ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Belmont County mental health providers are trying to determine the best way to serve residents in need after the county recently experienced five suicides in a 13-day period.

“We had five suicides in 13 days in the month of March just in Belmont County. All but one were under the age of 24, and all were gunshot wounds to the head. And that really makes us question, what is going on? What are we missing? And how do we help these people?” Belmont County Coroner Amanda Fisher said.

“One of the biggest struggles that we have in our county and some of the surrounding counties, there’s just not enough facilities for inpatient mental health help. And we have doctors and ER physicians who may want to put someone on a 72-hour psychiatric evaluation hold, but they second guess themselves because they don’t know where to send these patients. And when you have five suicides in 13 days in such a small county like ours, that can also weigh on not just the families, but those first responders who are continually coming to the same scene, just a different person.

“So we worry about everybody involved. Something like March was a very difficult month for our first responders, for our office, for everybody.”

In October, ground was broken at the future site of a behavioral health urgent care center that will serve Belmont, Harrison and Monroe counties. The future facility will be a joint venture with Coleman Health Services, the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Belmont, Harrison and Monroe Counties, and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

Fisher said she believes when this new facility is complete, it will be able to fill the void in the community.

“Honestly, from my perspective, it could not come soon enough,” she said.

Mental Health and Recovery Board Executive Director Lisa Ward added that she is planning multiple round table discussions with community leaders to figure out a solution.

“We want to bring together community business leaders, individuals that don’t necessarily come to the table when we have behavioral health meetings. I want to hear what the tattoo shops are hearing, I want to know what funeral directors are hearing,” Ward said. “So we’re going to do these in June and July and try to finish them all up by the first of August and hopefully come up with an action plan, just some guidance from the community about what we can do differently. We still need to see what we can do to make a difference.”

She then praised Fisher for her dedication to helping improve mental health and getting closure for the families of suicide victims.

“She and her team are just amazing. You don’t think about the coroner’s office working so closely with mental health professionals. But when we do our suicide fatality reviews, we’ve kind of developed a relationship outside of that team. And Dr Fisher is very passionate about what she’s doing and very understanding of the importance of mental health and how important it is for our community to have access,” she said.

Ward echoed Fisher’s statement regarding the future behavioral health urgent care center, saying that the need was already great, but the March 20 closure of East Ohio Regional Hospital in Martins Ferry left an even bigger void that needs to be filled immediately.

“With the closing of East Ohio Regional Hospital’s emergency room, that’s given us some challenges when we have individuals who are involuntary. We have two hospitals now that we can refer them to, which is Barnesville and WVU Harrison, which are not ERs that are set up to handle those involuntary clients. So we’re really concerned about that, and we’re trying to find additional ways to navigate that and be available but more creative,” Ward said. “We’re going to be doing some training with the ER staff, but actually, I have to say that so far it has worked out well. Fortunately, they stay in the ER for a couple days until we can get them a bed. But between Coleman Health Service and the emergency room staff, they are able to maintain that.”

After Ward detailed her plans for helping residents suffering with mental health issues to the Belmont County commissioners, the board made a proclamation declaring May to be Mental Health Awareness Month.

“May is recognized nationally as Mental Health Awareness Month, providing an opportunity to raise awareness, combat stigmas and promote mental health resources. Therefore, we county commissioners do hereby proclaim May 2025 as Mental Health Month in Belmont County. We encourage all residents of Belmont County to transform understanding and tangible support, compassion into concrete steps and intentions into real world impact and to educate themselves and others about mental health conditions, treatment options and available resources, challenge stigma by speaking respectfully, inclusively about mental health, seeking help if they’re struggling with their mental health, and encourage others do the same,” the proclamation states. “Support organizations that provide mental health services and advocacy create safe and supportive environments for open conversations about mental health. Together, we can create a community where everyone feels empowered to prioritize their mental well being and seek help when needed.”