Hamilton County SUD Teams call Glenway Home

When Cassidy Lekan joined Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services (GCBHS) as the VP of Recovery Services, our Hamilton County substance use disorder teams were spread out in multiple locations, such as Shelterhouse, St. Anthony’s Center in OTR, our Madison location, and at Glenway, as well as in the community. One of Cassidy’s goals was to create a “hub,” so to speak, for all substance use disorder (SUD) services in Hamilton County. Earlier this year, a remodel of our Glenway building allowed that vision to become a reality.

Julie Kubin is the Director of Addiction Services for Hamilton County, “We wanted a specific location for individuals seeking services to be able to come complete their assessment and connect immediately into their service recommendations – whether that is individual counseling, groups, case management, peer recovery support, or Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT).” Julie emphasizes that it’s important for some clients to actually “see” the space where they will be accessing treatment and meet the staff they will be working with during services. “We’re in a trial phase now,” she shares. “This will be a game-changer moving forward as we anticipate more people being able to access services through our new ‘hub’ model. 

SUD staff at a recovery event in October.

According to health department statistics, the zip codes of 45205 and 45211 are considered overdose hot spots, which means having services readily available gives more people on the West Side a place to seek help close to home. Our teams also offer life-saving measures such as test strips and naloxone. Julie says the goal will be to have counselors on-site every day, allowing staff to bring individuals in for assessments. “Our peers work with many people who are not yet in services. This way, when they are out in the community and someone says to them, ‘I’m ready,’ they will be able to come to Glenway in real time and be set up for services.” 

The GCBHS Hamilton County Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Team.

If you or someone you know needs help with a substance use disorder, you can call our Recovery Service Line number at 513-302-0070, emailhcaddictions@gcbhs.com or bring them into either Glenway or Madison Open Access for services.

Julie adds, “We’re trying to create a structure of ‘no wrong door.’ If they come to Glenway, we will help – even if it’s not SUD related, we will get them to where they need to go.