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A special ceremony was held in the Commissioners Chambers, in which each of the Commissioners commended the MHRSB on its successes.
The proclamation reads, in part: The Board of County Commissioners, Lucas County, Ohio, congratulates the MHRSB on its 40th Anniversary…[and]…encourages all citizens of Lucas County to join in increasing awareness and understanding of mental health and/or alcohol and drug disorders and the treatment options available in our community.”
MHRSB Chair Louise Barkan spoke, saying she had seen many changes since 1968, when the Board supported one program serving 100 individuals. MHRSB Executive Director Jacqueline Martin said the community could be proud that its Board had expanded now to fund more than 25 service-provider agencies offering treatment, support, training, and advocacy programs.
Martin said, “In 2007 alone, these agencies served more than 19,000 individuals, 5700 of whom were children.” She recognized the all-volunteer Board of Trustees, the individual agency boards and their staffs for their dedicated work to promote good mental health; prevent substance abuse, and facilitate a process of recovery for persons experiencing mental illness/and/or alcohol and other drug disorders.
Martin encouraged the audience to chant the MHRSB slogan, “Treatment works; people recover,” which the audience and commissioners repeated. A reception followed with the cutting of a 40th anniversary cake.
In the 1960s, the Mental Health Board was given responsibility for mental health, substance use and mental retardation services. In the 1970s, with voter support, the Board began funding four community mental health centers; several drug and alcohol programs; emergency crisis services and many other programs.
Over the next two decades, many changes occurred at the Board including the removal of mental retardation services and temporary removal of substance use services.
In 2006, the Lucas County Mental Health Board and the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board merged to form the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Lucas County. The combined board allows for a systematic approach to planning; stigma reduction; quality of care, and integration of services and programs - resulting in an improved and unified public behavioral healthcare system.
The MHRSB provides funding to: ABLE, Adelante, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Northwest Ohio, Community Partnership, Compass Corporation for Recovery Services (CCRS), Connecting Point, Court Diagnostic and Treatment Center, Family Service of Northwest Ohio, Fresh Attitude, Harbor Behavioral Healthcare, Lutheran Social Services of Northwestern Ohio, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Greater Toledo, Neighborhood Properties Inc., Philio New Concepts, Rescue Mental Health Services, St. Paul’s Community Center, St. Vincent/Mercy Medical Center Hope for Families, Self Expression Team Theater (SETT) Institute, Sylvania Community Action Team (SCAT), Treatment Alternatives to Street Crime (TASC), Thomas M. Wernert Center, University of Toledo Medical Center, Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program (UMADAOP), Unison Behavioral Health Group and Zepf Center.
For more information, contact the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Lucas County at 419-213-4600 or visit www.co.lucas.oh.us/MHRSB.
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