Commissioners appoint retired officer Brett Snavely to Mental Health and Recovery Services Board; board unveils 'Richland Recovery Network'

Richland County commissioners on Feb. 4 voted to appoint retired officer Brett Snavely to an unexpired seat on the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board, filling a term that runs through June 30, 2027.

The appointment came during a presentation about board staffing and outreach. A mental health board representative described a new umbrella outreach effort called the Richland Recovery Network, which the board approved in concept and has already adopted a logo and jingle, the representative said. The network will initially list contract agencies the board funds — including Catalyst, NUMIDOC, Family Life Counseling, NAMI and CASI — and offer a single-page website that prompts users with questions (for example, “Are you in crisis?”) to direct them to the appropriate providers.

"People do recover from addiction," the mental health board representative said. "People do recover from mental health illness," the representative added, describing the network’s aim to help residents navigate services without visiting multiple provider sites.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the appointment fills a seat left open by the retirement of a long-serving board member and that the marketing work is intended to make the system and its funded providers clearer to residents. The presenter said the board has state, federal and local funds and hopes clearer public messaging will strengthen local support for the system.

Details from the meeting: The presenter said the board’s marketing committee — which includes local marketing specialists and some board members — formally approved the logo, jingle and plans to build a streamlined website. The site will ask a series of questions and then list agencies that provide the specific service a resident needs, the presenter said, to reduce the number of clicks and separate provider searches.

The presenter also discussed proposed state budget increases that would affect the system if enacted: a proposed 4.1% increase in fiscal 2026 and 2.3% in fiscal 2027 at the statewide level, and a proposed renaming of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to Ohio Behavioral Health (the name change is proposed and would require formal approval). The presenter said the department is proposing a pretrial behavioral health intervention pilot and increases in criminal justice and stabilization services. The presenter reported meeting recently with the local state senator and representative during Legislative Day and described the legislators as supportive.

On another appointment note, the presenter said Heather Copley has expressed interest in filling a second open slot; that seat would be appointed by the state department if the department accepts her application, the presenter said. The presenter said the previously considered candidate from the Mansfield Police Department could not be appointed because the county funds some programming with that department.

The commissioners recorded affirmative votes on Snavely’s appointment. The board took no other formal funding actions during the presentation.

Ending: Commissioners asked no further questions after the presentation and moved on to routine business. The appointee’s term was recorded as filling an unexpired seat through June 30, 2027.