OhioGuidestone Enters into Agreement with A Renewed Mind to Offer Strong, Strategic Response to Opioid Epidemic

BEREA, Ohio, April 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- OhioGuidestone, a faith based not for profit that provides behavioral healthcare services to children, families and communities in Northeast Ohio, announced today that it has entered into an agreement with A Renewed Mind, a Toledo-area not for profit at the forefront of substance use disorder (SUD) services.  Under the member substitution agreement, A Renewed Mind will operate independently as a wholly owned subsidiary of OhioGuidestone.

The two like-minded organizations are collaboratively strengthening their approach and reach, combining resources to achieve greater impact and long-term sustainability. The agreement will enable OhioGuidestone to enhance its response to the opioid crisis and to expand into Western Ohio, providing pathways for growth, achievement and lifelong success to even more people in need. A Renewed Mind will strengthen its approach and reach, gaining access to additional client support services such as work and employment, juvenile justice services, early childhood and parenting programs, and alcohol and drug prevention programs.

"Today's announcement marks a significant strategic milestone as we continue to transform OhioGuidestone," said Richard Frank, OhioGuidestone president and chief executive officer. "OhioGuidestone is committed to providing a strong, strategic response to the current opioid epidemic and A Renewed Mind has been at the forefront of substance use disorder (SUD) services, especially residential care and recovery housing. Growth is also part of our strategic plan. We saw a need for our programs and services in Western Ohio and this will enable us to help people in those communities."

Both OhioGuidestone and A Renewed Mind are recognized and trusted names in behavioral health care. Through shared expertise and collaboration, together the two organizations will significantly advance the availability of innovative, client-centered mental health and addiction care service models in their communities.

"We are excited to join with OhioGuidestone," said Matthew D. Rizzo, president and chief executive officer of A Renewed Mind. "OhioGuidestone has a long history of providing targeted, responsive programs that facilitate real, lasting change in the lives of those they serve. We are thrilled to be able to integrate our SUD services into their model, and to be able to offer additional behavioral and mental health services to our clients. This agreement will also provide us with a stronger infrastructure to support our IT and HR needs, enabling us to spend more time on programs and less time on administrative tasks."

Leaders of both organizations say the sharing of programming and expertise will be extremely beneficial to their clients and communities, and they look forward to working together.

"We couldn't have found a better fit in terms of culture," said Frank. "Not only do our organizations share a deep and abiding commitment to serving those in need, but OhioGuidestone and A Renewed Mind also share many common attributes. We're both faith based, we both have loyal, committed workforces, and we have a similar history of growing and evolving services to meet the needs of our communities."

About OhioGuidestone
For more than 150 years, OhioGuidestone has been providing innovative, individualized care to move clients towards self-sufficiency and a brighter future. With a repertoire of more than 30 programs operating in 22 counties, OhioGuidestone offers a catalog of solutions that allows the agency to refer clients to programming internally and externally. This unique capability enables the organization to weave programming together around each client's specific needs, meeting multi-dimensional issues with a multi-dimensional response.

About A Renewed Mind   
A Renewed Mind is a private, not for profit 501(c)3 behavioral health care organization that delivers personalized, high quality behavioral health services to its community in a compassionate manner. A Renewed Mind has developed a reputation of providing quality services based on its commitment to respecting the individual and in forming strong therapeutic relationships.

SOURCE OhioGuidestone