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Merged Mahoning mental health and recovery board has first meeting
YOUNGSTOWN
Tax-funded mental-health and alcohol- and drug-addiction treatment came together in Mahoning County on Monday.
The occasion was the inaugural meeting of the 18-member Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board, created by the merger of the county mental-health and alcohol- and drug-addiction services boards.
Ten members of the new board were appointed by the county commissioners, who approved the merger of the boards in November after both boards voted unanimously to join. The other eight were appointed by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
All 18 are former members of the mental-health or ADAS boards.
The board appointed Edgar Manning as board chairman and Scott Fowler as vice-chairman. It also appointed Duane J. Piccirilli, who had been mental-health board executive director, as executive director, with his salary remaining at $112,000 a year.
When the commissioners approved the merger, Commissioner Anthony Traficanti said the combination made sense because many clients of mental-health and addiction-recovery agencies have dual diagnoses of mental illness and substance abuse.
Commissioner David Ditzler noted that the two previous boards funded many of the same agencies.
“This way, we will be able to serve our clients better. I think it’s a great day for Mahoning County,” Piccirilli said.
“We’re going to take a whole-health approach to treat Ohioans, and in this community, that’s been necessary for years,” said Carolyn Givens, the new director of the Neil Kennedy Recovery Clinic.
Both previous county boards reduced staff by not replacing employees who left. Piccirilli said he doesn’t expect layoffs due to the merger, but duties may be reassigned.
The mental-health board had a staff of six and an $8 million annual budget, and the ADAS board had a staff of four with a $2 million annual budget.
The merger will save $1,500 a month in ADAS board rent under its month-to-month lease at 107 S. Champion St.
The combined agency may stay at the Ohio One Building, 25 E. Boardman St., where the mental-health board’s lease expires June 30, 2016, or move to the second floor of the county children services board building, 222 W. Federal St., Piccirilli said.
The Ohio One Building rent is $2,895 per month.
The new board’s regular meetings will be at 5:30 p.m. the fourth Monday of each month on the second floor of the Ohio One Building.