Click HERE to visit the site.

What Does the Levy Do?

• Maintains essential funding for local mental health and substance use services not fully covered by insurance or state/federal dollars.
• Renews existing funding—no new taxes.
• Ensures continued investment across the full continuum of care: prevention, crisis response, stabilization, treatment, and recovery.

Ensuring Funds Are Used Effectively and Responsibly

• Investments are determined by a local community board.
• Decisions are guided by local data and identified needs.
• Outcomes are monitored and evaluated for impact.
• Agency service providers are held to clear standards of accountability.

Your Local Investment at Work

I. Investing in Youth

• School-Based Prevention Education Equipping students with skills to navigate stress, relationships, and early signs of mental health concerns.
• The LOFT A safe, welcoming space where young people access peer support, connection, and leadership opportunities.
• Early Intervention & Consultation Helping youth, families, and educators identify concerns early and connect to appropriate supports.
• Youth Advocacy Elevating youth voice in community decision-making and program development.

II. Supporting Community Wellbeing

• Long-Term Supportive Housing & Recovery Housing Stable housing paired with services that help individuals maintain recovery and independence.
• Family Wellness Coaching Strengthening family systems through coaching, skill-building, and supportive guidance.
• FOCUS Recovery & Wellness Center A peer-led community hub for adults seeking recovery support, connection, and empowerment.
• Community Awareness & Education Trainings, events, and outreach that build a more informed and resilient community.

III. Filling the Gaps

• Mental Health & Substance Use Treatment Access to essential clinical services for residents with the highest level of need.
• Peer Support Services Certified peer supporters offering hope, guidance, and lived-experience expertise.
• Criminal Justice Division Specialized services supporting individuals involved in the justice system.
• Community-Based Outreach Teams Meeting people where they are—homes, neighborhoods, and community spaces.

IV. Empowering the Community

• Local Volunteer Board Determines Investments Levy dollars are allocated by community members who understand local needs.
• Lived Experience Leads the Way People with firsthand experience inform priorities, program design, and funding decisions.
• Coalition for Mental Wellbeing A collaborative committee for agencies, residents, and leaders to align strategies.
• Policy Advocacy Advancing policies that support people with mental health and substance use concerns.

The Impact of Your Levy Dollars

• Hancock County residents have supported the Levy since 1967 –  60 years of continued commitment.
• 1.3 mills generates approximately $3M per year; this renewal will generate $14.3M over five years.
• Cost to property owners: about $30 per year for every $100,000 of assessed value.
• In FY26, nearly 30% of Hancock County residents (22,390)received prevention services supported by Levy dollars. Ninety percent (90%) of prevention services were provided to youth.
• In FY26, prevention services were offered to 2,499 adults age 18 and over.
• In FY26, over 3,200 Hancock County residents received some form of mental health or substance use treatment services supported by the Levy and offered through Family Resource Center and OhioGuidestone.
• In FY26, 824 Hancock County residents participated in peer-led mental health support groups and education services.
• In FY26, The LOFT and FOCUS Recovery & Wellness Community Youth-Guided and Peer-Led Support Centers were visited over 9,800 times by Hancock County residents.
• In FY26, 1 in 3 Hancock County residents received some form of prevention, mental health, or substance use services supported by Levy dollars.

The Levy Is a Community Priority

• 1 in 3 residents directly benefit from Levy-supported services.
• Levy dollars support education and engagement for professionals and community members through:
  • Mental Health First Aid
  • Adult Prevention Services
  • Ethics Training
  • Coalition for Mental Wellbeing
• Levy funding strengthens cross-system collaboration to address mental health and substance use issues:
  • Coalition for Mental Wellbeing
  • Community Health Improvement Plan
  • Criminal Justice & Crisis Services Collaboratives
  • Family & Children First Council

ADAMHS is an Excellent Steward of Taxpayer Dollars

• Hancock County has renewed this Levy since 1967 – indicating Hancock County residents trust HCADAMHS to properly and efficiently manage public funds.
• This is a renewal levy—no new taxes; this ensures that essential mental health and substance use services are maintained in Hancock County.
• Nearly 9 out of 10 dollars of HCADAMHS budget goes directly towards treatment, services, and supports for residents.
• The Board leverages additional funding whenever possible:
  • In FY26, $2.48M in federal dollars were secured to enhance Levy-supported services.
• With increased uncertainty and instability of state and federal grant funding, the Levy ensures consistent revenue to provide essential mental health and substance use services for Hancock County residents.

The Levy Supports Vital Services

• Nationally, 1 in 4 adults (61.5 million) are impacted by mental health illness; 1in 5 adolescents (5.3 million) are impacted by mental health illness; 1 in 7 adults (44 million)are impacted by substance use disorder.
• In FY26, 1 in 3 Hancock County residents received some form of prevention, mental health, or substance use services supported by Levy dollars.
• Funding maintains a full continuum of care—from prevention and crisis services to temporary and long-term housing supports.
• Levy dollars ensure access for residents with the highest clinical or financial need, including:
  • Sliding fee scale
  • Hardship funds
  • Reimbursement for services not covered by third-party payers

The Hancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS), located in Findlay, Ohio, is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Director of Community Impact & Prevention. The ADAMHS Board is a public entity responsible for planning, funding and evaluating a recovery-oriented system of care for Hancock County in collaboration with community partners. To view the whole listing and learn how to submit a resume, click HERE. Please note, the submission deadline is June 15, 2026.

Zach Thomas, of Findlay, has been named the new executive director of the Hancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS).

Thomas’ appointment follows an exhaustive candidate search and multiple interview process, which began shortly after longtime director Precia Stuby announced her retirement after 29 years earlier this year.

Thomas, 49, has been the ADAMHS Wellness and Education Director since 2012 and has nearly 25 years of experience in behavioral health systems administration, coalition development, collective impact, and public education.

A search committee was chaired by board member and retired judge Joe Niemeyer and assisted by the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities.

Jennifer Swartzlander, ADAMHS’ deputy director, has served as interim director since Stuby’s retirement. The Board approved Thomas at its May meeting on Tuesday. He will officially take the executive director post on June 1. A new wellness director will be hired later this year.

Thomas is only the third director to serve in such a capacity in Hancock County in 58 years. Phyliss Putnam was the county’s first mental health director from 1968 to 1997. Stuby was the director from 1997 to 2026.

Thomas, a 1999 Bowling Green State University graduate and music education major, said he is honored to be named the ADAMHS executive director.

“Being entrusted to lead our community behavioral health system is an extraordinary honor,” he said. “Hancock County has built one of the most progressive and responsive systems of care in the nation and stewarding that legacy is a privilege.”

Board chair Dr. Jim Darrach said Thomas brings a substantial work history in Addiction and Mental Health recovery in Hancock County, noting the new director was instrumental in constructing the current evidence-based ROSC (Recovery Oriented System of Care), which is unparalleled in Ohio and the USA.

“Zach is widely known throughout Ohio for his work in Hancock County and the compassion he shows for those affected directly and indirectly by substance use and mental health,” Darrach said.

With federal and state funding declining, the ADAMHS board could need to seek a levy in the coming year, but Darrach said Thomas “is uniquely qualified to lead us through troubled financial times.”

Thomas helped manage successful levy drives in 2016 and 2022 during his time at ADAMHS.

“Even amid financial uncertainty, I am confident that the collective wisdom and dedication of our Board, staff, and partners will ensure that residents continue to receive the compassionate, high-quality behavioral health care they deserve,” Thomas said.

Thomas’s job responsibilities were numerous. He provided oversight for local, state, and federal grant programs, including the Community Partnership grants, OACBHA grants, the state System of Care Enhancement Grant, and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Grant.

He provided administrative oversight of the Community Partnership and Coalition on Addiction and recently co-led the redesign of ADAMHS coalitions into the Coalition for Mental Wellbeing.

Thomas has delivered presentations at the local, state, and national levels, including the CADCA National Forum, on board initiatives, community projects, and advocacy priorities. In 2025, he received the Ohio Prevention Professional Advocate Award.

He has been an Ohio Certified Prevention Specialist and an International Certified Specialist since 2014.

Thomas’ promotion came as no surprise to Dr. Michael Flaherty, Hancock County’s ROSC consultant. Flaherty said he felt both thrilled and assured by the board’s selection.

“Having worked closely with Zach over the years, I concluded long ago that he is the leader for ADAMHS’s next steps, particularly in these most challenging times. Few people anywhere could follow Precia Stuby, a national role model and a brilliant, completely dedicated public servant. Zach will come close.

“His dedication to serving all and his knowledge of local history and development will only benefit Hancock, assuring the best possible outcomes for Hancock County and its citizens. He is a wonderful choice.

Zach has always been the voice for those most often unheard in Hancock’s planning. Precia and he knew well that only by serving the least do you serve all.”

The Hancock County Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board is reopening its main office at 438 Carnahan Avenue in Findlay following the completion of renovations.

Since December, the agency has been operating from a temporary location at the former Probate/Juvenile Court Building on Dorney Avenue. With construction now complete, the Carnahan Avenue office will reopen to the public on Monday, June 1.

ADAMHS office hours remain Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4 pm. For questions or additional information, contact 419-424-1985 or email adamhs@yourpathtohealth.org.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

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Having thoughts of suicide or experiencing a behavioral health crisis?

There is hope.

Call or text 988 or chat 988Lifeline.org for 24/7, confidential support.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Our Summer 2026 Camp FUN will be held on June 12, 2026 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at OnTarget Outfitters. Camp FUN is a FREE Day camp for youth (ages 9-17) who have been impacted by addiction. The purpose of Camp FUN is to provide positive encouragement and support for youth. Join us as we explore a variety of activities such as archery, fishing, cardio drumming, karaoke & more! Transportation is available. Click HERE to register.

Questions? Call our office at 419-424-1985 or email adamhs@yourpathtohealth.org.

October 17, 2025

Handouts

Presentation Slides

Assess Goals – Handout

Bonus – Chapter on Meds

Constructing Hierarchy – Handout

Do You Flee? – Handout

Imaginal Exposure Log – Handout

SUDS Exposure Tracking Chart – Handout

Sympathetic Nervous System – Handout

Trigger Diagram – Handout

Trigger Selection – Worksheet

Connections is an evidence-based smartphone app that can help support the recovery of people struggling with substance use.

To access the Connections app – CLICK HERE

Companion is an evidence-based smartphone app that can help support people who have loved ones seeking recovery.

To access the Companion app – CLICK HERE

No matter your path, the Connections and Companion app can support you and those you love on a journey to recovery. Through the app, you can connect with others, day or night, 24/7. Whether you are looking for a friendly sounding board from peers, seeking guidance from a peer recovery support specialist, attending virtual support meetings, tracking your goals, or staying in touch with your provider, you can do it through the Connections and Companion app. When you are ready, you can even help others by sharing your experiences, strengths, and hope.