Jamie Betts to Head Belmont Cares
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ST. CLAIRSVILLE -- Older Belmont County residents and others seeking assistance now have a place to turn when navigating available programs.
Belmont County's Community Access, Resources, Education and Solutions program is up and running and the county has welcomed Jamie Betts of Barnesville as its first director. The board of commissioners congratulated Betts.
The Cumberland Trail Fire District spearheaded the initiative, based on similar programs in Tuscarawas County. Belmont County Deputy Health Director Rob Sproul, Senior Services Director Lisa Kazmirski and Department of Job and Family Services Director Jeff Felton participated and said the CARES program and Betts will be invaluable.
"I believe it will coordinate a lot of our efforts so that people can have more of a 'one-stop shop' and things can be explained to them more clearly on a one-to-one basis and they won't get overwhelmed by our complicated system," Kazmirski said. Betts will "schedule visits at each of our senior centers to introduce himself and explain the program and his availability, and we are going to refer cases. ... His tasks will be endless once it gets going."
"There's a lot of gaps," Sproul said. "We have a lot of people in the county that need services and don't know where to go. He's going to be that resource to be able to give them that full package and get them where they need to be ... working through that red tape. A lot of people don't have computers, don't have a lot of access to a lot of information. He's going to be that tool."
"I'm just excited for the opportunity, again thankful for everybody that's put work into the program and decided to bring all the resources together that the county has to offer," Betts said, adding that he will reach out to private and public entities to bring resources to bear.
He said some of the common needs in the area include transportation to and from doctor appointments, along with mobility concerns and access to assisted living.
Betts himself brings a variety of skills to the position, having served as an EMT and paramedic since 2013. He has worked with the health department and is a firefighter with the Cumberland Trail Fire District. He earned a master's degree in science and health administration from Oklahoma State University and is working on a bachelor's degree in science and nursing.
"My background as a paramedic in emergency medicine, typically we're problem-solvers," Betts said. "Looking at a patient holistically is helpful, not just looking at the immediate problem but looking into the future and seeing what problems may arise."