Ohio’s Next Step in Healing and Resiliency on the Front Lines of Addiction
By Tom Gregoire, Board Member, OneOhio Recovery Foundation
Ohio stands at an important moment in its journey to strengthen our communities and rebuild the lives impacted by addiction. Across our state, the OneOhio Recovery Foundation continues to advance its mission to prevent substance use disorder, help those impacted by it heal and regain control of their lives, and sustain recovery through programs rooted in evidence, compassion, and accountability. With the first round of grants now making an impact in our communities, the Foundation is now reviewing funding inquiries for its second to keep this important work moving forward.
Since its inception in 2021, the Foundation has been entrusted with distributing 55 percent of Ohio’s opioid settlement funds—a substantial responsibility to support prevention, treatment, and recovery in every county. My personal commitment to the Foundation’s work stems from my 46 years in long-term recovery, work as a clinician and administrator in recovery programs, as a current faculty member and former dean of The Ohio State University’s College of Social Work, and now as a Foundation board member.
Last year, the Foundation launched its first Regional Grant Cycle, which awarded $45 million to nearly 250 projects statewide. Grantees were chosen in a collaborative process that included input from the 19 OneOhio Regions, a panel of experts, the Foundation’s Grant Oversight Committee and finally its Board of Directors. This thoughtful and transparent approach ensures accountability and focuses investments where they can have the most lasting impact.
Funded projects large and small are now at work across Ohio—offering prevention, treatment and recovery support for individuals and families impacted by substance use disorders. A major emphasis has been on helping people in recovery rebuild their lives by removing barriers such as housing instability, transportation, and employment challenges. In the first grant round alone, more than $14 million was awarded to 79 projects focused specifically on supporting individuals in recovery—by far the largest funding category, reflecting the central role recovery supports play in long-term healing.
As chair of the Foundation’s Grant Oversight Committee, I’ve seen firsthand the rigor and collaboration that guide this work. At the Foundation’s August 2025 board meeting, board members reviewed early reports from first-round grantees to assess progress and outcomes—critical steps to ensure transparency, accountability, and impact.
That learning now informs our next step now underway: the Foundation’s second grant cycle, with up to $45.7 million available to organizations working on the front lines of prevention, treatment, and recovery. This new opportunity will again empower local partners and innovators whose work strengthens recovery in their communities.
The Foundation’s grants are about more than just money—they’re investments in the infrastructure of recovery itself, which is an essential asset for our state’s future success and livability. By working together—local governments, service providers, families and people in recovery—we are building something enduring: a recovery system that prevents addiction, empowers treatment, and restores lives for generations to come.
To everyone dedicating themselves to this work—thank you. Recovery is a shared journey. We suffer alone but we recover together. And together, we are making Ohio stronger.
The author is a member of the OneOhio Recovery Foundation’s Board of Directors, current faculty member and former dean of The Ohio State University College of Social Work.
