AAEW - Co- chaired by John Young & Dr. Kamaria Tyehimba 

The African American Engagement Workgroup (AAEW) is a collaborative effort with the HCMHRSB, HC Public Health, other publicly funded agencies, non profits, community members and as of this writing, fourteen churches. AAEW is under the umbrella of the treatment pillar of HCARC. The AAEW's mission is to raise awareness and establish a bridge connecting the African American community in Hamilton County to accessible, available, and affordable addiction treatment and recovery services.  

In 2023, four churches, namely Truth & Destiny, Corinthian Baptist, Greater Faith Ministries, and Christ Temple Full Gospel, provided professional and paraprofessional counseling services, leading to 76 people engaging in treatment at local centers.  

The Peer Recovery Network collaborated with churches, resulting in 169 outreach events and 698 contacts. This effort led to 166 people being referred to local treatment centers.
 

• The House of Joy responded uniquely to community needs by offering, “Women with a Destiny”, a sober living environment, providing housing support, scholarships, employment assistance and hosting support meetings. This initiative placed 11 people in treatment. 

• Truth and Destiny church also hosted sober support meetings as organized events such as Recovery Speaker Jam recovery Sunday and Holidays Empowerment Conference, contributing to 13 people entering treatment and getting connected to employment services. 

• Greater New Hope MBC led efforts to enhance a social media presence, communications and networking. This ensured consistent training for church champions with 64 participants and nine trainings offered.

• Endeavor Church worked to strengthen relationships in suburban communities, interfacing with 2,065 people.

AAEW members organized three youth community conversations, attracting an average of 59 attendees. Six churches partnered with the Crossroads Center for a Youth Matters Summit, attended by 61 youth. 

Highlights of accomplishments of AAEW for 2023 

In 2018, County Commissioners pursued and were awarded a $2.5 million Ohio state capital grant to aid the Justice Center's build-out expansion project. The CARE Pod construction is nearing completion. 

The CARE Pods will provide additional substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services for those in need, including evidence-based SUD treatment and recovery support services and wrap around linkages to care upon release.

There are a total of 92 beds in four dormitory-style pods. Two of the pods will serve inmates suffering from SUD and the other will serve inmates with mental health conditions. The SUD pods will serve medium/maximum security offenders. 

Treatment works.

Recovery takes more than just physical detox. In fact, some won't experience physical withdrawal at all. Treatment and recovery require attention to all aspects of our lives … physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social.

Treatment can provide the tools needed to deal with the desire to use, help control cravings and begin to heal. Staying connected to treatment and/or a recovery community, supports long-term recovery and the restoration to a life of which to be proud.

Drug Addiction Services Provider Agencies

Addiction Services Council: (513) 281-7880

• ASC Website
• 2929 Vernon Place, Cincinnati, OH 45219

Beckett Springs: (513) 817-0907

• Beckett Springs Website
• 8614 Shepherd Farm Drive, West Chester, OH 45069

BrightView: (513) 834-7063

• BrightView Website
• 446 Morgan Street, Cincinnati, OH 45206
• 6527 Colerain Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45239
• 5108 Sandy Lane, Fairfield, OH 45014
• 2300 Wall Street, Suite F, Cincinnati, OH 45212

Camelot Community Care: (513) 961-5900

• Camelot Website
• 7162 Reading Road, Suite 300, Cincinnati, OH 45237

Center for Addiction Treatment: (513) 381-6672

• CAT House Website
• 830 Ezzard Charles Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45214

Central Community Health Board: (513) 559-2000

• 532 Maxwell Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45219

Central Clinic-Court Clinic: (513) 352-1342

• Central Clinic Website
• 909 Sycamore Street, Suite 400, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Central Clinic-MHAP: (513) 558-6501

• Central Clinic Website
• 311 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH 45229

The Crossroads Center: (513) 475-5300

• Crossroads Center Website
• 311 Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45219

First Step Home: (513) 961-4663

• First Step Home Website
• 2203 Fulton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45206

Prospect House: (513) 921-1613

• Prospect House Website
• 682 Hawthorne Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45205

Sunrise Treatment Center: (513) 941-4999

• Sunrise Treatment Website
• 6460 Harrison Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45247
• 680 Northland Blvd., Cincinnati, OH 45240
• 160 N. Breiel Blvd., Middletown, OH 45042

Talbert House, Inc.: (513) 751-7747

• Talbert House Website
• 2600 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45206

University of Cincinnati Addiction Sciences: (513) 585-8227

• UC Addiction Sciences Website

Urban Minority Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Outreach Program of Cincinnati, Inc (UMADAOP): (513) 541-7099

• UMADAOP Website
• 3021 Vernon Place, Suite 2, Cincinnati, OH 45219

Addiction, like any other illness, requires treatment to recover.

Effective treatment attends to multiple needs of the individual, not just his or her drug abuse. As with other chronic illnesses, relapses to drug abuse can occur. Relapse signals the need for treatment to be reinstated or changed. It does not indicate that the individual can't get better.

To learn more, visit the National Institute on Drug Abuse website: www.drugabuse.gov.

Families suffer, too.

National surveys indicate that 1 in 4 families are struggling with alcohol and/or drug addiction in a family member. Alcoholism and drug addiction affects the whole family - young, teenage, or grown-up children; wives or husbands; brothers or sisters; parents or other relatives and friends.

Without help, active addiction can totally disrupt family life and cause harmful effects that can last a lifetime.

Reaching out is critical.

Even when we know there is a problem with addiction and really want to fix it, going to an addiction treatment program for help can be really intimidating.

Sometimes it seems your calls get you nowhere. Maybe you have tried before and feel like you failed. Or maybe you are not sure what to expect and find the whole thing overwhelming.

Don't give up. There is help available.

What can I do as an individual?

If you are concerned about your alcohol or drug use, talk to a professional about it. There is help available. Recovery is possible.

If you are in recovery, share your story of hope.

What can we do as a family?

If you are concerned about a family member or friend, learn about addiction and connect with available resources. Regrettably, no family has innate knowledge of how to deal effectively with addiction. You can't control someone else, but you can have influence. Get support for yourself.

What can we do as a community?

It takes a village to deal with addiction. Addiction is a public health problem that requires a community solution.

Learn what you can about this devastating illness.

We need available treatment for addiction just like we do for any other disease.

Don't give up. There is help available.