Issue 3

Issue 3 2014Issue 3 needs and deserves your support

One of the most important things you’ll find on your November ballot is Issue 3, a 0.9 mill renewal levy for the Lake County Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services Board — the ADAMHS Board, for short.

Per Ohio statute, the Lake County ADAMHS Board’s job is to evaluate, plan, monitor, and fund services for Lake County residents who have a mental illness or addiction disorder. Those services are delivered through a network of 19 providers, including Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers.

Issue 3 is not a new tax and there is no increase in millage. Voters first approved this levy in 1976.

Issue 3 funds counseling and treatment for children, adults, and seniors. It funds support services for clients and their families. It funds suicide prevention and depression awareness training in schools. It funds 24/7 services in hospital emergency departments for residents experiencing a behavioral health crisis. It funds special training for police, fire and other first responders to help them respond safely and effectively when they encounter mental illness symptoms on a call.

Issue 3 represents lifeblood funding for our ADAMHS Board. Demand for services is growing and state and federal funding is shrinking – more than 60% of the Lake County ADAMHS budget now comes from local support.

Issue 3 isn’t just the right thing to do for our families and communities, it’s a great investment. Statistically, for every single dollar we put toward smart, proactive behavioral health prevention and treatment services, we save up to seven tax dollars.

Your ADAMHS Board is efficient, accountable, collaborative, and effective. Your vote for Issue 3 will help ensure that the vital mental health and addiction recovery services so many Lake County residents count on will continue.

Learn more about the Lake County ADAMHS Board and its network of providers at www.HelpThatWorks.us.