Ohio Merges Two State Agencies To Tackle Mental-Health, Addiction Issues

Circle Connections: Policy & Regulatory Updates A new state agency, the Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services, absorbed one formed 23 years ago by a Democratic governor. The new agency has a two-year budget of nearly $1.4 billion and 2,400 employees, including 300 in the central office in Columbus. It is the product of Gov. John Kasich's merger of the Department of Mental Health with the Department of Alcohol & Drug Addiction Services. Tracy Plouck, the former mental-health director, was sworn in as head of the consolidated agency, tasked with coordinating a system . . .