John Edwards
Executive Director
CIRCLE FOR RECOVERY OF OHIO (CFRO)
The Circle for Recovery of Ohio is an education-based relapse prevention support project designed for males who are returning to the community following incarceration in a state operated penal institution. The project serves recovering drug abusers or offenders who were traffickers prior to incarceration.
Family Ties Health Marriage Initiative
The mission of the Healthy Marriage Initiative is to help couples who chosen marriage for themselves, gain greater access to marriage education service, on a voluntary basis, where they can acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to form and sustain a healthy marriage the Family Ties HMI includes activities such as:
The Goals of the Healthy Marriage Initiative are to:
The healthy marriage initiative is not about coercing andone to marry or remain in unhealthy relationships domestic violence is a serious problem that must be addressed and every opportunity must be taken to ensure the safety of victims or potential victims.
The Hralthy Marriage Initiative is not about withdrawing or transferring supports from single parents, nor is it about stigmatizing those who remain single or divorce or limiting access to divorce It does not promote marriage as a panacea for reducing poverty or achieving positive outcomes for low-income children and families.
The Project's emphasis is on healthy marriages, not marriage for the sake of marriage, nor marriage at any cost. Rather, the emphasis is on marriages that provide strong and stable environments for raising children.
FIRST HAVEN WOMEN'S PROGRAM
This program provides pre and post-treatment services for African American Adult and adolescent females geared to help them overcome chemical dependency addiction or the abusive use of alcohol and other drugs that might cause difficulty in making positive choices and maintaining healthy lifestyles. Women who use alcohol or other drugs can receive assistance to help them acquire access to appropriate treatment facilities and a host of other services prior to or after treatment services have been provided. The program also assists women with a number of services for their children.
HIV PREVENTION PROGRAM
Each One Reach One Project has three separate programs that are designed to empower communities of color against HIV transmission:
• “Got To Be Real!” Conversations About Healthy Relationships is designed to inform serostatus positive HIV women how NOT to transmit the HIV virus as well as helping guide individuals with recognizing disclosure responsibility issues and self-efficacy.
• “Got To Be Real!” Conversations Between SISTAS is designed to encourage the HIV high-risk heterosexual African American female to gain more knowledge about HIV/AIDS transmission, spirituality, condom negotiation, HIV risk reduction, communication and sexual health skills.
• “Got To Be Real!” Basic HIV/AIDS Facts and Sexual Health Program is a basic information session that can be given to both men and women and can be presented in a one or two session program.
Each program is designed to encourage individuals to gain more knowledge of HIV/AIDS transmission in an unrestrictive, honest, culturally relative conversation between an HIV Specialist and community participants. The provider is non-judgmental in their approach and utilizes information based on current scientific methodology and pedagogy. Confidentiality is always stressed and expected from participants and can be expected, at all times, from the facilitator.
LIFEMINDERS
The aim of this project is to provide primary and secondary prevention programs to utilize a mentoring project for youth at risk, to help them avoid violence, alcohol, tobacco, other drug use, juvenile crime and school failure. The mentoring program will provide youth an opportunity to receive character building prevention services from adult mentors. The key aspects of the mentoring project will be the provision of an after school character development program which will feature mentoring camp trips for African American boys. The project targets African American boys in the 4th, 5th and 6 th grades.
NEW VISIONS PROJECT
After-school, weekend, evening and summer activities are provided for inner-city youth that are considered to be at high risk due to school behavioral or juvenile justice problems. The activities are provided in professionally supervised sessions where a variety of activities are conducted that enable the youth to learn how to maintain positive interaction and appropriate social behavioral conduct aimed toward helping youth to avoid further problems in school or with the juvenile court system.
OHIO PREVENTION & EDUCATION RESOURCE CENTER (OPERC)
The purpose of OPERC is to provide a resource center that provides materials, information and training related to alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse prevention. In addition OPERC provides information, materials and a large video library dealing with a host of other health and social issues and concerns. The OPERC site managed by UMADAOP Lucas County provides a large quantity of cultural-specific educational materials and videos related to alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, violence prevention, HIV/AIDS, Women's issues, underage drinking and impaired driving consequences. Programs offered by OPERC are:
• The Church Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention – a collaboration of a faith-based initiative to help spread vital strategies throughout Toledo's African American Community on the prevention of alcohol, tobacco, other drug and health issues.
• Ohio Resource Network (ORN) Training and Technical Assistance - to help consumers and professionals find relevant prevention materials, to coordinate regional training on the best practices in alcohol and other drug abuse prevention and school safety, and to provide technical assistance in program development and implementation.
SENIOR-WISE PRESCRIPTION AND OVER-THE-COUNTER DRUG EDUCATION PROGRAM
The Senior-Wise Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drug Education Program is a seven core curriculum that includes:
• Taking responsibility for health care
• Over-the-counter drug and herbal products education
• Understanding alcohol and other drugs and how they affect prescribed medication
• Generic and brand name drugs and understanding the difference
• How to be drug smart
• How to proofread prescriptions
• Avoiding drug interactions
This project is conducted by visiting various senior sites in Lucas County with a pharmacist to present and educate the seniors in alcohol, tobacco and other drug use.
STRAIGHT PATH PROGRAM
The Straight Path is a 52-week program that was developed to provide an alternative community-learning environment for older teenagers that are failing in school or involved with the Juvenile Justice System. The program offers a comprehensive, curriculum-based program offered during the day and after school hours. The curriculum is geared to teach youth appropriate social behavior, positive thinking and communication skills, to enhance decision making capabilities, an increased ability for youth to resist negative media pressure and peer associates, and a greater ability to respond to situations enticing them to become involved in using or selling drugs.
TOBACCO FREE AFRICAN AMERICAN PROJECT
The UMADAOP Tobacco Free African American Project's vision is to engage the Lucas County, Ohio, African American community in a campaign that will eliminate or reduce the use of tobacco products by people of African decent. Programs include:
• Pathways To Freedom – six weeks cessation program, and ongoing support group, that assist adult smokers to quit smoking.
• Dream T.E.E.N (Tobacco Is Everyone's Nightmare) – Crew youth advocate group whose mission is to eliminate or reduce tobacco use among youth in grades 5 through 10; through unique, fun, creative, and meaningful activities, and community service projects.
• W.I.N. (What's Important Now) Winners' Leadership Institute for youth in grades 8 through 11 who are current or prospective youth leaders in their neighborhood, school, church, community center or home, who has a desire to further develop their leadership skills and abilities to help make their communities a healthier and safer area to live, work, and play in.
• Provide technical assistance through workshops, seminars, and Town Hall meetings.
• Support community advocates that address local concerns about secondhand smoke, youth access to tobacco products, and tobacco industry influence in the African American community.
W.A.I.T.T. (WHY ABSTINENCE IS IMPORTANT TO TEENS) TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION PROJECT
The W.A.I.T.T. program is for students 12 to 16 years of age, educating them in pregnancy prevention. This program offers teens an after school drop off center where tutoring, mentoring, Field trips, and new life long skills are taught. The goal of the program is to have students abstain from sex, and to be promoted to their next grade with high marks. W.A.I.T.T. is an abstinence-based program.
PROGRAMS IN COLLABORATION WITH FAMILY DRUG COURT
STRENGTHENING FAMILIES PROGRAM
The Strengthening Families Program is a 14 session family skills training program in collaboration with Family Drug Court to increase resilience and reduce risk factors for substance abusing parents and their children between the ages of 0-16 years. This behavioral and cognitive skills training program was developed to increase assets and protective factors, improve parenting skills, improve family relationships, and improve youth's social and life skills.
INTENSIVE PARENTING PROGRAM
The intensive Parenting Program was designed for Family Drug Court clients who have completed parenting classes. The purpose is to enhance treatment and sobriety by expanding parenting services to provide home-based parenting and a Parent Advocate at the time of reunification and beyond, into the period of protective supervision. The Parent Advocate's primary role is to provide support during the stressful time of increased visitation and reunification, monitor the application of new sober parenting skills, and to help parents address the particular needs of children affected by parental substance abuse.
Toledo UMADAOP
2447 Nebraska Avenue
Toledo, Ohio 43607
Phone: (419) 255-4444
Fax: (419) 531-1596