Summary
- Cleveland’s Office of Mental Health and Addiction Recovery teaches classes to friends and family members who need support on the journey to recovery.
- Housing Court Judge W. Moná Scott explained that there are four new locations to attend virtual hearings for housing court.
City health official meets with Ward 2 residents
The meeting began at 6:06 p.m. The meeting was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer.
The first to speak was Samantha Holmes, project coordinator of the Office of Mental Health and Addiction Recovery (OMHAR) with the Cleveland Department of Public Health. Holmes said there has been a recent spike in fatal overdoses. She said her mission today is to educate community members on how to properly use Narcan. She said OHMAR teaches classes to friends and family members who need support on the journey to recovery, and she encouraged anyone with a loved one battling addiction to access those resources.
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How to get a smoke detector
Cleveland Division of Fire Lieutenant Rudolph Buffington said changes have been made to the smoke detector program. He did not share or explain these changes. However, he did provide the phone number to the local Red Cross (216-361-5535), which can assist members of the community in getting smoke detectors. Buffington explained that there is sometimes a long wait for these organizations to get the detectors to people requesting them. In those cases, he urged community members to contact him directly.
A community member asked him if there were any updates in the case of a teacher killed in a fire. He said he did not have information on this case, and he said he still hasn’t received information from Cleveland Police about the Garden Valley explosions. Buffington said when Cleveland Police isn’t putting out information, there’s usually some “funny stuff” going on. He said he’d call to ask for information.
Housing Court accessibility help
Housing Court Judge W. Moná Scott also spoke. She said a rising concern for community members is accessibility. Scott explained there are four locations to attend virtual hearings for Housing Court, two on the West Side and two on the East Side. These locations provide wifi and devices to help people attend their hearing(s). She provided a handout of important numbers, such as numbers to City Hall, Cleveland Legal Aid and more.
Ward 2 Council Member Kevin Bishop mentioned the federal government shutdown and the risk of SNAP benefits not being available beginning Nov. 1. He said attempts are being made to gather funding to support the Greater Cleveland Food Bank in hopes of softening the blow. [Editor’s note: Where to get free food in Greater Cleveland as SNAP payments stop amid government shutdown].
The next ward meeting will be held in February, Bishop said.
The meeting was adjourned. The audio for this meeting was poor at moments.
These notes are by Documenter Stésià Swain. Audio recorded by Documenter Kathryn Johnson.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@signalcleveland.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.
