BATAVIA, Ohio — The job of the Clermont County Mental Health and Recovery Board is to find and provide solutions for its community when it comes to behavioral health issues.
"Assessing the behavioral health needs of our community residents, planning for behavioral health services to meet those needs, funding those services," said Lee Ann Watson, the board's executive director.
That’s why they’ll soon be renovating their current building to open a new crisis receiving center.
"It’s kinda like an urgent care for behavioral health needs, and when I say behavioral health needs, I mean substance abuse concerns as well as mental health concerns," said Watson.
WATCH: How new settlement funding will help create a new crisis center in Clermont County
Watson said there has been a gap in the Clermont County community, as there are not many places for someone to go during an active crisis.
"We found out during the opioid epidemic that people really needed immediate access to treatment," said Watson. "With the crisis receiving center, people can walk in 24/7 and have access to trained mental health professionals."
The funding for the project comes from a new $180,194 settlement that the Clermont County Board of Commissioners accepted on Wednesday, part of a national lawsuit against eight different opioid manufacturers.
A portion of that money will go to the Mental Health and Recovery Board; the county commissioners have not divided up the money yet.
This comes after the Mental Health and Recovery Board received $1 million last year from another opioid settlement. That money will also be going towards the new crisis receiving center.
"We are so thrilled that we have the partnership we do with our county commissioners, and they really do recognize that that money is meant to come into the treatment system," said Watson.
The plan is for renovation to start in November of this year and for the center to open by early 2027. It will be available to all adults who live in Clermont County or are physically in Clermont County during a crisis.
