Seeds of Hope Spring 2024

SEEDSof Hope

Celebrating 160 Years

Few organizations can boast a history as rich and impactful as that of OhioGuidestone. Our roots stretch back to the tumultuous days of the Civil War, when Nevada was admitted as the 36th state and Abraham Lincoln was President.

We grew from the seeds of one person’s act of compassion, planted on March 4th, 1864, with the opening of a home for nine children orphaned by the war.

Nine quickly became hundreds of children, some from other states, and many with therapeutic needs for healing and nurturing care. Treatment for behavioral health was introduced and became part of the care offered in Berea. Eventually treatment was extended to entire families and communities, setting the stage for what is now OhioGuidestone, the leader in behavioral health care across the state.

Looking back on 160 years, we realized it will take

more than a one-day celebration to mark such a momentous birthday, so we are celebrating all year long with events scattered throughout the coming months. Most recently, one of our generous partners, Oswald Companies honored us by sponsoring a birthday party at their downtown Cleveland venue. It was an event filled with distinguished guests and proclamations from every level of government, plus an amazing surprise donation to honor each of our 160 years.

The party guests included emissaries for Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, U.S. Representative Max Miller, and U.S. Congressman J.D. Vance, all with proclamations to honor OhioGuidestone’s legacy.

State Representative Tom Patton hand delivered a beautifully framed proclamation to OhioGuidestone President and CEO, Brant Russell, as did other distinguished guests like State Representative Daniel Troy, and State Representative Bride Rose Sweeney.

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FROM THE CEO

As President and CEO of OhioGuidestone I am thrilled to witness the 160th year of this great organization.

Celebrating such an incredible milestone has given me an opportunity to look back on OhioGuidestone’s long history and browse through century-old photos and impeccable records handwritten by my predecessors.

Every child and adult who received our care is part of an enormous, beautifully written ledger that spans from day one, March 4th, 1864, to the last handwritten entry in the early 1990’s when electronic records took over.

Those records are a testament to the dedication and passion that built this organization and a reminder of why the mission of OhioGuidestone has endured for more than a century and a half. Within each record is a life and a story, and the OhioGuidestone staff dedicated to making that life better.

It’s fascinating to see how much our services have expanded over 160 years. What hasn’t changed is that within our whole person, whole family, whole community care, beats the same compassionate heart we had in 1864, and the desire to help people through the most difficult times of life.

In this year of looking back, I want to say a sincere thank you to our OhioGuidestone supporters. Let’s make a great big 160th birthday wish for many more years of working together and impacting lives for the better.

Brant Russell, President and CEO

David Merriman, Director of Cuyahoga County Health and Human Services, and Cuyahoga County Executive, Chris Ronayne, shared a county proclamation and thanked OhioGuidestone for unwavering dedication to the community and the excellent person-centered care that OhioGuidestone provides.

As Ronayne shared remarks recognizing the incredible history of OhioGuidestone, he noted how few organizations share our longevity, citing Arlington National Cemetery, and the International Red Cross as admirable contemporaries.

Our entire OhioGuidestone staff can be proud of the many proclamations and notable guests who chose to honor our birthday, including a surprise birthday gift.

Paul Hanna, owner of Blue Technologies, and a longtime OhioGuidestone supporter recognized our 160 years with a check for $160,000. Paul and his family have made OhioGuidestone a significant part of their life and share our dedication to empowering individuals through OhioGuidestone’s behavioral health services.

He said he is inspired by the scope of OhioGuidestone’s work and the compassion and respect we show those going through the most difficult times of life—a legacy built on one act of kindness that we plan to continue for many more years to come.

OhioGuidestone staff celebrate 160 years at Oswald Community Centre surrounded by prestigious statewide proclamations.

Cutting the Ribbon to Our New STARLight Center

A new chapter in behavioral health care has arrived in Fairfield County as OhioGuidestone is ready to launch the new STARLight center—our first adult mental health crisis stabilization program in Central Ohio, and first of its kind in Fairfield County.

Fairfield Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health (ADAMH) Board provided the funds to build the facility and chose OhioGuidestone as the exclusive service provider.

ADAMH board members and OhioGuidestone leaders cut the ribbon to the new facility at 336 E. Locust Street in Lancaster, promising it will be a safe, welcoming residential and outpatient center where individuals can find immediate help with mental health and substance use needs.

STARLight was built specifically to be a state-of-the-art behavioral health treatment center with both residential and outpatient services. The facility can house up to 20 people seeking immediate inpatient care.

OhioGuidestone President and CEO, Brant Russell said, “Each bed at STARLight represents a life that will change for the better, and the hope that a brighter future lies ahead.”

Amanda Wattenberg, Vice President of Regional Operations at OhioGuidestone, has been involved in the planning for STARLight since its groundbreaking in May 2022.

She said, “Whether it’s outpatient care or residential treatment, the STARLight center is a place of healing and new beginnings, and represents OhioGuidestone’s commitment to the community of Fairfield County.”

The center will offer 24/7 care for patients, with a 3-5 day stay available for persons experiencing mental health crises, and up to a 30-day stay possible for those battling substance use disorder (SUD).

Just like all of OhioGuidestone’s services, the mission with STARLight is to provide a safe, compassionate and respectful haven to help adults through the most difficult times of their lives.

FUNDING FOR GROWTH

New Funds for Expressive Arts Therapy

One of OhioGuidestone’s most innovative programs for healing and personal growth, is itself growing. The success of Expressive Arts therapy in Lucas County has led to funding for art therapy programming at two additional OhioGuidestone locations.

Clients at our Findlay location can now access individual and group Expressive Arts therapy thanks to support from the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation.

In addition to expanding at our Findlay location, we are also expanding to Erie County thanks to the support of Erie County Community Foundation.

Program Director Shelly Kepford said, “Expressive Arts is an effective tool to help clients find personal growth by creating art to release emotion and heal from trauma,” adding that self-expression can come through a variety of creative activities like writing, painting, sculpting, dancing, drama, music, poetry, mask-making and more.

“Each client is unique in their needs and OhioGuidestone’s Expressive Arts therapy helps them find the strategies that work best for them,” Kepford said. “Some may prefer to talk through their situation using talk therapy, while others might prefer

a non-verbal type of therapy, and some choose a combination of both.”

She says the therapy is effective regardless of a client’s experience in the arts because healing comes from the process of creating art and releasing emotion, often resulting in incredibly beautiful pieces of expression.

Clients in the Hancock County Expressive Arts program will get to show off their work at an art show on September 12, at the Mazza Museum in Findlay.

Masquerade Ball

Sparkling masquerade masks and elegant gowns adorned 180 guests at OhioGuidestone’s 13th annual Masquerade Ball. The fundraiser shimmered with success, raising a remarkable $30,000 to support Recovery Point, a vital sober living home. A former resident’s heartfelt speech resonated with the crowd, highlighting the life-changing impact of Recovery Point. After a delicious dinner and a thrilling silent auction, the lively music of Wil Rockwell and Friends had everyone dancing the night away.

A New Path Begins with Trust

Darren Fenner used to call himself a “throw-away person.” Sentenced to a maximum-security federal penitentiary as an armed career criminal and living 37 of his 61 years in a correctional facility, Darren figured he would die in prison.

“I’ve been on paper since I was 12,” Darren said, referring to the first of his many arrests. At 12 he was already a year into drinking and using drugs, and five years from using drugs intravenously.

“I became a convict, a violent gang member, and a self-absorbed dope fiend,” he said. “My purpose in life was finding ways and means to get and use drugs, and I used all the power and control I had for the purpose of staying high.” Darren didn’t believe his life, or anyone else’s, mattered.

A tiny seed of hope began to sprout when Darren started reading letters of support from people he’d met at 12 Step meetings when he’d been briefly released on parole. Some even visited him in prison and left him reading material about recovery. “I was learning about the recovery process and beginning to wonder if maybe it would work for someone as far gone as myself,” Darren said.

Darren began living a double life in prison. In his cell he would secretly read about recovery, and he began to pray. Outside of his cell nothing had changed.

“I felt like I was walking a tightrope,” he said, “whenever my cell door opened, I was gangbanging, calling shots on the yard, dealing with prison politics, loan sharking, selling drugs, running a sports ticket, and always working ways of introducing narcotics into the compound.”

Finally, with two and a half years to complete his 15year sentence, Darren learned about an early release program, and considered what would happen if he dropped out of the notoriously violent prison gang he had been in since “being made” in 2006. “It’s blood

in, blood out,” he said, referring to the dangerous ramifications of leaving the gang.

Ultimately the decision was made by a judge who released Darren on the condition he would go to a recovery program far away from anyone in his old life, where he had never been, and knew no one.

“When the judge said Ohio, all I could think of was Drew Carey and Klinger from the TV show, M.A.S.H.” Darren said. But Toledo is where he began his new life and met the person who would help him make it a good life.

Darren’s first meeting with OhioGuidestone Behavioral Health Counselor, Don Jones was during Covid via telehealth and Darren had some doubts.

“My first conversation with Don was about me setting some ground rules,” he said. “My Federal Supervised Release was on the condition that I be seen by a mental health specialist, and I needed to know what would and would not be shared with the federal government, and exactly where we stood in relation to client confidentiality.”

When Don made it clear that the objective was to work on a treatment plan, and that conversations between them are confidential, progress came quickly. “I can only describe it as a gift that Don has, to connect with

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A New Path Begins with Trust, continued from page 5

another human being that is natural, comfortable and safe.”

Darren said he realized every crime he had committed was related to drugs and alcohol, and that Don is helping him understand the connection between substance use and childhood trauma. Darren said the trauma is too raw to share outside of his therapy, but that therapy is working.

“My perspective on nearly everything has changed since I began working with Don,” he said.

“I am living the life of Recovery, I go to daily meetings, I have a home-group, I have a sponsor, I work the 12 Steps, I have been off of Federal Supervised Release since Sep. 2021, I have a small business registered in the state of Ohio, I am buying a home, and I have service commitments.”

One of those commitments is caring for his younger brother who has autism, and now Darren has custody of his own grandson, which at first seemed impossible. “I was scared at the prospect of raising a 7-year-old,” Darren said. “But Don made it clear to me that I do have what it takes to step up, and I can do it because I am clean and sober.”

Darren met a woman in Recovery, who is now his best friend and soon-to-be-wife. All possible because of a humble yet genuine sense of self-worth that he said replaced the false pride and ego that led to many of the poor choices he had made.

“What I have come to understand is that it is not all about me. I am an addict in Recovery and need a solid framework to become a better man.”

Darren’s treatment plan has changed several times over the years, but he says his sessions with Don are still as vital to his sobriety and mental health as the day he began treatment at OhioGuidestone.

He also credits the fellowship and support from the men and women in the Toledo Recovery community for helping him be a positive role model for his grandson, and the guidance and direction of Don for profoundly impacting the quality of his life.

“Don must have some idea about what he has done for me, but I really don’t think he has a clue,” Darren said laughingly, adding, “Don was put in my life by God.”

Website Award

OhioGuidestone was proud to take home two wins at the Public Relations Society of America’s Cleveland Rocks Awards. This event recognizes the most innovative and impactful public relations campaigns developed by the PRSA community throughout Northeast Ohio. The “Cle Rocks Awards” honor outstanding campaigns and tactics developed by the PRSA community.

We were honored for Website Redesign in collaboration with Falls & Co. with the “Gold Award” and “Top Tactic Award.” We’re proud of the work that went into making a more user-friendly website to give our clients the best experience possible.

The Impact of our Certified Community Behavioral Health Clincs

OhioGuidestone’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) in Cleveland and Napoleon continue to pave the way in transformative integrated care.

Launched in 2023, our CCBHCs have exceeded expectations, serving 120% of the client goal for our second grant year in less than six months. We’ve also met all SAMHSA performance rates related to partnership, access, accountability, and practice types. The comprehensive service model has had significant client impact too.

Our CCBHC’s positive impact on behavioral health outcomes is evident through the completion of National Outcome Measures (NOMs). While the data set is at an early stage, we are thrilled that 41% of the clients assessed experienced overall mental health improvement; 30% reported reduced severe psychological distress; 8% achieved employment; and there was an 80% reduction in involvement with the criminal justice system.

Recognizing CCBHCs innovative potential to embrace individual needs and promote overall well-being through community–based care is critical for the future of person-centered, integrated care.

Enthusiastic about Value-Based Care

Client outcomes have been a core focus of OhioGuidestone for years and our outcomes exceed clinical research-based outcome expectations. In fact, 72% of youth and 71% of teens report statistically positive change (i.e., beyond chance) in at least one mental health symptom (anxiety, anger, or depression), when research expects just 54% of youth will get better. Our outcomes for adults are 67% and at the most positive end of the 59-68% expected improvement range.

So, it’s no surprise that OhioGuidestone is enthusiastic about value-based care, which prioritizes high-quality person-centered care that improves client outcomes. Value-based care also promotes increased collaboration among healthcare professionals; integrated whole-person care; prevention and early intervention; and innovation and continuous improvement – it’s a perfect match.

We now have value-based agreements with four of the seven Medicaid Managed Care Organizations and with one Accountable Care Organization, with a few more in the works. Stay tuned to see where value-based care takes us in the future!

With the growing demand for behavioral health services, the urgent need to expand the behavioral health care workforce is evident. OhioGuidestone is taking proactive steps through our new hiring campaign, “Your Story. Our Mission. A Perfect Match.,” to attract talented individuals to the behavioral health field. We value employee experiences and their stories that contribute to enhancing our mission.

To support this hiring initiative, OhioGuidestone has received a Welcome Back grant aimed at incentivizing individuals to rejoin the behavioral health care workforce. This investment from the Workforce Development Strategic Fund offers up to $3,000 for new hires starting on or after July 1, 2023, who have not worked in a direct service position within 30 days before their hire date.

Our goal is to not only meet but exceed the growing demand for mental health care by bringing skilled and passionate individuals into our workforce. This campaign focuses on enhancing the employee experience through a supportive work environment, offering improved benefits, including competitive pay rates and career paths with growth opportunities.

Together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of those seeking mental health services, while also offering pathways for personal growth, professional achievement, and lifelong success. Our mission begins with our dedicated employees at OhioGuidestone, through the impactful work they do and the clients we serve.

Together, we are a perfect match!

Our Promise

Our Mission

To provide pathways for growth, achievement and lifelong success.

Our Vision

We are the state’s leader in community behavioral health.

Our Motto

OhioGuidestone

343 W Bagley Rd

Berea, Ohio 44017-1370

844-6CALLOG (844.622.5564)

OhioGuidestone.org

Seeds of Hope is a publication of OhioGuidestone

We heal the heart, soothe the soul, engage the spirit, and expand the mind.

EVENTSand fundraising

OhioGuidestone Welcomes a new Chief Advancement Officer!

OhioGuidestone is proud to introduce our new Chief Advancement Officer, Mary Wilson Wheelock. Mary brings with her over 20 years of leadership, relationship building, fundraising, and strategic planning, most recently with The MetroHealth Foundation, and the ALS Association. We are excited to have her on our OhioGuidestone executive team. Welcome Mary!

Promise Run

Get ready to lace up your running shoes and mark your calendars because our bi-annual Promise Run is scheduled for September 14, 2024. We hope you will join us at Wallace Lake in Berea to take steps for a healthier tomorrow by participating in our 1-Mile Walk, 5k Run/ Walk or 10k.