MANSFIELD, Ohio–Mental health services and drug addiction recovery services are interdependent and the two treatments are combined in Ohio. According to Joe Trolian, Executive Director of Richland County Mental Health and Recovery Services, the results are very positive.
Combined with increased healthcare coverages, the results are so positive that this week Richland Source will launch a series of stories about individuals who are on the road to recovery from addiction.
The individuals are going to share their stories of addiction and recovery. Some cases are referred to local agencies through the drug court and some of them are walk-in cases. Referrals are to services from agencies that are faith-based, located closer to patients’ homes, medically-assisted, or for residential placement.
“I’d like to see these stories reach the families (of the recovery individuals) because they’re going to be there in the beginning, during treatment, and they’re going to be the support system as the person develops a recovery plan,” said Joe Trolian, executive director of the Richland County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board.
“For years we had a department of drug and alcohol addiction services and a department of mental health, and in 2012 they merged and they have now become the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction services,” said Trolian.
“We have seen some massive changes at the state and federal level that have basically been spurred on by this opiate epidemic. It used to be that we were funded about $10 for mental health for every $1 we got for addiction services,” Trolian said. “So for most addiction services there really weren’t free services available. That goes back to some old philosophies that people felt that you needed to pay to have the best medical care, and so nobody’s sliding fee scale would go to zero. You had to pay $1, or $2 or $5 a session.”
Prior to Medicaid expansion, 65 percent of the people receiving mental health services had Medicaid and 30 percent of the drug and alcohol population had Medicaid, said Trolian. He said now 65-75 percent of the mental health clients have Medicaid and now approximately 85-90 percent of clients receiving drug and alcohol services are receiving Medicaid.
The healthcare cost changes facilitate recovery. Improvements in treatment, though, don’t just come from services becoming more affordable; dual treatment is also showing results.
“Catalyst Life Services, used to be known as The Center, were the first agency in the state to really develop dual diagnosis services,” said Trolian. “They use the Dartmouth Model for working with Intensive Dual Diagnosis Treatment. They’re known throughout the world for the program. It’s a team model and on every team you have both mental health and drug and alcohol providers, and you address things from a team standpoint.”
“They wanted some way to treat the entire person, rather than trying to see what particular agency (mental health or drug and alcohol) agency they would fall in,” stated Trolian.
What are the results?
“People are finding life after addiction,” said Trolian.
Trolian and a number of Richland County service providers found clients who are willing to tell their stories to show that there is hope for recovery. The first story will be shared in Monday’s Richland Source news.
The Richland County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health (or ADAMH) Board is dedicated to recovery and stability of all Richland County residents in need. The board has partner agencies that offer services to those suffering from mental illness and substance dependence.
