The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of listening to Aimee Wade, Interim Executive Director of the Summit County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health (ADM) Services Board at our March 2, 2021 Club meeting. You can view our meeting by clicking here.
Wade earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Criminology from The Ohio State University and a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Akron. She is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) and an Ohio Certified Prevention Consultant (OCPC). Wade has been with the ADM Board for 10 years and currently serves as the Associate Director of Clinical Services, a position she has held since 2015, in addition to her status as Interim Executive Director.
The Summit County ADM Board is responsible for seeing that effective and affordable prevention, treatment, and recovery services are available for adults, teens, and children with mental illness and/or alcohol or other drug addictions.
The ADM Board contracts with over 30 local organizations to ensure state-of-the-art services, for individuals and families at critical times in their lives, are available.
Through the support of a local property tax levy, the ADM Board provides opportunities for recovery and hope for a better life.
Alcoholism, drug addiction, and mental illness are real medical conditions that can affect anyone.
Recovery is possible with the right services and support services funded by the County of Summit ADM Board.
Funding
The ADM Board in 2021 has nearly $45 million in revenues. 78% of the revenues come from the local levy that is on the ballot every six years. 10% of the revenues are Federal dollars and 12% are State dollars. Less than 1% comes from local non-levy dollars.
The ADM Board has approximately $45 million dollars in expenditures in 2021. 94% of the expenditures are allocated for contracted alcohol, drug and mental health services provided by local not-for-profit organizations. 6% of the expenditures are for Board Administration.
Data for Funding Decision Making
The ADM Board uses data gathered from the funded agencies as well as other local, State and Federal sources to make decision on how the revenue dollars are allocated. Several of the areas monitored by the ADM Board include:
- Depression symptoms by region
- Mental Health Variables by Gender Differences
- Overdose Cause of Death by Year
- Overdose Death Rates per 100,000
- Day to Appointment for Addiction Helpline Caller
- Detox Availability by Days to Access
- Residential Treatment Availability by Days to Access
- Summit County Suicide Rate per 100k by Year
Activities and Initiatives
- Collaboration with ASIA Inc. to develop relevant communications and education around mental health for the diverse populations they serve.
- Collaboration through the ADM Change Direction Faith Initiative with local faith partners to train key individuals in the Grief Recovery Method.
- General and targeted suicide prevention and awareness campaigns partnering with local pharmacies, pizza and take-out restaurants, and the Akron Canton Regional Foodbank.
- Grant funded ADM providers through the end of December 2020 to ensure that they could keep their doors open as an essential service provider.
- FEMA Counseling & Outreach grant is supporting community education and referrals for services to help combat stigma, isolation, and grief as result of COVID-19.
- Collaboration with Akron Public Schools-College and Career Academy at Buchtel High School to introduce Behavioral Healthcare as Healthcare!
- Extended resources early in the pandemic to allow for hazard pay in our crisis and residential programs as well as for those essential to working in the community with our Seriously Mentally Ill (SMI) and Seriously Persistently Mentally Ill (SPMI) populations.
- Engagement of Mental Health Adult Care Facilities (group homes/adult foster homes) across Summit County to ensure that they had information and access to PPE, testing, and the vaccine.
For more information about the Summit County ADM Board you can check out their website at www.admboard.org.
Yours in Rotary Service
Terry
