Local state senator proposes greater oversight of drug addiction and mental health boards

Oct. 21: State lawmakers begin proposing changes after recent controversial budget decisions by the Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) board, including cutting its spending by 38 %, contributed to a reduction in funding allocations. for area agencies that provide mental health services.

State Sen. Niraj Antani, R-Miami Twp., is proposing a bill that would give county commissioners statewide more oversight of the budgets of alcohol, drug addiction and mental health service districts within their regions, while other lawmakers say they are working. on board restructuring plans.

The bill would authorize county commissioners to act in lieu of an ADAMHS board.

“The mechanics of the bill is that if a board of county commissioners unanimously agrees that the ADAMHS board is doing something in their determination of where they should take over … then they can take over the ADAMHS board budget,” Antani. he said

Once the issues are resolved, they can return budget powers to the ADAMHS board, Antani said. For ADAMHS districts with more than one county, the county commissioners of each of the counties in that district should agree to take control of the ADAMHS board and act in its stead.

Other local lawmakers are supportive but want even broader changes.

“We’re looking at restructuring the entire board,” said state Rep. Phil Plummer, R-Butler Twp., who said he was working with state Rep. Tom Young, R-Washington Twp.

Ohio has county-operated behavioral health districts, which are under the supervision of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

Currently, there are different options for the number of people required to serve on a board of directors for a behavioral health district, such as 18, 15, 14, 12 or nine members, according to state law. The size of the board is determined by the county commissioners represented in that district.

Many behavioral health districts in Ohio span multiple counties, but Montgomery County is a single-county district. Two-thirds, or nine people, of the Montgomery County ADAMHS board of directors are appointed by the county commissioners, and one-third, or five people, are appointed by the state.

“We want to create a new structure for the board, one that includes elected city and township officials, people who are actually in the trenches and know what the issues are that they’re seeing,” Plummer said. “We need to broaden the horizon here.”

Before the reduced funding announced in August, Montgomery County ADAMHS faced setbacks this summer when the provider they were contracted with to provide mental health crisis services pulled out of the county. RI International cited financial losses of millions in its reasoning for ceasing services to the county.

That setback drew the ire of several county leaders and partners, including county commissioners, who at one point threatened future funding to Montgomery County ADAMHS in a joint letter to the board of trustees.

“We got ripped off by RI International and I’m trying to get the state auditor to audit it,” Plummer said.

“I don’t think people are seeing this closely enough,” he said.

As for Antani’s proposed bill, Helen Jones-Kelley, executive director of Montgomery County ADAMHS, was skeptical that county commissioners would want the extra work.

“I think it’s set up the way it is for a reason, that it doesn’t force them into another liability,” Jones-Kelley said.

Jones-Kelley said county commissioners already have oversight in the form of local appropriations on the Montgomery County ADAMHS board. If county commissioners were to take over the budget, they would have to set the budget and direct expenses, he said.

County commissioners want additional input from the Ohio Association of County Commissioners, they said in a joint statement to the Dayton Daily News.

“ADAMHS is a completely independent body from the Board of County Commissioners, according to the Ohio Revised Code. Any change in the governance of ADAMHS would require a change in the ORC, and we believe that any position on this proposed legislation requires a discussion and consensus of the Ohio Association of County Commissioners,” the county commissioners said.

Antani’s bill has been introduced and is expected to be introduced in the next session without a vote in the Ohio Senate.