Leading Cincinnati to Recovery:
A Profile with CEO Leah Dennis-Ellsworth
with mental health stirred a spirit of advocacy for the underserved and marginalized minority populations. “My passion was to be a guardian and speak to the heart of determination for those suffering to know they can regain the quality of life they lost during their arrested development.” The trailblazer has now gained 40 years of experience in public service. She partnered with the University of Cincinnati psychiatric emergency staff to champion The Mobile Crisis Team. HUD has recognized her efforts in creating a Welfare to Work Program that empowered women to become self-sufficient and prepared to enter the workforce. She has also been an integral part of raising $15 million for programs to reduce and provide preventative and treatment measures to residents of the community. Alongside her brother, Dennis- Ellsworth is the co-founder of the Urban Human Resource Institute, a non-profit organization that operates the Bethesda House. The group home serves African American men dealing with co- occurring chronic mental health challenges and drug addiction.
As the executive director of the UMADAOP of Cincinnati, Leah Dennis-Ellsworth oversees anything pertaining to the organization’s administrative needs. Securing sources of funding, ensuring compliance with insurance regulations, and hiring and overseeing staff are only some of her daily responsibilities. Among the 20 staff members she oversees, Dennis- Ellsworth provides weekly clinical supervision that involves discussing cases and treatment interventions and reviewing patients’ charts. “My role is to advocate for the clients and communities we serve,” she said. Her efforts involve providing education on substance abuse prevention and recovery, as well as participating in community advisory councils. These positions allow her to identify the specific needs of UMADAOP’s target communities. Dennis-Ellsworth believes her passion for the field of mental health and addiction recovery was inspired by her oldest brother. She closely watched his work in the 1960s that provided medication assistance treatment (MAT) to Black communities plagued with heroin addiction around Cincinnati. Seeing another of her siblings lacking quality hospital care during his battle
“My role is to advocate for the clients and communities we serve,”
- Leah Dennis-Ellsworth, Executive Director of the UMADAOP of Cincinnati
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