The Association The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA) is the statewide organization that represents the interests of all of Ohio’s county Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Boards at the state level. The Association works with a variety of governmental bodies including the Ohio General Assembly, the Office of the Governor, the Ohio Department of Mental Health, the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, and other organizations and coalitions to seek support for initiatives that will help expand and enhance mental health and substance abuse prevention, treatment and support services. Most importantly, however, OACBHA gives the Boards a forum to address statewide issues and provides Boards with the means to communicate their positions and concerns with a single voice.
The membership of the Association is made up of all 53 county behavioral health authorities in Ohio, including 47 Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health (ADAMH) Boards, 3 Community Mental Health (CMH) Board, and 3 Alcohol & Drug Addiction Services (ADAS) Boards. The boards are statutorily empowered to plan develop, fund, manage, and evaluate community-based mental health & substance abuse services. The federal, state, and local governments fund the Boards and in turn the Boards are responsible for ensuring the alcohol, drug addiction and/or mental health services are available to those who need them, regardless of their ability to pay.