Mental Health & Recovery Board: Answering the Why and the What
Whether you have used our services personally or not, the Mental Health and Recovery Board name and purpose may not be fully understood. This November, Portage County residents are asked to vote for Issue 29, a replacement levy to continue our services.
However, before entering the voting booth or filling out an absentee ballot, it is important to answer the WHY question about our organization, as well as, the WHAT, which defines our purpose. Today’s blog post is hopefully going to accomplish both these measures.
Why Have a Mental Health and Recovery Board?
25% of US Citizens will experience a mental health concern during their lifetime. Yet, currently less than 50% of all Americans, who experience mental health problems in a given year, seek treatment. Most do not receive a mental health screening or understand the signs and symptoms of what they are feeling.
In addition, 50% of all mental health disorders present before a person is 14 years old and 75% will show before a person is 24 years old. Unfortunately, according to MentalHealth.gov, less than 20% of children with diagnosable mental health issues receive treatment.
It is important to remember that mental illnesses are biological based disorders and no amount of willpower or rationalization will help the individual in need.
The good news is mental health problems are highly treatable, in both children and adults. Treatments include: talk therapy, medications, lifestyle changes and support groups.
Regarding Addiction
Addiction involves craving something so intensely the person loses control over its use and continues use even despite adverse consequences. According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), approximately 23 million Americans – or 7% of the population – are addicted to alcohol or other drugs.
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, abuse of alcohol, nicotine, prescription and illegal drugs, cost Americans more than $700 billion a year in increased health care costs, crime and lost workforce productivity.
Every year, alcohol, prescription and illicit drugs contribute to the death of more than 90,000 Americans.
Although breaking an addiction is tough, it can be done.
Regarding Both
According to MentalHealth.gov, 25% of adults experiencing mental health problems also have substance abuse issues.
Again, recovery is possible with mental illness and addiction. We offer the services and tools for residents of Portage County to get there.
What Is a Mental Health and Recovery Board?
The Mental Health and Recovery Board of Portage County is a governmental agency that funds, monitors and evaluates mental health and substance abuse services. Our goal is to support and advocate for individuals with mental health, alcohol and drug problems and address their unmet needs to work toward recovery.
We work with four local agencies, Coleman Professional Services, Townhall II, Family & Community Services, Inc., and Children’s Advantage to provide all residents of Portage County:
Convenient access to mental health services
Alcohol and drug addiction treatment, prevention and support services
Counseling of children and adults who are victims of domestic violence and abuse
Education to prevent addiction for hundreds of students each year
We also provide a 24 hour, 7 days a week crisis services hotline for those in need. In addition, we offer an anonymous online mental health screening to help individuals determine whether or not they should seek support.
About the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Portage County
The duties of the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County are set by the state of Ohio. We have the responsibility for seeing that services and facilities are available locally for treatment of adults, teens and children with mental illness and addiction problems.
Click here to request a community presentation to learn more about the Mental Health and Recovery Board and the services it funds for Portage County residents.
Have a question? Click here to email our office. We will get back to you within one business day.
