The Geauga County Board of Mental Health and Recovery Services heard outcome reports from nine agencies under its oversight during its September 16 meeting, as representatives reviewed their work during fiscal year 2026. The board also swore in new member Dave Fabig. Vice Chair Kathy Johnson said she expected Mr. Fabig to bring valuable experience to the position and support the board’s mission in Geauga County.
“I think we all come to the position of board member with some life experience that makes us have a desire to help other people,” Johnson said following Fabig’s swearing-in. “In recovery language, that would be ‘experience, strength and hope.’ Serving as a board member really is a nice opportunity to help provide and enhance programs that are helping people in Geauga County.” She added, “I’m very excited about the team that we have assembled here.”
Executive Director Christine Lakomiak then turned the board’s attention to its main order of business: outcome reports from nine of the board’s contract agencies.
Representatives described their activities and outcomes for fiscal year 2026, which ran from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. Reports covered accomplishments, programming efforts and challenges during the past year, including expanded services, staffing reductions and reconfigurations, and new initiatives and facilities.
Johnson praised the agency representatives in the room. “These are caring directors and their staff are extremely good at helping people. And it’s just a pleasure to have these agencies,” she said. “They work together, which is a great thing. They work in a spirit of cooperation in this county and that’s something we can all be proud of.”
Representatives from Catholic Charities, Family Pride of Northeast Ohio, the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office, Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers, National Alliance on Mental Illness Geauga, Ravenwood Health, Red Tulip of Geauga County, Signature Health and Torchlight Youth Mentoring Alliance presented their agencies’ outcomes.
Several representatives credited the mental health board’s financial and organizational support with helping their agencies strengthen care and support for county residents experiencing challenges related to mental health and addiction.
Senior Grant Specialist Lynn Berner and Sarah Welch, program manager for Catholic Charities’ Self-Sufficiency program in Lake and Geauga counties, presented on behalf of Catholic Charities, which runs three Geauga County programs with funding from the mental health board.
Welch works with clients to overcome crises and barriers to achieving stability and success. She said she has worked in Geauga County and with the board for more than 20 years. Welch described both successes, such as recently helping a client build savings to purchase a car and be closer to family, and challenges, including recent staffing reductions.
Berner described the staffing cuts as “painful” and said the agency is also concerned about the future. “(For) 2027, (where) we’re even more nervous with all the Medicaid changes that I know that you guys will be dealing with,” she said. She also highlighted the county’s role in developing a model for neighboring counties.
“I have to say, Geauga has been the pioneer of this program,” she said. “We are now spreading it to Lake County, Lorain County and Summit County this past year. We’re trying to kind of replicate it with Sarah’s great skills. (But of course) we can’t replicate Sarah.”
Following the presentation, board member Doug Lundblad asked how staffing challenges have impacted response time for people in crisis and how county agencies can work together to ensure people receive rapid assistance.
“My whole thing is, if somebody’s trying to get help, the time to wait, that’s the important time,” Lundblad said. “We’re on the suicide coalition and this is the problem: people don’t know where to go. And then they get bounced around and then when they do get in, if they’re unhappy with their case manager, like you said, they’re going around in this circle. And it’s like this big wheel that they never seem to be able to get out. How do you figure this out?”
