their phone, laptop, desk, or notebook; then touch, scratch, or pick at the textured surface to regulate restless energy, increase focus, or just feel the need to fidget.
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Categories: Lake County - General, Lake County Cities & Townships