BROWN ANNOUNCES $1.5 MILLION FOR RECOVERY SERVICES AT THE NORD CENTER IN LORAIN

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $1.5 million in congressionally directed spending (CDS) from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to the Nord Center in Lorain County to help support construction of the new Lorain County Crisis Receiving Center. The project will expand the county's capacity to provide inpatient detoxification services and revolutionize the care continuum for those with behavioral health and substance use disorder diagnoses. Brown helped secure this funding in the FY22 CDS requests he submitted.

"We know the pandemic has taken a toll on people's mental health and we know it's made the addiction crisis worse. This funding will help to ensure that the NORD Center has the support and resources they need to respond to Ohioans in crisis," said Brown. "The best ideas don't come out of Washington -- they come from Ohioans who know better than anyone what their communities need, and this project has wide support from the community in Lorain."

The Nord Center is a nonprofit, community behavioral health center serving Lorain County and the surrounding communities. Founded in 1947, the organization currently serves approximately 7,000 Ohioans each year. With the development of the new crisis receiving center, the Nord Center will help revolutionize care for behavioral health and substance use disorder in the region and expand access to crisis care to more Ohioans in need.

"The Lorain County Crisis Receiving Center will bring innovative care to the region for those experiencing behavioral health and/or substance use disorder crises. In addition, this federal capital funding will provide support for bringing greatly needed detox services into Lorain County. The Crisis Receiving Center will provide 24/7 comprehensive emergency behavioral health and substance use disorder care utilizing a multidisciplinary team approach. An integral part of the care delivery team are peer support specialists who bring credibility via lived experience and the ability to quickly build a rapport with those experiencing these crisis situations. We appreciate Senator Brown's support and advocacy for this request and helping to bring this cutting edge behavioral healthcare to Lorain County," said Don Schiffbauer, CEO of the NORD Center.

"The crisis receiving center is the centerpiece of a much larger crisis care continuum for Lorain County. The funding allocated to this project will support the delivery of innovative behavioral healthcare. Using a "No wrong door" approach, the crisis receiving will not provide a portal of entry, but also support a seamless transition of care designed to support recovery and healing," said Michael Doud, Executive Director for the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services Board of Lorain County.

"The capital funding is a blessing to our community. The local access to detox services will be a game changer in battling the Opioid epidemic," said Dan Haight, President and CEO of The LCADA Way. "The LCADA Way is so grateful this support has come to our community. Senator Brown has always supported Behavioral Healthcare and knows the impact it has on our community."

"On behalf of the Citizens of Lorain County an all the Law Enforcement agencies in Lorain County, we would like to personally thank you for obtaining the 1.5-million-dollar federal grant award towards the building of the Lorain County Crisis Receiving Center," said Lorain County Sheriff Phil Stammitti. "The development of this much needed center will help with the alternative to incarceration, which will benefit those suffering from mental illness and dependency issues in Lorain County to get the services that they need so desperately."

Funding for this project comes from a funding package that President Biden signed into law in March 2022, which included key wins for communities across Ohio that Brown helped to secure, including funding local projects and other important priorities. Brown and his office worked with local entities across Ohio to request and secure CDS funding through the Senate Appropriations Committee, securing more than $100 million for projects throughout Ohio. Brown is a member of the Senate Finance Committee which has held hearings focused on mental health and is now focused on bipartisan legislation to address the gaps and challenges in mental health services.

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