MHRS levy closes mental health gaps in Coshocton County
COSHOCTON − The Mental Health and Recovery Services Board is seeking the renewal of a property tax levy that helps provide services through several different agencies, including Coshocton Behavioral Health Choices and Allwell Behavioral Health Services.
Local mental health representatives recently met with Coshocton County Commissioners on placing the 0.8-mill, 10-year levy on the fall general election ballot. It will be certified by the Coshocton County Auditor's Office, to determine how much it would generate and cost a property owner, before being approved by commissioners and sent to the Coshocton County Board of Elections. It currently generates approximately $310,000 annually and was first approved 40 years ago.
Tom Wilson, director of Allwell's Coshocton office, said funding in the past has helped with preventive and educational services in local school districts. They also do crisis screenings at the Coshocton Justice Center, Coshocton Regional Medical Center and in office. It allows them to offer case management and other services on a sliding scale as well. He said many insurances won't pay for such services or people don't have insurance.
"For me, one of the things that is amazing, is how often our people, case management and clinicians that do the counseling, use the levy dollars to help fill the gaps that are there to provide mental health and substance treatment for our county," Wilson said. "Insurance doesn't cover things, so we're either trying to help them find ways, creatively, to get those types of services through levy dollars. There are so many different ways we use it. What's hard, is we have such gaps in insurance for our services and we have such a high need."
Jeanette Hall, co-executive Director of CBHC, said her agency has primarily been known for providing drug and alcohol treatment. However, in 2018, CBHC added mental health services. This led to the opening of the Flight School program for children and families. Hall said levy money has been used to expand training and offer parent and child interaction therapy, parent and child psychotherapy and more. They also offer programs in the school districts related to drug use and vaping prevention along with other services.
"We've just seen that need, especially with the (COVID-19) pandemic, continue to grow and grow and grow. We've had those levy dollars, especially as Tom indicated, for some of those folks who are not Medicaid clients," Hall said. "The reality is treatment can be very costly and this allows those individuals, especially when they have a child who has been through trauma or has a serious diagnosis such as autism, to be able to handle and get those long-term services."
Misty Cromwell, executive director of the MHRS board, said the levy money helps a variety of community partners beyond just Alwell and CBHC as many might think. This includes the juvenile court, law enforcement, hospitals and job and family services. Ways the board can help ranges from residential placement for children in need to critical incident stress management for first responders. The board has also helped with the forming family resource center through Coshocton County Juvenile and Probate Court.
"As we identify needs outside the treatment realm, we can, if possible, bring those resources to address additional problems and issues that are costly in the community," Cromwell said. "It's important and critical to make sure we're addressing mental health and addiction needs at every entry point to our continuum of care."
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on Twitter at @llhayhurst.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: MHRS levy closes mental health gaps in Coshocton County
