COLUMBUS, OH – Ten projects focused on saving lives, preventing substance use disorder, expanding access to treatment, supporting recovery and strengthening community resilience in Lucas County have been awarded a combined $2.08 million through the OneOhio Recovery Foundation's Regional Grant Cycle 2. The 10 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.
“These grants will strengthen prevention, treatment and recovery services across Lucas County,” Nelson said. “The funding will help local organizations reach more individuals and families affected by substance use disorder and respond to a wide range of needs across the community.”
Local communities know their own needs, and these new awards reflect the priorities identified by local partners across Lucas County, said Johnetta McCollough, OneOhio Region 4 Board Vice Chair.
“Lucas County has built a strong network of organizations that understand both immediate needs and the conditions that support lasting recovery,” McCollough said. “This funding will help those partners reach children earlier, support families under strain, and connect residents with housing, health care, legal assistance and recovery services when they need them most.”
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 4 Grant Awards
Adopt America Network: $119,762 for Ongoing Adoption and Kinship Support Program (OAKS), which will sustain and expand services for Lucas County adoptive, foster, and kinship families affected by parental substance use as demand exceeds current staffing capacity.
Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc.: $405,000 for The ABLE-NHA Justice & Recovery Partnership – A Medical-Legal Approach to Stabilizing Families Impacted by the Opioid Epidemic, which will establish a medical-legal partnership with Neighborhood Health Association to provide trauma-informed legal services, training, and advocacy that improve recovery, family stability, and health outcomes.
Aurora Project: $134,240 for Recovery-Oriented Transitional Housing for Women and Children, which will strengthen transitional housing, case management, and peer support for parents to promote sustained recovery, family stability, and timely reunification.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Ohio: $200,000 for Empowering Future Leaders, which will expand prevention education, mentoring, and life-skills support to reduce substance use risk, build resilience, and promote healthy decision-making among children and families.
Lucas County Sheriff's Office: $199,866 for Lucas County Sheriff's Office Drug Abuse Response Team (D.A.R.T.), which will embed peer support alongside officers, provide rapid connections to treatment and recovery services, and expand the referral network through a new digital platform.
NAMI Greater Toledo: $125,133 for From Experience to Empowerment: Family & Youth Navigation and Support Network for Lucas County, which will expand behavioral health navigation, outreach, and support for families affected by substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health conditions, including families with school-age youth and justice-system involvement.
OhioGuidestone: $57,254 for FASD Program Expansion in Lucas County, which will reduce wait times for diagnostic services, expand education about fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and restore monthly caregiver support sessions.
Philio Inc. dba New Concepts: $225,000 for New Concepts Families First: Healing Generations Through Prevention and Support, which will provide family-centered prevention, early intervention, and treatment designed to strengthen parenting practices, youth coping skills, school attendance, and behavior.
TASC of Northwest Ohio: $360,580 for Health Navigation and Education Program, which will help justice-involved individuals address unmet health needs through navigation, education, basic screenings, and transportation support that improves recovery stability and reentry outcomes.
Zepf Center: $255,000 for Safe Harbor: Enhanced Crisis and Substance Abuse Support for Youth, which will expand screening, psychoeducation, crisis stabilization, aftercare, and coordinated outpatient services for youth affected by substance use disorder.
Together, these awards will strengthen youth prevention and family support, expand recovery-oriented housing and medical-legal services, improve crisis response and care navigation, and reduce barriers for justice-involved residents and others affected by substance use disorder.
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.
