The Lake County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board recently released outcome data from its 2023–2025 Community Assessment and Plan, highlighting “measurable progress” in peer services, access to care and child safety.
Under Ohio law, local ADAMHS Boards are required to submit a Community Assessment and Plan to the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health.
The report must identify community needs and outline priorities for prevention, treatment and recovery support.
OPUS 216 performs at Lake County’s first “Concert of Hope” during Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31, honoring lives lost and celebrating recovery while promoting awareness of substance use, prevention, and local support services. (Submitted)
Lake County ADAMHS Board officials emphasized that the latest scorecard shows how those efforts are making a difference locally.
Over the past three years, the organization exceeded its key goals for overdose prevention by distributing 1,293 naloxone kits throughout the community, surpassing the initial target of 1,200.
The county also made “major strides” in expanding its peer support workforce during the same period — training 35 supporters instead of 10, including 17 in 2025 alone — while also seeing “encouraging improvements” in insurance coverage and family stability.
The board noted that access to care improved as the percentage of uninsured adults decreased from 6.5 percent to 4.9 percent, and only one child was removed from their home last year due to parental substance use.
While referrals to the Lake County Child Protective Services Division have increased slightly, the total remains significant, and below the 2023 peak and below the three-year target of 250.
Additionally, officials stated that several community health indicators remained unchanged during the data collection period, including youth illicit drug use, adult depression, heavy and binge drinking, and adult poor mental health days.
“Note that stability is meaningful, particularly as many communities nationwide are experiencing sharp increases in behavioral health concerns,” said ADAMHS Board Director of Quality and Clinical Operations Daniel Rowles.
The scorecard also detailed continued substance use disorders among pregnant women. Among 101 pregnant women and mothers screened, 24 were admitted to residential treatment, falling short of the projected goal of 50.
Officials cited ongoing barriers, including housing, childcare and transportation, that impact access to treatment.
Despite these realities, Rowles emphasized that the report’s numbers show the community is working.
“At the same time, the data reminds us that prevention and mental health support must remain a long-term priority,” he said.
The ADAMHS Board and the Department of Behavioral Health will use the results to guide future strategies and strengthen partnerships across prevention, treatment, and recovery systems.