ONEOHIO RECOVERY FOUNDATION AWARDS $1.5 MILLION FOR 9 LOCAL PROJECTS TO ADVANCE PREVENTION, TREATMENT AND RECOVERY IN REGION 15

COLUMBUS, OH – Nine projects focused on saving lives, preventing substance use disorder, expanding access to treatment, supporting recovery and strengthening community resilience in Allen, Auglaize, Champaign, Darke, Logan, Mercer, Miami, Preble and Shelby counties have been awarded a combined $1.50 million through the OneOhio Recovery Foundation's Regional Grant Cycle 2. The nine awards support locally driven, evidence-informed work that responds to the local impacts of substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health conditions, putting opioid settlement dollars to work where they can make a meaningful difference. 

Ohio's opioid settlement dollars are most powerful when they reach the organizations and communities closest to the work of prevention, treatment and recovery, said Alisha Nelson, Executive Director of the OneOhio Recovery Foundation. 

“Lasting progress comes from giving communities the resources to respond to the needs they understand best,” Nelson said. “These grants will strengthen local prevention, treatment and recovery efforts and help more individuals and families build healthier, more stable futures.” 

Local communities know their own needs, and these new awards reflect the priorities identified by local partners across the area, said Terri Becker, OneOhio Region 15 Board Chair. 

“Here, the need is not abstract,” Becker said. “It is a mother looking for a safe home with her children, a family learning how to support a loved one, or someone preparing to return home after incarceration. This funding backs the local organizations ready to help at those turning points.” 

In total, Regional Grant Cycle 2 makes up to $45.7 million available across the state. Project funding directly serves people with substance use disorder, including those with co-occurring mental health conditions, as well as family members affected by substance use disorder, according to purposes approved by the OneOhio Memorandum of Understanding. 

Region 15 Grant Awards 

Brigid’s Path, Inc.: $40,000 for Sustaining Holistic Care for Babies and Families Impacted by Substance Use, which will sustain and strengthen family-centered care for babies and families affected by substance use disorder. 

Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyers Project: $50,000 for Pathways to Stability: Legal Support for Recovery-Impacted Families, which will provide recovery-focused civil legal services that address housing, family and other barriers to safety, employment and long-term stability in Champaign, Darke, Miami and Preble counties. 

Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Inc. (LAWO): $350,240 for Fresh Start Justice Project: Legal Support for Recovery - Region 15, which will provide legal education, advice and representation through partnerships with treatment and recovery providers to improve housing, family and economic stability. 

Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Allen, Auglaize and Hardin Counties: $252,500 for A Coordinated Recovery Approach, which will coordinate four provider-led projects that expand recovery housing, family-centered services, peer support and harm-reduction services in Allen and Auglaize counties. 

Mercer County Joint Township Community Hospital: $231,672 for Mercer County Wellness Support for Recovery, which will add counselors and therapists to support loved ones of people with substance use disorder and equip families to support recovery. 

Samaritan Works, Inc.: $200,000 for Expansion of Housing, which will develop Level 1 recovery housing for women and their children in Region 15. 

Shelby County Sheriff's Treatment and Recovery (S.T.A.R.) House: $153,050 for Shelby County Sheriff's Treatment and Recovery (S.T.A.R.) House, which will support transitional recovery housing and reentry services for formerly incarcerated men in Shelby County with substance use disorder or co-occurring mental health conditions. 

The WORTH Center: $190,000 for Counties Investing in the W.O.R.T.H. of Their Citizens Struggling with Treatment and Recovery Issues, which will help clients leaving the facility to address barriers to recovery and successful reentry. 

Thrive Therapeutics: $30,000 for My Neighbor's House - Recovery Support, which will purchase a program vehicle to reduce transportation barriers and expand access to recovery services in Preble County. 

Together, these awards will expand recovery housing and family-centered services, reduce legal and transportation barriers, strengthen peer and harm-reduction supports, and help people returning from incarceration build long-term stability. 

All grant awards were approved by the OneOhio Board of Directors following a robust, multi-step process designed to ensure local input, integrity, accountability and alignment with OneOhio's approved purposes. The Foundation is working with approved organizations to complete the grant agreement process and move funding into communities across Ohio. Grants are contingent on a fully executed grant agreement. 

For Regional Grant Cycle 2, applicants first submitted Funding Inquiries through the OneOhio Grant Portal. Eligible inquiries were reviewed by Regional Grant Review Committees, and selected applicants were invited to submit Technical Applications. Where applicable, submissions were reviewed by the OneOhio Expert Panel to ensure alignment with evidence and the OneOhio MOU. Successful applications were then reviewed by Foundation staff and the Grant Oversight Committee, with final funding decisions made by the Board of Directors. 

Regional Grant Cycle 2 builds on the Foundation's inaugural grant cycle, which awarded more than $45 million to 245 projects statewide. That first round supported a broad mix of strategies, including youth prevention initiatives, school-based mental health supports, recovery housing, treatment expansion, post-overdose outreach, peer support, supports for children and families affected by substance use disorder, and workforce development for the behavioral health field. 

Grant recipients must submit biannual programmatic and financial reports, and the Foundation may request supplemental information or conduct site visits or virtual meetings as needed. These requirements reflect the Foundation's commitment to ensuring that every dollar is used responsibly and produces measurable and lasting impact. 

A complete list of approved grant recipients can be found at OneOhioFoundation.com/GrantAwards. Additional awards may be announced as projects complete the review and approval process. Organizations interested in future funding opportunities should visit OneOhioFoundation.com/Grants and sign up for updates from the Foundation. 

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