Vinaida Reyna
Vinaida Ruth Reyna is the MHARS Board’s Executive Assistant.
She is a longtime resident of the City of Lorain and a graduate of Admiral King High School. She holds an Office Management Certificate from JVS. In February 2005, she was hired with the then-mental health board as a Receptionist, then Secretary and was promoted to Executive Assistant. She is the mother of four amazing young adults and grandmother to a very cool kid. She said of her work with the MHARS Board, “I enjoy being part of serving the community.” Her favorite quote comes from Ghandi: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
Learn MoreMark Johnson
Mark Johnson works at the MHARS Board of Lorain County as the Chief of Behavioral Health Services and leads the Community Services Team.
Johnson also chairs the Continuum of Care Subcommittee and sits on the Steering Committee for the Lorain County Crisis Response Project. He is also the MHARS lead with the Clear Pathways Learning Community and sits on the State Crisis Task Force. Johnson is also initiating a Continuous Quality Improvement focus that is informed by data and outcomes.
He is a Licensed Independent Social Worker-Supervision, with a Master of Science in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University. He started his career as a therapist serving children and families. He has also held several roles including Clinical Services Director for over two decades for a community-based mental health and substance use disorder treatment agency with multiple Northeast Ohio Sites.
Outside of his work with the MHARS Board, Johnson is passionate about the ASP, the Appalachian Service Project. He is an Ambassador, a Project Leader, and a Helping Hand for the ASP. The Appalachian Service Project is a non-profit organization based in Tennessee that organizes over 17,000 volunteers a year across 5 Appalachian states to work on homes for people to be warmer, safer, and drier. Johnson works with high school and college youth to lead week long mission trips with the ASP.
Learn MoreMichael Doud
Michael Doud is the Executive Director at the MHARS (Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services) Board of Lorain County. Doud has spent over 30 years in the behavioral health field and most recently, Mr. Doud was the Chief Operating Officer of the Emerald Development and Economic Network, a non-profit community housing development agency in Cleveland.
Earlier in his career, he spent almost 20 years at the Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services Board of Cuyahoga County and also worked at the Nord Center and St. Joseph/Community Health Partners in Lorain. Mr. Doud has a BA degree from Cleveland State University and an MS degree in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University.
Learn MoreLauren Cieslak
Lauren works at the MHARS (Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services) Board of Lorain County as a Program Officer, working under the Children and Adolescent Services Director on the Community Services Team.
Lauren has worked passionately in direct mental health services for 11 years. Most recently, six of those years were spent in Lorain County. Lauren is a Board Certified Art Therapist as well as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and Supervisor. She is currently a professor at Ursuline College where she teaches practicum and internship students in the double master’s program, of which she is also an alumna. Previously, Lauren was a mental health therapist at The Nord Center where she led Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Trauma Informed Care initiatives. Lauren is a founding member of two community nonprofits: The Lorain County LGBTQ+ Taskforce and Public Art Vermilion. Earlier in her career, Lauren worked at The Emily Program, The Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities and Westside Community House. Lauren has a BA in Human Development and Family Studies from Kent State University, and a double masters in Art Therapy and Counseling from Ursuline College.
Lauren is excited about her work here at the MHARS Board.
Lauren says, “I think that something I’m most excited about is effecting change, starting needed conversations, and destigmatizing mental health and recovery needs in our community by providing support, training and education to our community.”
Learn MorePatrice McKinney
Patrice McKinney is the MHARS Board’s Administrative Services Director. She worked for the former mental health board from March 1995 through the merger with the former addiction board.
A lifelong Lorain County resident, born in Lorain and now living in Elyria, she is a graduate of Elyria West High School, Tiffin University and Ohio Business College, formerly Lorain Business College. Patrice holds memberships in the National Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), National Association of Government Administrators Records & Archives (NAGARA), Elyria Sunrise Rotary Club and Southside Elyria Network. She is a past chair of the #HowICope Mental Health Fair. Patrice is also a past Membership Committee Chair of the Elyria Chapter of National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Club, Inc. (NANBPWC)
She is passionate about her work with the MHARS Board.
“I am a mental health and substance use disorder family member,” she said. “My mother was in recovery from mental illness before she passed away from cancer many years ago. One of my brothers suffered from schizophrenia and substance use disorder. He was on the path to recovery from SUD before he too passed away several years ago. Both received services from The Nord Center. I believe everyone suffering from mental illness and/or substance use disorder deserves a supportive, holistic network to guide them onto the road to recovery.”
MHARS Board Welcomes New Staff Member
The MHARS Board of Lorain County welcomes our new Program Officer, Lauren Cieslak. She will be working under the Children and Adolescent Services Director on the Community Services team.
Lauren has worked passionately in direct mental health services for 11 years. Most recently, six of those years were spent in Lorain County. Lauren is a Board Certified Art Therapist as well as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and Supervisor. She is currently a professor at Ursuline College where she teaches practicum and internship students in the double master’s program, of which she is also an alumna. Previously, Lauren was a mental health therapist at The Nord Center where she led Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Trauma Informed Care initiatives. Lauren is a founding member of two community nonprofits: The Lorain County LGBTQ+ Taskforce and Public Art Vermilion. Earlier in her career, Lauren worked at The Emily Program, The Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities and Westside Community House. Lauren has a BA in Human Development and Family Studies from Kent State University, and a double masters in Art Therapy and Counseling from Ursuline College.
Interested in employment opportunities at the MHARS Board? Visit HERE for more information and available positions.
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You Belong Kicks Off at December Event
The transition from elementary to middle school can be difficult for some students. You Belong is a youth-led initiative designed to support students through this transition. The project liaison, Mike Ferrer, works with adult mentors and students from participating schools with the support of the MHARS Board.
You Belong is designed to support schools interested in increasing the number of students that feel connected to peers and teachers with the understanding that increasing belongingness and decreasing the number of students who experience isolation and alienation, can reduce the risk of suicides. Further, You Belong provides an opportunity for youth to take a leadership role in creating a school climate in which every student understands that he or she belongs.
On December 6, students and mentors from each school involved in the initiative came together at the Spitzer Conference Center at Lorain County Community College for the You Belong Kickoff Event. At this event, roughly nine students from each school and their mentors participated in activities aimed at developing engagement and leadership skills. At the event, Ferrer and his team facilitated multiple activities to prepare students for their roles in You Belong.
The MHARS Board of Lorain County is providing financial support for nine schools this school year. The schools include:
- Longfellow Middle School (Lorain)
- Johnnie Wilson Middle School (Lorain)
- Southview Middle School (Lorain)
- Midview Middle School (Grafton)
- Brookside Middle School (Sheffield)
- Durling Middle School (Lorain)
- North Ridgeville Academic Center (North Ridgeville)
- Learwood Middle School (Avon Lake)
- Keystone Middle School (LaGrange)
By Kaeli Moody
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Training for Families Suffering with a Loved One’s Substance Use Disorder
FREE Virtual Training on January 26: Recovery Supports and Tools for Families Suffering with a Loved One’s Substance Use Disorder, presented by the MHARS Board’s new Dissemination and Implementation Officer of Prevention Services, Tonya Birney. Free CEUs. Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/401076965213593103
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“Hope Hour” will feature new mentoring opportunity for Lorain County young adults
Join an informational Hope Hour to introduce the Community of Hope Transitional Age Youth Volunteer Mentorship program to Lorain County. The program connects young adults ages 18 to 25 to a group of adult volunteer mentors called communities. The Hope Hour will be held via Zoom, on Tuesday, January 12, 2021, at 6:30 pm. Registration is required.
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2020, IS NATIONAL DRUG TAKE BACK DAY
Clean out your medicine cabinet of any potentially harmful or addictive pills
In partnership with the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office, the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services (MHARS) Board is promoting Drug Take Back Day on October 24, 2020, in Lorain County, to help keep homes safe from overdose risks.
From 10 am to 2 pm at many drop-off locations, volunteers will provide medication disposal pouches and other drug safety resources for free to residents of Lorain County. Locations include all Lorain County police departments, Sheriff’s Office and Columbia Township Fire Department.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.9 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.
Though police departments and some other locations have secure prescription drug drop boxes all year, by cleaning out your cabinets on National Drug Take Back Day, residents show that Lorain County is taking drug safety seriously.
To learn more about how to help a loved one in active addiction or recovery, visit mharslc.org/recovery. The Addiction Helpline is available at 440-989-4900.
The MHARS Board is the behavioral health authority that plans, funds and monitors mental health and addiction services in Lorain County.
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