(A) For each alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health service district, there shall be appointed a board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services consisting of eighteen members or fourteen members. Should the board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services elect to remain at eighteen members, as provided under section 340.02 of the Revised Code as it existed immediately prior to the date of this amendment, the board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services and the board of county commissioners shall not be required to take any action. Should the board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services elect a recommendation to become a fourteen-member board, that recommendation must be approved by the board of county commissioners of the county in which the alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health district is located in order for the transition to a fourteen-member board to occur. Not later than September 30, 2013, each board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services wishing to become a fourteen-member board shall notify the board of county commissioners of that recommendation. Failure of the board of county commissioners to take action within thirty days after receipt of the recommendation shall be deemed agreement by the board of county commissioners to transition to a fourteen-member board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services. Should the board of county commissioners reject the recommendation, the board of county commissioners shall adopt a resolution stating that rejection within thirty days after receipt of the recommendation. Upon adoption of the resolution, the board of county commissioners shall meet with the board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services to discuss the matter. After the meeting, the board of county commissioners shall notify the department of mental health and addiction services of its election not later than January 1, 2014. In a joint-county district, a majority of the boards of county commissioners must not reject the recommendation of a joint-county board to become a fourteen-member board in order for the transition to a fourteen-member board to occur. Should the joint-county district have an even number of counties, and the boards of county commissioners of these counties tie in terms of whether or not to accept the recommendation of the alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services board, the recommendation of the alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health service board to become a fourteen-member board shall prevail. The election shall be final. Failure to provide notice of its election to the department on or before January 1, 2014, shall constitute an election to continue to operate as an eighteen-member board, which election shall also be final. If an existing board provides timely notice of its election to transition to operate as a fourteen-member board, the number of board members may decline from eighteen to fourteen by attrition as current members' terms expire. However, the composition of the board must reflect the requirements set forth in this section for fourteen-member boards. For all boards, half of the members shall be interested in mental health services and half of the members shall be interested in alcohol, drug, or gambling addiction services. All members shall be residents of the service district. The membership shall, as nearly as possible, reflect the composition of the population of the service district as to race and sex.

(B) For boards operating as eighteen-member boards, the director of mental health and addiction services shall appoint eight members of the board and the board of county commissioners shall appoint ten members. For boards operating as fourteen-member boards, the director of mental health and addiction services shall appoint six members of the board and the board of county commissioners shall appoint eight members. In a joint-county district, the county commissioners of each participating county shall appoint members in as nearly as possible the same proportion as that county's population bears to the total population of the district, except that at least one member shall be appointed from each participating county.

(C) The director of mental health and addiction services shall ensure that at least one member of the board is a clinician with experience in the delivery of mental health services, at least one member of the board is a person who has received or is receiving mental health services, at least one member of the board is a parent or other relative of such a person, at least one member of the board is a clinician with experience in the delivery of addiction services, at least one member of the board is a person who has received or is receiving addiction services, and at least one member of the board is a parent or other relative of such a person. A single member who meets both qualifications may fulfill the requirement for a clinician with experience in the delivery of mental health services and a clinician with experience in the delivery of addiction services.

(D) No member or employee of a board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services shall serve as a member of the board of any provider with which the board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services has entered into a contract for the provision of services or facilities. No member of a board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services shall be an employee of any provider with which the board has entered into a contract for the provision of services or facilities. No person shall be an employee of a board and such a provider unless the board and provider both agree in writing.

(E) No person shall serve as a member of the board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services whose spouse, child, parent, brother, sister, grandchild, stepparent, stepchild, stepbrother, stepsister, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law serves as a member of the board of any provider with which the board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services has entered into a contract for the provision of services or facilities. No person shall serve as a member or employee of the board whose spouse, child, parent, brother, sister, stepparent, stepchild, stepbrother, stepsister, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law serves as a county commissioner of a county or counties in the alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health service district.

(F) Each year each board member shall attend at least one inservice training session provided or approved by the department of mental health and addiction services.

(G) For boards operating as eighteen-member boards, each member shall be appointed for a term of four years, commencing the first day of July, except that one-third of initial appointments to a newly established board, and to the extent possible to expanded boards, shall be for terms of two years, one-third of initial appointments shall be for terms of three years, and one-third of initial appointments shall be for terms of four years. For boards operating as fourteen-member boards, each member shall be appointed for a term of four years, commencing the first day of July, except that four of the initial appointments to a newly established board, and to the extent possible to expanded boards, shall be for terms of two years, five initial appointments shall be for terms of three years, and five initial appointments shall be for terms of four years. No member shall serve more than two consecutive four-year terms under the same appointing authority. A member may serve for three consecutive terms under the same appointing authority only if one of the terms is for less than two years. A member who has served two consecutive four-year terms or three consecutive terms totaling less than ten years is eligible for reappointment by the same appointing authority one year following the end of the second or third term, respectively.

When a vacancy occurs, appointment for the expired or unexpired term shall be made in the same manner as an original appointment. The board shall notify the appointing authority either by certified mail or, if the board has record of an internet identifier of record associated with the authority, by ordinary mail and by that internet identifier of record of any vacancy and shall fill the vacancy within sixty days following that notice.

Any member of the board may be removed from office by the appointing authority for neglect of duty, misconduct, or malfeasance in office, and shall be removed by the appointing authority if the member is barred by this section from serving as a board member. The member shall be informed in writing of the charges and afforded an opportunity for a hearing. Upon the absence of a member within one year from either four board meetings or from two board meetings without prior notice, the board shall notify the appointing authority, which may vacate the appointment and appoint another person to complete the member's term.

Members of the board shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties, as defined by rules of the department of mental health and addiction services.

(H) As used in this section, "internet identifier of record" has the same meaning as in section 9.312 of the Revised Code.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 34, §1, eff. 11/2/2018.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 483, §101.01, eff. 9/15/2014.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. 25, HB 59, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2013.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.28, HB 153, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2011.

Effective Date: 09-05-2001; 12-30-2004; 06-27-2005; 2008 HB562 09-22-2008.