25 Mar Mental Health Levy Passes!
On last week’s Election Day the people of Butler County voted to pass the Mental Health Renewal Levy! Issue 5 passed without much opposition with 72% of voters in favor.
The passing of the Mental Health Renewal Levy ensures that current funding for mental health services in Butler County continues. According to the Butler County Mental Health Levy, in FY 2014 various Butler County mental health programs served 10,500 people. One portion of these mental health programs are residential services, which helped provide a home for 500 people in 2015. Finally, 100 youths were served by mental health programs geared specifically towards the needs of adolescents. It’s clear the levy funds benefit a large number of people!
Which is appropriate, because a large number of people in the nation have a mental illness. In the United States in 2014, 43.6 million adults — 18.1% of the population — suffered from a mental illness of some sort (reported in SAMHSA’s 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health). Amazingly, in Ohio, over half of the mental illness population did not receive any mental health treatment/counseling (according to SAMHSA’s 2015 Behavioral Health Barometer for 2015). Over half — that, right there, is why it was so essential for the Butler County Mental Health Renewal Levy to pass. Continuing funding for mental health programs allows more people to receive treatment, which in turn allows these people to live happier, healthier lives.
Here at Sojourner, we are working to treat those with mental health illnesses. Many of our clients who are suffering from substance abuse are also suffering from a mental health illness of some sort. This is known as a co-occurring disorder. According to SAMHSA’s 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 7.9 million people in the United States suffer from both substance abuse disorder and mental illness. The two are often interconnected. So in our treatment facilities we implement both substance abuse treatment services and mental health treatment services. After all, we believe in treating the whole person, not just their alcohol or drug addiction.
So great job Butler County! You are helping to save lives in this community!