MHRBUC Quarterly Newsletter

During this holiday season, the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Union County extends our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones. We are grateful for the partnerships and dedication of our community partners, who work tirelessly to strengthen the mental health and recovery supports that make Union County a healthier, more compassionate place for all. May this season bring you peace, joy, and moments of renewal. We look forward to continuing our work together in the year ahead.

On October 24, MHRBUC held our 2024 Community Celebration and Awards Dinner. A total of 86 community partners and stakeholders attended. Executive Director Adam Negley presented an overview of the fiscal year 2024 Impact Report and Liz Henrich, CEO of the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities, provided the keynote remarks. At the conclusion of the program, we were proud to present three distinguished community members with awards representing three of our core organizational values (compassion, collaboration and innovation):

The Champion of Compassion Award was presented to Mike Heifner, who serves as a case manager with Union County Guardianship Services. His nomination read in part, “Mike is simply a remarkable human. He serves as the case manager for two of our most difficult gentlemen with mental health needs. The changes and improvements he is able to make for them is impressive. He always amazes me at his ability to respect them and see situations from what he feels might be their point of view.”

The Power of Partnership Award was presented to Lavona See, who serves as the Executive Director of Impact 60. Lavona’s nominator wrote, “Whether it is her work with Impact Station, her passion for addressing homelessness, her advocacy for behavioral health services, the collaborative work with the Teaching Automotive Principles (TAP) Program to connect people to employment, or the countless other things she is involved in at any given moment, Lavona recognizes that when people are healthy, have a safe place to sleep, and are actively employed they have dignity and hope.”

Finally, the Spark of Genius Award was awarded to Ashley Thompson, who serves as the principal at Fairbanks Elementary School. Ashley’s nomination stated, “Ashley has been a tremendous mental health champion for her students and staff. She has been open, excited, and has worked hard to implement new and innovative services and supports for Fairbanks students and families.”

Congratulations to the 2024 Awardees and thank you to everyone who attended the event!

MHRBUC has received $262,739.40 in grant funding to support its efforts in helping fight addiction by delivering needed Intervention and Crisis Support services, Executive Director Adam Negley announced on November 27th.

The grant from the OneOhio Recovery Foundation allows us to begin planning for the expansion of mobile crisis response services to the adult population. For the last several years, mobile crisis response for ages 0-21 through the Mosaic Project, has been funded by several Federal grants. With this award, we will have the opportunity to work with community partners on designing and implementing the best model for expanding this service to all ages.

This grant is part of an inaugural round of approximately $51 million in funding made available by the Foundation as part of its mission to combat the opioid epidemic by supporting prevention, treatment and recovery programs and services in our communities. The grant money was funded by 55 percent of settlement funds that Ohio is receiving from the pharmaceutical industry as a consequence of its role in the national opioid epidemic.

Building Strong Foundations (BSF) is MHRBUC's newest youth initiative, dedicated to supporting the mental health and well-being of young children and their families in Union County. Funded by a 4-year, $4 million grant from SAMHSA, this initiative will focus on creating sustainable systems of care that addresses the unique needs of children ages 0-8.

Key components of BSF include Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation and Early Childhood Family Peer Support:

• Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) offers support to early childhood youth-serving professionals, educators, and caregivers to promote positive mental health, address challenging behaviors, and enhance social-emotional competence in young children. This proactive approach equips adults with tools and strategies to support the developmental and emotional needs of the children they care for. ECMHC services are provided through OhioGuidestone. For more information or to submit a referral, please visit mosaicu.org/earlychildhoodconsultation.

• Early Childhood Family Peer Support (ECFPS) is provided to families at no cost by the Council for Union County Families. ECFPS provides tailored support to help caregivers enhance their skills, knowledge, and confidence. This unique support is delivered by individuals who have personal, lived experience raising a young child with behavioral or social-emotional challenges and have received specialized training to assist other families. Support may include:
• Sharing information and resources
• Teaching coping strategies
• Offering emotional support
• Empowering caregivers to become strong advocates for their child
• Assistance navigating youth-serving systems

MHRBUC is pleased to welcome Allison (Allie) Bruner to our team! Allie joined us on November 18th in the role of administrative assistant. Most recently, she worked as a special education aide at Marysville Schools. In her new role, Allie will help all of us stay organized and will lead the many administrative functions that go along with planning, organizing, and evaluating behavioral health services in the community. Yes, Allie even agreed to participate in the ever-popular baby picture sharing on our website. Visit mhrbuc.org/staff and hover over her picture to see her younger self and find out what she really wanted to do when she grew up.