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County approves $2.5 million from opioid settlement to support new crisis center; ADAMH reports strong initial demand
Summary
The Franklin County Board approved a $2.5 million allocation from local opioid-settlement funds to support operations at the newly opened Franklin County Crisis Center. ADAMH said the center served nearly 200 people in its first 15 days, with 52% brought by first responders, and will use the allocation to expand supports and stabilize provider EHR transitions.
The Franklin County Board of Commissioners voted to allocate $2.5 million in local opioid-settlement funds to support the newly opened Franklin County Crisis Center and related provider supports.
Zach Talerik (Office of Management and Budget) told the board the funds come from the county's share of the 1Ohio memorandum of understanding and are intended to support service delivery at the crisis center. Erica Clark Jones, CEO of the Alcohol, Drug & Mental Health Board (ADAMH), described the center's first three weeks of operations: nearly 200 individuals served; 52% were brought by first responders (94 people), 9% arrived via mobile crisis teams and roughly 30% arrived on their own.
Clark Jones said the center's 24/7 operation and intake-to-referral model has prevented emergency-room visits and jail encounters for many people in crisis: "Of these, 52% were brought by first responders, including police and EMS. That's 94 individuals who did not end up in an emergency room or at jail," she said. ADAMH will also establish an initiative to provide short-term financial support to providers experiencing distress from electronic health record transitions, using an application and reporting process to monitor use of funds.
The resolution authorizing the $2.5 million distribution (Resolution 68125) passed unanimously. ADAMH representatives and commissioners said the investment will allow existing levy dollars to be reallocated to other emergency needs in the provider network.
Why it matters: Commissioners and ADAMH framed the allocation as support for a newly opened system-of-care resource designed to divert individuals from emergency rooms and criminal justice involvement and to stabilize community providers. ADAMH noted the center's rapid uptake and said the county-supported investment aims to sustain operations and address upstream provider stability issues.
Next steps: ADAMH will implement the provider assistance program through an application process with reporting requirements; the board asked for continued data on center utilization and outcomes.
