(cont.) History of Human Service in Clermont County by Ida Kennard

The Council on Alcoholism

The Council on Alcoholism was formed in March 1975. Initial planning had been done by Gerry Salters, Chest Area Director, and Millard Knowles. It was incorporated with a twenty-four member board under a five year demonstration grant from the Division of Alcoholism, Ohio Department of Health.

Under John Kelly the beginning program was DWI training supported by fees from arrested drivers, directed to the program by the Courts.

Funding of an additional counselor was granted in 1976 by the Division of Alcoholism. In 1982 a residential weekend program will begin on the grounds at Grailville.

Clermont County Library

In 1945 the grassroots efforts of PTA groups across the County helped establish, by referendum, a county district in the eighty-eighth county in Ohio to seek library service. Yet the citizen board established was not able to wring operating funds from the County Tax Commission until 1955, subsequent to change in Ohio law and an appeal to the State Board of Tax Appeals. Thereafter Doris Wood was hired to establish a quality bookmobile and branch library system under a citizen Board. Joe Evans chaired the board for nearly twenty years.

Human Services/Youth Services

Clermont County Youth Services began as the Youth Development Council, planned by the Health & Welfare Council under Millard Knowles with funding from the Ohio Administration of Justice Fund. A Board of Trustees, answerable to the County Commission, was formed under Dennis Donnely as Director. The Board became advisory in September 1974 when the Commissioners established the Human Services Board to manage county social service programs.

Harlan Washburn was the first Human Services Board Chairman; Jim Taylor for the first Executive. The program consisted of counseling services, a drug education center, Headstart, the medical and dental clinics and weatherization.

In September, Martha Dorsey became Director with Coordinators over the four phase program. Mrs. Dorsey and Dr. Wasserman gave essential impetus to the completion of the new social service building begun in the fall of 1981 to house initially the Diagnostic Center, Mental Health and Youth Services.

Diagnostic Center

In 1973 Gilbert Dale, Executive of the County Mental Retardation program, wrote the first proposal for the Diagnostic Clinic involving the use of 169 Board funds. He also worked to exhaustion to help pass a one mill levy to fund the Clinic. Dr. Thomas Lin, a pediatrician, was the first Director, followed in 174 by Chris Shipman.

Other executives were John Hamiln and Thomas Wildey.  In April 1979, an administrative Board was formed under Kenneth Zul's leadership and the Diagnostic Center became a not-for-profit agency located in its own quarters on the Service Center grounds. James Carter became Director in 1979 and primary funding is now from the 648 Board.

*Note: I will post pictures of some of Mamas best friends - Doris Wood. And, Gilbert Dale became Mama's second husband - pictures of Gilbert will be added, too.

(cont.) History of Human Service in Clermont County by Ida Kennard

Clermont Community Service Center

 

 

When the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 authorized funding of citizen efforts to multiply services for the poor, the Clermont Community Action Committee was slow to organize under a

Republican Commission.



 

Ralph Houser nd the Health and Welfare Council supported the use of the County Home as a Service Center in 1965. Built in the 1860's it had sheltered the sick and destitute homeless for nearly a hundred years. Mr. Houser continues to serve on the Welfare Advisory Board and Human Services Board. Clermont funds came through the Cincinnati Area CAC and the first Executive was Jack Blumenthal. Subsequent directors were Jack Richmond and John Kelly.

 

The Clermont Committee projected The Salvation Army Counseling Service, Headstart and the medical and dental clinics. Dr. Martin Saidleman was the moving spirit and first Director of the medical clinic. Dr. Edward Hake directed the dental clinic.

 

CAC gave impetus to the establishment of the Clermont Metropolitan Housing Authority. Lloyed Llewellyn worked tirelessly as Housing Committee chairman and became Director of the Ohio Board of Housing. A five member Board of the Authority representing only Felicity, Bethel and New Richmond was organized March 11, 1968 under William Habig, chairman.

 

 

Mental Health Board/Counseling Center

 

 

In 1967 Ohio Senate Bill 648 mandated a county board of mental health and mental retardation, to plan and set priorities for mental health and substance abuse, to fund public and private agencies to deliver services, and to monitor services delivered.

 

Recognizing skills of Lois Brown Dale* developed through years of effective volunteering, the County Commission hired her to assist in board selection in this first local mental health effort. Yvonne Neville of Grailville gathered mental health statistics for a one year grant from the Board of Mental Health and Mental Retardation.

 

William Walton, retired Chest and Council executive, worked half time to develop the State Plan for Clermont which justified funding for the County. A nine member Board was formed in October 1968 under the chairmanship of Dr. Martin Saidlemen. Stephana Tilkalsky was hired as Director. Steve Katkin came on as psychologist in a Counselng Center on the third floor of the Service Center.

 

It was  direct service of the 648 Board until June 5, 1973 when the Mental Health Center was Incorporated as a not-for-profit agency with Sandy Slemmer as chairman of the Board. The primary emphasis in the Center was adaptive counseling, particularly with after-care patients from Longview State Hospital. On the Mt. Moriah Church property a therapeutic nursery and a day activities program were started. In 1979 counseling service was extended to Milford and an outpost in New Richmond. A rape crises program was funded in 1980.

 

Since 1979 the Mental Health Center has operated a day treatment program to teach living and social skills to Clermont residents returning from the State hospitals. The Center anticipates funding of a group home in Amelia where patients can move into the community. Operations will be moved into the new social service complex in 1982.

 

The 648 Board, trustee of all public mental health funds, has been located in the Service Center. After Ms. Tilkalsky's resignation it has been staffed by Dr. Steve Katkin, Kim Castle, Davie Gerwie and Dr. James Wasserman. Critical to the future of services was the passage of a county operating levy on November 1981 to run for ten years.

 

Longview Hospital was built in 1860 as a Hamilton County facility. In 1926 the State made it available to six south-western counties. Millcreek, for the care of children, was separated from Longview in 1978. Rollman Hospital provides acute care. Clermont has representation on the advisory boards of three State hospitals.

 

 

*Note: Lois Brown Dale - more info. can be found at: http://loisbrowndale.blogspot.com

Karen Sharin' - History of Human Service in Clermont County by Ida Kennard

Karen Sharin' will be a "hodge-podge" of items I've found "around here" worth sharing (in my opinion). Mama (now Angel Lois) had many file folders filled with interesting information that I want to share "with the universe" so that it isn't lost forever - somewhere.

Ida Kennard was one of my mother's close friends. I remember Ida and remember Mama talking about working with Ida "over the years" - "making a difference - doing good".

I found a little yellow booklet i Mama's files called "The History of Human Service in Clermont County" by Ida Kennard - published in 1982 by the Clermont County Mental Health Association (a United Appeal Agency). I am sharing it here, with you and hope you will share it with others, too.

 

Introduction

 

 

We believe in Emerson's truth, "that all things can be bought with money ... but the warm impulses of the human heart they are priceless."

 

It is fitting in Clermont to celebrate the efforts of volunteers not only in the field of mental health, but in all areas of human service. It is our aim to suggest briefly the origins of only a few of many which have flourished in the life of Clermont villages. These have been county-wide in scope, ones we now tresure and take for granted. The brightest flowers bloom in the desert, in the fifties, many felt Clermont was a desert, frustrated by the lack of social services which had been familiar in uban areas whnce they had come.

 

The first county wide "think tank", the League of Woman Voters, was organized in 1959 with Lois Brown Dale (loisbrowndale.blogspot.com) as president. Its local studies revealed considerable unmet need, especially in the ares of health, children's services, and mental health. The Board of Health was determined, as now, to limit itself to sanitary and nursing services.

 

The nurses were of high qulaity and along with Harvey Hines, the sanitarian, they responded to every community effort. A Clermont County Health Conference was organized by a committee of the Medical Society under Dr. James McMillan with nurses and volunteers to innoculate poor children in the Batavia Armory. Later it was held at Mt. Moriah Church and continues as a free monthly immunization clinic in the Service Center.

 

Community Chest

 

In 1955 the Community Chest area was enlarged to include Clermont. In 1959 volunteers organized the Health & Welfare Council to study needs and plan solutions. Robert Crowe chaired a forty member committee with Ida Kennard as volunteer staff. At monthly meetings, professionals from the Welfare Department, Soldiers and Sailors Relief, and Nursing and Red Cross became acquainted with each other, and with citizens, meeting in the Batavia Presbyterian Chruch.

 

They secured an extension of service to the County by Children's Protective and in 1961 assuarance of seventy five places for Clermont Citizens in General Hospital's Psychiatric Clinic. In 1961, funds were commited for extension of Family Services of the Cincinnati Area and Cincinnati Legal Aid Society to Clermont. Marquhet Jamison chaired the first Family Service Board, and along with other volunteers did the secretarial work in the office.

 

Association for Retarded Citizens



 

For ten years,  period longer than any other agency, the training of retarded childred was solely dependent upon volunteers and upon funs raised by benefits. Many supporteres were parents and foster parents of handicapped children. Ohio did not entrust their training to the educational system as did many states and therefore program development was slow. Some programs, however, were of quality, dut to the deication of friends. In the fifties the Tri-County Council was organized under the leadership of Francis Reese, Executive Director of the Clermont County Child Welfare Board, who opened a class in Warren County.

 

Unfortunately, because of the poor facilities the children regularly ran around the room in the winter to keep warm.

 

The Clermont County Council for Retarded Children was a sequel which opened one class in Lindale Baptist Church in 1959. Teachers prepared themselves in night classes which were developing in the universities. The Health and Welfare Council joined with parents, churches and civic groups in urging the County Commission to fund the classes. This was done by adding $4600.00 to the Children's Services budget in 1960.

 

Agnella De Felice, R.N. was hired by Wayne Oney, Director of Welfare, to supervise the four classes which were moved to the basement of the Service Center. In 1960 the Community Chest Board approved an $8400 grant to the Council for Retarded Children, enability it to provide workshop sercie in addition to advocacy.

 

The shop opened in Amelia under the direction of Robert Hall on July 2, 1964.  Mr. Warren Holden and Mr. Hall provided transportation in their cars to the six workers. The shop was subsequently located at three sites in Batavia and Lindale.

 

It grew to serve twenty-five workers. The County Board of Mental Retardation was formed in 1967 as mandated by the Ohio House Bill 169. The first Chairman of the Board was Don Collins, who presently directs the County program. in 1970 the workshop was contracted to the Council and in 1971 was absorbed by the Board and called Clerco. The passage of the County levies in 1973 made possible the building of the Training Center and the Residential Care program. Chest funding continues for Clermont County Association for Retarded Citizens.