Dennis Baker Former prison administrator finds meaning in addiction recovery Before becoming Mansfield UMADAOP Executive Director in 2008, Dennis Baker worked as a prison administrator in the department of rehab and corrections. His experience in incarceration administration flowed well into working with drug addicts who’ve been funneled through the corrections system. “I was deeply involved in reentry initiatives for ex-offenders,” Baker says of his time as a prison administrator. Transitioning into the drug prevention and treatment field has been a “sort of continuation of that kind of social work, trying to assist individuals to make changes in their lives.” Guiding addicts to recovery The Mansfield UMADAOP has three facilities including an assessment center in the heart of town. Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), an opiate recovery program, is a suboxone-based treatment center with an on-site physician to evaluate and prescribe.The program, which Baker calls a staple of the Mansfield location, allows for those addicted to get blood work done, have a place to document their entire medical history and receive other assessments for alcohol or other drug use. Once clients see the doctor, they stay at the facility for a month to receive therapy. “It’s a very powerful program that helps a lot of people,” Baker says, adding that it also drives a lot of revenue so the organization can expand its efforts to help more people find recovery. Youth prevention
Today and Tomorrow (YLOTT) program, they also provide services for adolescents and teens in collaboration with the Mansfield City Schools and Mansfield Elective Academy. DUI and DWI intervention Another place in which Baker’s legal expertise comes in handy is in helping those that deal with first time DUI or DWI offenses. Because of Mansfield’s driver intervention program, first time offenders have a choice: either spend three days in jail or go to the program. Since professionals in the regional corrections system are familiar with Baker and the organization’s growing reputation, they often refer clients to the UMADAOP location.
“We have a pretty good reputation in the community, but it was hard earned. It wasn’t just a gift.” —Dennis Baker, Mansfield UMADAOP executive director
SPREAD 11 UMADAOP MANSFIELD “We’re not just dealing with people because they are forced to come here. Our clients come on their own volition. It's a credit to what we do.” —Dennis Baker, Mansfield UMADAOP executive director Help Me Grow program A program certified by the Ohio State Department of health, Help Me Grow services offer resources for pregnant women and infants from birth to three years old. “It assists expecting mothers or mothers that have a child up to the age of three, providing some healthy living concepts and assistance to help mothers to ensure the mother raises a healthy baby,” Baker explains. Circle for Recovery Ohio A statewide UMADAOP initiative
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called Circle for Recovery Ohio is a program for ex-offenders that provides re-entry and support services for parolees, probationers and court referrals. UMADAOP goes to the prison to conduct programming, including aiding those reentering society with financial help through the Ohio Benefit Bank services.The reentry programming includes family re- entry support, aimed at reuniting families of incarcerated men and women to reduce recidivism.The Mansfield location also offers U.S. District Court and drug court treatment services including specimen collection as well as treatment for clients referred by local county and municipal courts. Cornerstone Project The Cornerstone Project concentrates on outpatient recovery and medication assessment for Dayton as well as Springfield and Elyria.The Elyria location also offers services in Spanish. Outpatient services include medical assisted treatment, intensive outpatient treatment, group therapy, individual counseling, alcohol and drug assessments and screenings, crisis intervention, ambulatory detox and relapse prevention.
Making Mansfield a solid resource After retiring from prison administration, Baker took the role of executive director with two goals in mind: getting the agency financially sound and establishing a positive reputation in the community and state. He’s achieved his first objective through concerted fundraising efforts of coordinating grant and legislative funding, says a fellow UMADAOP executive director, Toledo’s John Edwards. Once the finances were stabilized, Baker moved on to making the rest of the state aware of what Mansfield can offer. In the business of helping those with drug addiction, Baker says he’s done what he can to guard “against negativity that is not warranted. Even if we remain transparent and above board,” he observes, "we still have to fight off all the naysayers.” Nonetheless, he says the organization is now in good standing with the community. “We have a pretty good reputation in the community, but it was hard earned,” he says. “It wasn't just a gift. Our motto here is that we care. We’re not just dealing with people because they are forced to come here.They come here because they choose too. We don't do any marketing. We don't have special relationships with courts or the social services network. Our clients come on their own volition. It's a credit to what we do."
Mansfield UMADAOP reaches out to city and Richland County schools to provide at-risk students with in-school and afterschool programming.There is also a student summer camp. The organization recently acquired and renovated an old middle school building and they use it as a facility for youth prevention and treatment. Baker says the space also houses a taekwondo school and there is a plan in the works to include space for a community alternative school. As part of the Young Leaders of
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