​Twenty-two law enforcement officers from Darke, Miami and Shelby Counties attended the 13th Crisis Intervention Team Academy presented by the Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services April 9-12. To date 252 law enforcement professionals have been trained in CIT in the Tri-County Board service area.

Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training is a nationally recognized program that teaches law enforcement safe and effective approaches to handling crisis incidents involving a mentally ill individual. The intensive 4-day training is  conducted under the instructional supervision of local CIT-trained police officers, mental health professionals, consumers, and family advocates and offers practical techniques for de-escalating crisis situations.

CIT Coordinator Kim McGuirk, Director of Clinical Services and Evaluation for the Tri-County Board, said, "CIT continues to be one of our most requested programs. Officers tell us they now feel better equipped to handle calls involving mental health crisis, and those of us involved with mental health services have a better understanding of what the law enforcement officers deal with in the field." McGuirk added that there was so much demand for the Academy this year that a second academy is planned for December.

The training is underwritten by the Tri-County Board's mental health levy, by grants from the Ohio chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness and NAMI of Darke, Miami and Shelby Counties, and by in-kind donations of food by local vendors.

The Tri-County Board also presents CIT companion courses and other training for mental health professionals, dispatchers, court personnel and other groups. For more information about the CIT Academy or companion courses, see the Tri-County Board's website at www.tcbmds.org/community.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and to increase awareness of mental health in Darke, Miami and Shelby Counties, the Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services is offering Mental Health First Aid classes to the public at no cost.

Mental Health First Aid Teaches:

• Risk factors and warning signs of mental health concerns.
• Information on depression, anxiety, trauma, psychosis, and substance abuse.
• A 5-step action plan to help someone developing a mental health concern or in crisis.
• Available evidence-based professional, peer, and self-help resources.

Adult Mental Health First Aid is appropriate for anyone who wants to learn how to help an individual who may be experiencing a mental health crisis or concern.

Youth Mental Health First Aid reviews the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents ages 12-18. It emphasizes the importance of early intervention and covers how to help an adolescent in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge. The youth course is intended for anyone 16 years or older to learn how to help young people.

The Tri-County Board has training more than 500 individuals in Mental Health First Aid or Youth Mental Health First Aid since 2014.

Normally a $25 per person class, the 8-hour training is being offered at no cost in May. No special code is required, For more information and for links to register, go to www.tcbmds.org/mhfa. May dates and locations scheduled are:

Mental Health First Aid

• ​Monday May 7, Troy
• Thursday May 24, Sidney

Youth Mental Health First Aid

• Wednesday May 2, Sidney
• Thursday May 17, Sidney
• Tuesday May 29, Troy

To arrange Mental Health First Aid training for groups or organizations, contact Ian Ridgeway, Prevention and Wellness Coordinator, RidgewayI@tcbmds.org, or call (937) 335-7727 ext 216.

Darke County business owners and managers are invited to participate in a survey to help a collaboration address the issue of substance use and the workforce.

The Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services, Darke County Chamber of Commerce, and Coalition for a Healthy Darke County are collaborating with Working Partners® to address this issue through a project called Power Up Workforce | Darke County.
                                        
The collaboration needs data from the community to help determine the specific impact of substance use on Darke County’s workforce, and to develop strategies to address it.
 
This brief survey asks about perceptions, attitudes, knowledge and business practices as they relate to preventing and addressing substance use in the workplace and by the workforce.
 
It will take about 7-12 minutes to complete this anonymous survey. Owners or managers of businesses or organizations in Darke County can find the survey at tcbmds.org/powerup.

• No personal questions are asked concerning  alcohol or other drug use.
• The survey is anonymous and therefore does not collect any personally identifiable information. No attempt will be made to collect or connect responses to individuals.
• No attempt will be made to collect or connect responses to individual organizations. 
• Name or contact information will not be added to any list or shared with a third party. Names are not being collected. Email addresses may be used to email the survey link and reminders once potential participants are identified.
• At no time will anyone try to sell anything or ask participants to sign up for anything because of this survey.

Responses will be combined with others from the community to create a report summarizing the data. This information will be used by the Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services, the Darke County Chamber of Commerce, and the Coalition for a Health Darke County to:

• Direct strategies to support the business community.
• Identify service gaps.
• Strengthen the workforce.
• Reduce employee costs related to substance use.
• Empower employment through prevention and recovery.

​The Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services is seeking entries from local artists for its annual Art of Recovery showcase, as well as a juried gallery exhibit to be displayed in the Art Gallery at Edison State Community College in Piqua throughout the month of October.

Artists who have been affected personally, through a family member or friend, or anyone whose art reflects recovery from mental illness or addiction are invited to participate. Artists display works ranging from painting and drawing to sculpture, mixed media, crafts, photography and poetry. Artists typically reside in Darke, Miami and Shelby counties, although submissions from other counties are welcomed. Many use their art to express personal journeys with recovery from mental illness and addiction, while others have been touched as family members, friends, advocates and service providers.

Select Art of Recovery works will be displayed in the Myers-Vaccaro Gallery, East Hall, Edison State Community College, Piqua, from October 2-27. To be considered for the juried exhibit, artwork (photos of large pieces are acceptable) must be submitted to the Tri-County Board by September 25. Artists must submit an entry form for each piece to be considered. An artist's statement must accompany each piece describing how the piece represents wellness, mental health or addiction recovery. Pieces may be representational or metaphorical, and do not need to be biographical in nature. All pieces selected for the Gallery Exhibit must be made available for display from October 2 through October 27. The form and additional details are available at the Tri-County Board’s website, tcbmds.org/art.

To be displayed in the open Showcase Wednesday, October 18, artwork and submission forms must be received by October 11.

Art may be in any medium, including but not limited to painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, needlework, crafts, instrumental music, poetry and mixed media. Artists may submit more than one piece for submission, and may elect to remain anonymous at the showcase. There is no fee to enter, and no prizes are awarded. For the gallery exhibit, three ribbons will be awarded. Best in Show will be determined by the judges, People’s Choice will be awarded based on popular vote, and the Director’s Award will be selected by Tri-County Board staff for the piece that best exemplifies wellness and recovery.

The Art of Recovery showcase aims to increase public awareness of mental illness and addiction issues in an effort to fight the stigma that so often accompanies these diseases.

The Showcase and reception will be open to the public Wednesday, October 18 from 5:30 – 7:00PM in the Art Gallery and adjacent lounge at Edison State Community College in Piqua. A brief award presentation will also take place.

For more information, visit the Tri-County Board’s website or contact Reed at ReedB@tcbmds.org or 937-335-7727 ext 209.

The Tri-County Board of Recovery & Mental Health Services will accept public comments regarding the Board’s Calendar Year 2018 Budget between 4:00 pm and 4:30 pm on Wednesday, June 21, 2017 at the Board office, 1100 Wayne St., Suite 4000 in Troy.  For further information or to request a copy of the Tri-County Board’s Calendar Year 2018 Budget, please contact the Tri-County Board at (937) 335-7727, extension 206.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and to increase awareness of mental health in Darke, Miami and Shelby Counties, the Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services is offering Mental Health First Aid classes at no cost.

Mental Health First Aid Teaches:

• Risk factors and warning signs of mental health concerns.
• Information on depression, anxiety, trauma, psychosis, and substance abuse.
• A 5-step action plan to help someone developing a mental health concern or in crisis.
• Available evidence-based professional, peer, and self-help resources.

Adult Mental Health First Aid is appropriate for anyone who wants to learn how to help an individual who may be experiencing a mental health crisis or concern.

Youth Mental Health First Aid reviews the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents ages 12-18. It emphasizes the importance of early intervention and covers how to help an adolescent in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge. The youth course is intended for anyone 16 years or older to learn how to help young people.

Normally a $25 per person class, the 8-hour training is being offered at no cost in May. Use the discount code "MHM when registering. For more information and for links to register, go to www.tcbmds.org/mhfa. May dates and locations scheduled are:

Mental Health First Aid

• ​Wednesday May 31, Tri-County Board Training Room, Troy

Youth Mental Health First Aid

• Thursday May 18, Tri-County Board Training Room, Troy
• Tuesday May 23, Edison Darke County, Greenville

To arrange Mental Health First Aid training for groups or organizations, contact Ian Ridgeway, Prevention and Wellness Coordinator, RidgewayI@tcbmds.org, or call (937) 335-7727 ext 216.

Fourteen law enforcement officers from Darke, Miami and Shelby Counties attended the 12th Crisis Intervention Team Academy presented by the Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services April 3-6. To date 230 law enforcement professionals have been trained in CIT in the Tri-County Board service area.

Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training is a nationally recognized program that teaches law enforcement safe and effective approaches to handling crisis incidents involving a mentally ill individual. The intensive 4-day training is  conducted under the instructional supervision of local CIT-trained police officers, mental health professionals, consumers, and family advocates and offers practical techniques for de-escalating crisis situations.

CIT Coordinator Kim McGuirk, Director of Clinical Services and Evaluation for the Tri-County Board, said, "CIT continues to be one of our most requested programs. Officers tell us they now feel better equipped to handle calls involving mental health crisis, and those of us involved with mental health services have a better understanding of what the law enforcement officers deal with in the field."

The training is underwritten by the Tri-County Board's mental health levy, by grants from the Ohio chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness and NAMI of Darke, Miami and Shelby Counties, and by in-kind donations of food by local vendors.

The Tri-County Board also presents CIT companion courses and other training for mental health professionals, dispatchers, court personnel and other groups. For more information about the CIT Academy or companion courses, see the Tri-County Board's website at www.tcbmds.org/community.

The Tri-County Board has launched a website, Facebook page and Twitter account for One Wellness Place, a project currently under development by the Board. One Wellness Place is a public-private partnership for healthy living in Miami County and supporting services in Darke and Shelby Counties. It will house mental health and addiction service providers, public health, and an array of wraparound support services.

"It is important that we keep citizens in the Tri-County Board service area, our funding partners, and potential partners aware of updates," said Brad Reed, Director of Community Resource Development for the Tri-County Board. "There has been a lot of activity behind the scenes up until now. Since the groundbreaking and official project launch January 26, the pace will pick up, both on the fundraising side and the project planning and building side."

The website can be found at www.onewellnessplace.org. On Facebook and Twitter, the accounts are 1wellnessplace. The website contains descriptions of the project, timeline, service and funding partners, links to media clips,  galleries of photos, and a link to the online giving page at The Troy Foundation for individuals who would like to donate. The site can be linked from the Tri-County Board website under the "Community" menu.

The Tri-County Board of Recovery & Mental Health Services is looking for additional Crisis Response Team members to join the existing group of dedicated individuals to help provide crisis services to local businesses, schools, first responders or other community groups when a crisis event has taken place. The Tri-County Crisis Response Team averages about one crisis response a month.
 
Examples of such trauma-inducing events include:

• Incidents such as serious automobile accidents, suicides, multiple deaths from any means.
  
• Incidents involving natural or manmade disasters such as floods, storms, plane crashes, industrial accidents or fires.
  
• Criminal incidents of a nature that affect a specific or entire community like homicide, robbery, missing children.
  

 
CRT members are area professionals who volunteer their time during such times of need.  CRT members can be teachers, first responders, agency staff, medical professionals, retired professionals, and others. No clinical experience is required. 
 
The Tri-County Board will be hosting a three-day training session by the National Organization for Victim Assistance April 25-27 at the Tri-County Board training room in Troy.  This training normally costs $300 per person, but current or pending members of the Tri-County CRT receive a stipend for the full cost of the training.  CEUs will be provided.  For more information and to register for the training: http://www.tcbmds.org/crt.html
 
For more information about the Tri-County Board Crisis Response Team please contact Kim McGuirk mcguirkk@tcbmds.org or see our website
http://www.tcbmds.org/crisis-response-team.html

Family members and friends of addicts have a new resource in Piqua. A local chapter of Nar-Anon is being established in Piqua, to offer hope to families and friends of addicts. The first meeting will be Thursday, January 5 at 7PM.
 
Nar-Anon is formed and run by its members and understands the frustration and chaos that comes with the disease of addiction. The group is designed to offer coping strategies, as well as fellowship, using a 12-step program format.

Robin Heintz, Programming Chair for the Piqua Public Library, encourages anyone interested to attend. “It may be difficult to walk in the door of your first meeting, but please don’t be afraid – the group is your group – here to share strength and hope for better days ahead. This is not a place of judgment. You are welcome here.”

Heintz also says, “With the increase in heroin use in the area, we clearly see there is a need for this type of meeting in our community. Drug addiction is a disease that impacts so many local families – we knew it was time for the library to invite this group in to help.”

One of Nar-Anon’s guiding principles is respecting the anonymity of its members. What is shared in a meeting is shared in confidence. The group meets every Thursday evening at 7PM, in the Piqua Public Library’s Louis Program Room. There are no dues or fees, and any donations to Nar-Anon for literature or other expenses are completely optional.