Like family Early in her career, Lighton worked at a Lucas County criminal justice treatment facility, an experience that gave her another perspective on the treatment field. “I learned that I am not built for the criminal justice field. It’s my heart’s desire to help people, not jail people.” She also worked for a small nonprofit agency, advocating for children who were having problems in the public school system. Since being named executive director of the Lima UMADAOP in 2002, Lighton says she has worked to build a culture of caring. “What I like about UMADAOP is that we are like a family. There is a sense of support for each other. One of the things I realized from my own experiences is that, when you can work at a place where you feel supported and understood, a sense of camaraderie and fellowship develops that makes it easier to come to work. I would hope that my staff feels that. Even though they may have their own storms going on in their personal lives, when they come to work they know this is a place where there is safety and support. That is all tied in with what we do for the people we serve. We give them education and tools they need to make the decision not to use drugs or alcohol. But there still needs to be a sense of support and encouragement, to assist people to empower themselves.” Successful sobriety To support its mission of providing outpatient treatment to adults and adolescents, one of the Lima UMADAOP’s most important initiatives has been developing supportive housing to help clients make the transition into sober living. In 2004, the agency developed the Phoenix Women’s Recovery House for women struggling with addiction issues. In its first decade, the house served more than 1,000 women. A follow-up survey confirmed the importance of the facility in
promoting long-term recovery: more than 70 percent of Lima UMADAOP’s housing graduates continue to remain sober, be gainfully employed and live independently in the community. As care providers, “one thing we know is that, the longer a person is engaged in treatment, the better opportunity they have to be successful in long-term sobriety,” Lighton notes. Accordingly, the agency has subsequently developed several other supportive housing facilities for men and women facing addiction-related challenges. The recovery houses provide residents with assistance and support in a number of areas, including case management, transportation, clothing referrals, support for family reunification, career development, educational goals and essential life skills. Plans for the future In late January, Lima UMADAOP plans to open its first supportive recovery home for women and children. The Mallory Home for Women and Children will be named for the late Rep. William Mallory, who spearheaded the effort to provide state funding to create Ohio’s 12 UMADAOPs. “It’s another way to say thanks for what he did,” Lighton says. “One thing that’s very important in our organization is that you have to really care for people. It’s not just a job. My staff understands that, in our field, we are never off work. Some of the youth I worked with years ago are now adults and have families of their own, but they still remember me and the impact I had. There was one young man who had been in prison who told me, ‘When I was in prison, I remembered those things you said to me years ago in youth group. So now, even though I am 26, I want to go back and utilize some of those things so I won’t have to go back to prison.’ What a powerful thing that is.”
Creating a sense of support Over the years leading up to her 2002 appointment as executive director of the Lima UMADAOP,
Her volunteerism led to heading a small self-esteem group for women at the request of Lucas County UMADAOP Director John Edwards, who has been her mentor. “They were women from all walks of life who had been battling self-esteem issues. There was nothing clinical about that group; it was just providing support,” Lighton says. In the process, she discovered a knack for helping others. That led to a full-time position at the UMADAOP for Lighton, who gave up the factory job she had been working and returned to school at Spring Arbor University in Michigan to earn her B.A. in family life education. Deciding that, “This was going to be my craft,” she also earned her state certification in substance abuse prevention .
Myrtle Boykin-Lighton experienced the substance abuse prevention and counseling field from several perspectives—perspectives that shaped her approach to working with clients and staff. Her first involvement with the UMADAOP network was back in the 1980’s when her children participated in an after-school, substance abuse prevention program at the Lucas County UMADAOP. “I was one of the parents who was involved in helping with the field trips, helping with driving, making sure the children all got there,” Lighton recalls.
Some of the youth I worked with years ago are now adults and have families of their own, but they still remember me and the impact I had.”— Myrtle Boykin-Lighton, Lima UMADAOP executive director
“The longer a person is engaged in treatment, the better opportunity they have to be successful in long-term sobriety.” — Myrtle Boykin -Lighton, Lima UMADAOP executive director
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