LISBON — Columbiana County voters will be asked Tuesday to continue their support of mental health and recovery services by renewing a 0.3-mill, 10-year tax levy.

The levy generates nearly $590,000 in funding for mental health and recovery programs and services in the county annually and is one of two levies that support programming, according to a press release issued about the levy

Since this is a renewal, there will be no increase in taxes. The cost per year is $6 for a taxpayer with a home valued at $100,000.

“When people think of mental health and recovery services, they often only consider counseling and treatment programs for individuals with serious mental health concerns or addictions. Although it is true that these funds do help individuals to access such services, they also provide funding for many other supports in our communities,” Columbiana County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board Executive Director Lori Colian said, noting that these services benefit almost everyone in the county in one way or another. 

Colian explained that the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board is the public entity responsible for ensuring that the county has quality mental health and substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery services available. The board is responsible for distribution of state and federal funding, as well as the local levy funds.

Prevention services funded include early childhood intervention programs, school-based programs such as suicide/depression education, community stigma and substance use education, suicide prevention awareness, and law enforcement Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training.

Treatment services may include funding for traditional counseling services (such as counseling, psychiatry, case management, medication assisted treatment) for individuals who are not covered by traditional insurance or for those who are indigent or under-insured. However, treatment also includes residential treatment services for youth with serious emotional disturbances, withdrawal management services for individuals with substance use disorders, and 24/7 crisis response services.

The levy also provides funds for a number of recovery supports including supported employment services, mental health and recovery housing assistance, peer outreach supports, and homelessness outreach.

Colian said that all of these services are offered by one or more community partners who work together to meet the needs of individuals and families.

Partners include The Counseling Center (also known as Columbiana County Mental Health Center), Family Recovery Center, Help Network of Northeast Ohio, On Demand Counseling, Broadway Recovery Services, schools, police departments, hospitals, faith-based organizations, courts, correction centers, and many more.

“Mental illness and/or substance abuse impacts at least one out of five people of all ages. These are your friends, family and neighbors. Youth with emotional difficulties, people contemplating suicide, individuals at risk of addiction, adults with serious mental illness, older adults struggling with depression, veterans in need of mental health services, and families of people with mental health or substance use issues can be helped. By voting to ‘continue the caring,’ you can do your part to help someone who may be in need,” Colian said.

Information about mental health and recovery services available in Columbiana County can be viewed on the board’s Facebook page or on their website at www.ccmhrsb.org.  Anyone seeking additional information or wanting someone to speak to their group or organization about the levy can call board staff at 330-424-0195.