By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
The Wood County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board recently approved a Fiscal Year 2027 administrative budget totaling more than $1.2 million.
The administrative budget is funded through the agency’s county levy.
Salaries account for $709,483 of the total, with an additional $292,119 for personnel expenses such as health insurance, Medicare, Workers’ Compensation and Public Employees Retirement System. Other expenses projected for the next fiscal year are: $49,535 for facilities (rent, off-site storage, utilities and housekeeping; $57,930, that includes printing and publications, equipment repairs and rentals, postage, liability insurance, dues and professional development; $5,000 for office equipment; $18,000, for travel; $1,000 for “other,” and $73,420 for various software management information systems.
Also included in the budget is $117,835 for salary and personnel expenses for a systems navigator position that “will be attributed to the agency’s System of Care.”
The systems navigator position, which started in Wood County in January 2025, is grant-funded. The focus is behavioral threat assessment and management for suicide and violence prevention, primarily for youth, with expansion planned for the adult population.
During the March 26 board meeting, Executive Director Amanda Kern told the board that she planned to make the position permanent once the grant expires at the end of September if no other grants are available.
The announcement surprised some of the members hearing it for the first time. They were concerned about adding a position to the administrative budget, especially in light of uncertain future funding and the potential that a property tax ban could be on the state ballot
Before making a decision in March, the board asked Kern to provide additional rationale for maintaining the position at an April board meeting.
During the April 13 meeting, Kern did just that. An extensive slide presentation outlined the duties, importance and value of keeping the systems navigator position rather than eliminating it once the grant is done.
The systems navigator is part of the county’s behavioral threat assessment and management initiative. Wood County has been on the leading edge of dealing with violent behaviors in youth populations.
Behavioral threat assessment and management falls under the Department of Homeland Security’s Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention program. Using a fact-based method of inquiry and examination, behavioral threat assessment and management focuses on an individual’s patterns of thinking and behavior, and determines a course of action that responds to and mitigates threats, Kern said.
Jodie Chappuis has been the systems navigator since January 2025 and has increased partnerships with the county school districts, with four schools agreeing to utilize Chappuis as a resource for the school teams.
She is the liaison for weekly crisis meetings and is involved with the plans for developing a response team for adults. Chappuis also attends youth school events to offer resources and referral.
Her current caseload includes 11 adults, two transitional-aged youth and four youths. Additionally, she consults on numerous cases and averages two to four calls per case each day.
Kern praised Chappuis for her ability to foster positive relationships with everyone. “She has no ability to see the stigma. She sees individuals for who they are, believing ‘They are just kids, hurt kids.’”
“This (behavioral threat assessment and management) has been an investment for the last three years, and we are recognized nationally,” Kern said. “This is about saving lives.”
The board unanimously approved the $1.2 million administrative budget as presented, which included the systems navigator position.
