MHRB Releases Booklet About Mental Health and Recovery in Ashland County
Welcome to Our Human Community, a public information and education philosophy of the Mental Health and Recovery Board (MHRB) of Ashland County. The purpose of this booklet is to introduce you (or re-introduce you) to the work we do to support and promote attitudes and services for mental health and addiction recovery that do no harm to people who live and work in Ashland County. Click here for more information , and visit here to read more about the philosophy behind our framework for doing no harm: three legs of the stool.
Our Community Health Assessment Helps Us Improve Lives
This spring, results from the 2018 Ashland County Community Health Assessment will be presented to the public. We will apply this information in focusing and adapting our continued efforts to improve the well-being of Ashland County residents. In the 2015 assessment, four major areas of focus were identified: overall health and wellness, the impact of poverty on health and wellness, opioid and other substance addiction, and the impact of trauma over the lifespan. Over the past three years, MHRB has taken leadership in addressing two of the four focus areas identified in the assessment—opioid/addiction and impact of trauma. Read more about our efforts here:
Ashland Brainy Resilience Project Toolkit
Dr. Diane Karther, Director of Early Childhood and Prevention, developed tools designed to rebuild resiliency in children and youth who have had difficult life experiences. They are appropriate for use at the prevention level to promote self-regulation and social/emotional skills as well as healthy self-imaging. To learn more about the tool kit and to access downloadable documents, please visit:
Mental Health Tip
Keep Your Family and Friends Close This Spring
As spring moves into full swing, remember to spend quality time with your family and friends. Building and keeping healthy relationships with your loved ones goes a long way toward maintaining long-term mental and emotional wellness.
News
Screen-Free Week, April 29-May 5
Unplug from digital devices and let your imagination run wild. You’ll rediscover the joys of life away from screens during this great national event! Register today at the screen-free week website.
Agency Spotlight
Join Us in Welcoming the Newest ACCADA Staff Member, Leanne White

Leanne is a prevention educator, and she will be working in our community schools leading "Too Good for Drugs" programs. To learn more about ACCADA and their prevention programs, please visit:
Upcoming Events
Ring in Spring/Family Fun Day

Date: Saturday, May 4
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: Ashland County Fairgrounds

As part of this special event, the Mental Health & Recovery Board will have a display at Mozelle Hall from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. We’ll have lots of fun activities for kids and plenty of information available about community mental health services.
Annual Senior Health Fair

Date: Thursday, May 16
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.
Location: Ashland University's John C. Myers Convocation Center, 638 Jefferson St., Ashland

Please visit the MHRB display at the Annual Senior Health Fair, "Good Health Is the Best Wealth," presented by the Ashland Council on Aging. We will provide plenty of information on senior health as well as Vial of Life kits. Tickets are $4 and go on sale April 1 -- and lunch is included! Get your tickets today at the Ashland County Council on Aging, the Ashland Senior Citizens Center, or the Golden Center.
First Responders Appreciation Week

Date: April 29 - May 5

Thanks to the tireless work of our first responders, Ohio has seen a decrease in deaths involving heroin in recent years. But we still face an addiction and overdose epidemic like never before, and our frontline workers need our continued support. The Week of Appreciation is an opportunity to show support and appreciation to those who work directly with individuals struggling to overcome substance use disorders.
Awareness Topic
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Date: Saturday, April 27
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Location: Ashland County Sheriff's Department, 1205 E. Main Street, Ashland

On National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, you can safely dispose of medications from 10am-2pm in Ashland.  Drop boxes are available Monday-Friday from 8am-4pm at: Ashland County Sheriff’s Department and Loudonville Police Department.
“Boundaries define us. They define what is me and what is not me. A boundary shows me where I end and someone else begins, leading me to a sense of ownership. Knowing what I am to own and take responsibility for gives me freedom. Taking responsibility for my life opens up many different options. Boundaries help us keep the good in and the bad out. Setting boundaries inevitably involves taking responsibility for your choices. You are the one who makes them. You are the one who must live with their consequences. And you are the one who may be keeping yourself from making the choices you could be happy with. We must own our own thoughts and clarify distorted thinking.”
Henry Cloud, Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No, to Take Control of Your Life