В отделе здравоохранения округа Оттава назначен новый координатор по профилактике с опытом работы в сфере исправлений и психического здоровья

BY SHERI TRUSTY PORT CLINTON – The Ottawa County Health Department’s new Heath Educator and Prevention Coalition Coordinator, Taylor (Kleinhans) Appeman, not only brings a strong educational background and extensive experience to the job, but she also brings something more important – compassion. Every educational pursuit and every career choice was driven by the desire to help others. Appeman earned a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement and homeland security and a Master of Science. She has widespread, professional experience in community service fields. She was previously a correctional deputy at the Ottawa County Jail, was part of the workforce development team at the Ottawa County Department of Job & Family Services, served as an investigator for Lorain County Children’s Protective Services, worked as a job coach and career counselor for people with special needs, and was part of the Sandusky County Mobile Crisis Response Team. Appeman brings to her new role at the Ottawa County Health Department experience in crisis intervention, mental health and substance abuse recovery support, and lowering recidivism rates for offenders. After her varied employment experiences, she was looking for a career that would allow her to focus on prevention instead of a reactive approach. “I was working at the jail when I was going through my master’s, and I saw the public perception that people can’t be rehabilitated,” she said. “Ottawa County is really good at having a rehabilitation approach. It has Drug Court, Mental Health Court, and Veterans Court.” Appeman’s work at the health department will allow her to impact individuals and the community as a whole. “We have a lot of community engagement here, and I want to get out there more,” she said. While Appeman wants to connect with the community more, she is grateful for what she has found inside the health department. The team works well together toward the common good of supporting and enhancing the wellbeing of the community. “Here, everyone is so supportive, and they’re all openminded. When someone gets an idea, they support it and implement it. The follow-through here is great,” she said. Appeman’s first big project is helping to organize Overdose Awareness Day. The event will be held in The District in downtown Port Clinton on Monday, Aug. 31, from 5 to 7 p.m. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Nicole Labor, who will talk about evidence-based addiction treatment, and the event will feature community resources and a free community meal. Read more about Overdose Awareness Day in the Aug. 20 Beacon. Whether she is educating the public on health initiatives or supporting the recovery community, Appeman’s inner drive is compassion. “It always came from a root of wanting to help people,” she said.