New officers, new budget

Lake County ADAMHS Board begins fiscal year with annual meeting in Concord Township

The Lake County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board officially transitioned to a new fiscal year last week during its annual meeting at Quail Hollow in Concord Township.

Established by Ohio statute, the ADAMHS Board is responsible for planning, funding, monitoring and evaluating Lake County’s community-based mental health and addiction recovery services.

Board members, all of whom are Lake County residents serving without compensation, include mental health and recovery experts, consumers (people who need and use services), relatives of consumers, community leaders and business professionals.

The board approved $11.3 million in ongoing non-Medicaid funding for its 2019 fiscal year, according to a news release. Those funds will provide services for local individuals and families dealing with mental illness or addiction issues.

The ADAMHS fiscal year 2019 network of providers includes Crossroads/Beacon Health; Big Brothers/Big Sisters; Bridges; Cleveland Rape Crisis Center; Extended Housing; Lake County Sheriff’s Jail Treatment Program; LakeGeauga Recovery Centers; and Lake Health (behavioral health crisis/emergency services), to list a few.

During the meeting, the ADAMHS Board elected new officers for its new fiscal year.

The slate includes Chair Dione DeMitro; Vice-Chair Troy Hager; Treasurer Douglas Klier; Secretary Les Beck; and Past Chair Roberta Kalb. Other fiscal year 2019 board members include David Enzerra; Jim McBride; Julia McGruder; Frank Sarosy; Karen Sippola; and Andrew Meinhold.

Executive Director Kim Fraser highlighted significant Lake County ADAMHS initiatives from the past 12 months — some which were locally conceived and executed, others which represented local takes on broader-picture state programs.

“It was an opportunity for us to remind each other of the importance of what we do, celebrate our accomplishments and recommit ourselves to the future of this wonderful system,” Fraser said. “We’re extremely proud of our partnerships with Leadership Lake County and RSVP — the Retired Senior Volunteer Program — for instance.

“Those partnerships have opened doors for us to reach area employees and seniors with important messages. Our relatively new Quick Response Team is an innovative way to encourage people with substance use disorders to get into treatment.”

The QRT is an initiative that facilitates help for area residents who need medical intervention as the result of an overdose, the release stated.

“We fully understand that we’re accountable to the taxpayers of Lake County, and we take that responsibility very seriously,” Fraser added. “This board has a long history of keeping administrative overhead remarkably low. Every available nickel is channeled into services that help people and families here in Lake County.”

Three retiring ADAMHS Board members were honored as well:

• Joanne Zeroske served as board chair, vice chair and treasurer. She also served on the Program, Long-Range Planning, Allocation, Mental Health and Evaluation/Quality Improvement Committees.

• Alice Walker chaired the board’s Program Committee, and also served on the Evaluation, LongRange Planning, and Allocation Committees.

• Peggy Kiikka served on the Evaluation/Quality Improvement and Program Committees.

In addition, the board bestowed its three annual system-wide awards at the event.

The Consumer Achievement Award recognizes a client who has been especially successful in working toward and achieving important goals. This year’s award was given to Edie Belt who was nominated by the NAMI Lake County staff.

The Unsung Hero Award recognizes a staff member as an ADAMHS-funded service provider. This year’s award went to Erin Turner, director of Crisis Services and Hotline Services at Beacon Health.

Turner also supervises the Cognitive-Behavioral Family Therapy Team at Crossroads.

The ADAMHS Advocate Award recognizes an individual who has contributed significantly to the system’s missions. The award was presented to Captain Ron Walters from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in appreciation for his work helping to develop Lake County’s Quick Response Team.

The Lake County ADAMHS Board is located at One Victoria Place, Suite 205, in Painesville.

Fraser