COLUMBUS—After a win in the Ohio House, mental health and substance abuse treatment advocates are setting their sights on the Senate.
- Several items in the governor’s budget cover funding for mental health and addiction services
- $675 million would go to support student wellness and schools to provide counseling
- $8 million would go to an awareness campaign to reduce stigma and educate the public
We have families and those living with mental illness at the Statehouse. Asking the Senate to support the governor's budget,” said Terry Russell, executive director, NAMI Ohio.
Wednesday's National Alliance on Mental Health Legislative Day at the Ohio Statehouse brought stories of survival and triumph.
But the main item on the agenda – to get Governor DeWine's biennium budget and its funding for mental health and addiction services past the senate.
Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Director Lori Criss says this Legislative Day makes an impact on lawmakers.
“There's no one who can tell the story better than people living with and recovering from mental illness and addiction and their family members,” said Criss. “We value the opportunity to hear from them and for them to be an active participant in the process.
Several items in the budget mark funds for mental health and addiction services for the next two years.
The governor's proposal said $550 million would go to support student wellness and schools to provide counseling, mentoring and other wrap around support for youth.
The house added $125 million, for a total of $675 million for two years.
For the first time in maybe 40 years Governor DeWine has seen that we have to serve kids with mental illness, we can't teach kids with mental illness,” said Russell.
$20 million would go to new evidence-based drug prevention curriculum.
$12 million goes to expand Ohio's START program – a program to help parents, families and children affected by addiction.
$56 million will go to local alcohol, drug and mental health boards for crisis services.
Crisis support was something that really needed to be emboldened in Ohio, we needed to have a strong network of access to care for families and individuals in crisis. Kids, adults, older adults,” said Criss.
$5 million for drug courts, $3.9 million for a new Narcotics Intelligence Center, and nearly $14 million to fund local drug task forces.
$8 million will also go to a new public awareness campaign to help reduce stigma and educate the public on prevention and intervention.