The Mental Health and Recovery Board is responsible for delivery of comprehensive mental health and substance abuse services in Belmont, Harrison and Monroe Counties. The Board provides no direct services but contracts for service delivery. The Board’s function is to assess needs, plan, monitor, fund and evaluate contracted community services. Federal, state and local monies for those services flow through the Board to the contracting agencies. Monthly meetings of the Board are held at 6:00 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Board office.
Our Board area covers 1,400 square miles in rural southeastern Ohio. Characteristics of our Board area include high poverty rates, high unemployment rates, low per capita income, little urbanization, and a deficit in education and living standards. Our population is aging with a high percentage of families with children living below poverty levels. According to USDA statistics, poverty levels are as follows: Belmont 16.8%, Harrison 17.7% and Monroe 16.6%. Our Board area’s population continues to decline. Our counties’ unemployment rates are all above Ohio’s rate. They are as follows: Belmont 9.1%; Harrison 11.5%; and Monroe 12.6% according to the Ohio Labor Market Information.
We have one agency certified by the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ODADAS), one agency certified by the Ohio Department of Health (ODMH), two agencies certified by both departments, and a school based prevention agency. Prevention and early intervention services are provided in Belmont and Monroe Counties.
