The State Controlling Board approved a Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services request to purchase food and miscellaneous supplies for residents of two community support networks in Lake and Cuyahoga counties, with the agency saying bulk purchases through Sam’s Club provide the best cost.

A department representative told the board the two community support networks are part of the North Coast Behavioral Health psychiatric hospital region and provide 24/7 supervision, medication management and counseling for people with serious mental illness who do not require hospital-level care. "These are people that have serious mental illness... while they're learning to... manage their mental illness and the goal is for them to live in a less... restricted environment," the representative said.

Representative Stewart asked why the purchases came before the controlling board rather than being handled within the department’s normal budget and whether the agency shops around for prices. The agency representative said the $55,000 per year item is slightly above the controlling board threshold and that hospital services staff check local prices and compare costs regionally. "So it is just, you know, slightly above the controlling board threshold... these are estimates," the representative said, and added that unused funds would revert to the General Revenue Fund.

Senator Wilkin also asked whether the agency performed a bid; the agency said it checks prices across hospitals and regions rather than issuing a formal bid. The board approved the item with no objections.