DeWine breaks ground in more ways than one | News, Sports, Jobs

T-L Photos/GAGE VOTA
Ground is broken on the future site of the Behavioral Health Urgent Care. From left to right Coleman Health Services Chief Officer Kasey Osselborn, Coleman Health Services C.E.O. Hattie Tracy, Govoner Mike DeWine, Mental Health and Recovery Board Executive Director Lisa Ward, and Mental Health and Recovery Board Chair Deb Yeater.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Ground was broken and anticipation built as Governor Mike DeWine attended the groundbreaking of the future site of a behavioral health urgent care center that will serve Belmont, Harrison, and Monroe counties.

The center will be a joint venture with Coleman Health Services, the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Belmont, Harrison, and Monroe counties, and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

“This is an amazing project that will add a crisis stabilization unit to the community while also including a 24/7 crisis assessment walk-in center and a place for our mobile crisis teams,” Coleman Health Services President and CEO Hattie Tracy said.

The facility is the first of its kind in the three communities and is part of DeWine’s $90 million investment to strengthen local behavioral health crisis response services.

“We are providing a variety of behavioral health services for the community at the location and treating substance use, related addiction, bipolar depressive disorders, trauma, and stress-related problems, as well as anxiety disorders,” Tracy said. “We are also providing other services such as assistance in obtaining benefits, housing, employment, and other recovery support.”

DeWine said the groundbreaking was a historic day because he hears too often that someone is having a mental health crisis and isn’t able to receive the mental health care needed due to a long wait, sometimes spanning up to two months. He added that, 60 years ago, the final bill John F. Kennedy signed before his assassination was the Community Mental Health Act, which promised that every citizen in the country would have access to mental health care.

DeWine believes that the country has not lived up to that promise, but he is proud of the leaps the country and Ohio have taken for mental health since.

“We’re delighted that this is being taken on and we’re just happy that we’re moving forward with this project,” He said.

He thanked State Reps. Don Jones, R-Freeport, and Ron Ferguson, R-Wintersville, and State Sen. Brian Chavez, R-Marietta, for their collective support of the project.

“For families in Eastern Ohio, this is a good day, this is a step forward. For the state of Ohio, this is one more step forward, we are doing locations like this around the state. It’s going to get them built and get them manned but we are making real progress,” DeWine said. “Our goal for every Ohio resident is for them to be able to live up to their God-given potential. And for them to live up to their God-given potential barriers have to be removed.”

The barriers he believes need to be removed are the lack of treatment for people with active addiction and untreated mental health problems. He said that if they’re not getting help it’s very difficult for them to live up to their full potential and not only do they suffer but their families suffer as well.

“This building is about hope,” DeWine said.

Deputy Director of Ohio’s 6th District Amber Kohler read a proclamation from U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Ohio, who was unable to attend the ceremony. Before she read the proclamation, Kohler said has been working in Ohio’s sixth district for several years and one of the issues she was passionate about was getting recognition and funding for mental health. She thanked DeWine for always fighting for Ohio’s 6th District and making sure it gets the recognition and funding she believes it deserves.

“On behalf of the people of Ohio’s 6th Congressional District, I am honored to recognize the Behavioral Health Urgent Care on the occasion of its groundbreaking” Kohler read. “The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Belmont, Harrison, and Monroe Mental Health Recovery Board, alongside Coleman Health Services recognize the need for the citizens of Belmont County to have accessible health care.”

“It is with great pride, I congratulate Behavioral Health Urgent Care on the occasion of its groundbreaking ceremony. I thank all of the organizations involved for their determined and compassionate spirit and their service and dedication to the community.”