Editor:

Preble County Job and Family Services and I would like to express support of the Preble County Mental Health and Recovery Board replacement levy. Partnering with MHRB to provide services for our most vulnerable citizens is imperative to creating opportunities for success for our customers.

Job and Family services serves families with multiple needs. The one area that rises to the top with increasing needs are children with mental health and addiction issues. Often the children we serve are suffering from the affects of trauma due to abuse and neglect. These children require specialized services that aren’t available through the general foster and group homes we use. Services for children with mental health needs are very expensive and not entirely covered by Medicaid or private insurance.

Shared funding agreements allowing us to provide vitally needed service to youth is invaluable to stabilizing those youth and assisting them in becoming productive adults. The onslaught of drug addiction among many pf the parents of the children we serve has created an increase in the needs and the number of children we are finding in these specialized services. Without additional levy dollars available, children will be unable to receive the services they need to become stable and healthy.

MHRB services allow our agency to work with adults and families to identify their barriers to success in employment, parenting and self support, and work toward securing their self-sufficiency. This is critical to the world we do to reduce dependence on public assistance.

Please support this very valuable levy which will have a huge impact on our community and our children.

Rebecah Sorrell, Director

Preble County Job & Family Services