FREMONT – On Election Day, Sandusky County voters have the opportunity to vote on a five-year, 0.65 mill Mental Health Board renewal levy.

The levy would provide continual funding to the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Seneca, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wyandot Counties for mental health and addiction recovery services in Sandusky County. As a renewal, the levy will require no new taxes.

Executive Director Mircea Handru said there is some confusion about who can vote on the levy and where the funds will be utilized.

“Each county has its own mental health levy,” Handru said. “Only Sandusky County residents vote on this levy, and only Sandusky County benefits.”

Among the many mental health and addiction recovery services that the levy will fund include mental health education and help for children in Sandusky County schools. The board provides the funding but allows schools leeway in its use. Topics schools choose to address include drug and vaping education, anti-bullying campaigns, suicide prevention, and counseling services.

“We give the schools a few options, and we assist them,” Handru said. “We also provide lots of services for first responders.”

Levy funds support crisis response team

The mental health board funds the Sandusky County Mobile Crisis Response Team which was implemented two years ago by NAMI of Seneca, Sandusky and Wyandot Counties. The team assists local law enforcement with police calls involving a mental health crisis. The team helps connect the person with mental health resources and provides follow-up connection to further assist them through the crisis.

“If there has been no criminal offense, we can transport the person to a facility,” Handru said. “This was the first Mobile Crisis Response Team in a rural county in Ohio.”

The mental health board also assists first responders with their own mental health needs.

“We offer a lot of trauma response support,” Handru said.

The mental health board offers counseling support for military veterans as well as a variety of services for addiction recovery support, including education, peer support and jail programs.

Board works with Sandusky County Sheriff’s Office

“We work closely with the Sandusky County Sheriff’s Office. We fund services in jail and treatment after jail. We make sure they have access to medication, and we help them gain skills they need to get employed,” Handru said. “That leads to a decrease in reoffenses.”

Handru said some residents confuse the mental health board with the county health department, but they are two separate entities with two separate levies.

“We support each other, but we are different,” he said.

Handru said the mental health board is committed to utilizing levy funds efficiently to help county residents with mental health and addiction recovery needs.

“We are a public entity and are very financially conservative. We do our due diligence when we spend funds,” he said. “I’m very proud to work for this organization.”

Handru said many Sandusky County residents will be affected if the levy does not pass.

“A lot of programs — including the Mobile Crisis Response Team and services for children and schools — will be eliminated or greatly reduced. We just can’t fund these services without assistance from the levy,” he said.

 Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at  [email protected].