County of Summit ADM Board Named NASW Ohio Region 2 Agency of the Year

November 7, 2025

Staff members from the County of Summit Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services (ADM) Board gather during the agency’s annual Trailblazer Awards Dinner.

SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio — The County of Summit Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health (ADM) Board has been named the 2025 Region 2 Agency of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) – Ohio Chapter, recognizing agencies that exemplify social work values and create lasting community impact. Region 2 includes Erie, Huron, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit counties.

The ADM Board was nominated by Timothy McCarragher, Ph.D., LISW-S, Director of the University of Akron’s School of Social Work and Family Sciences, for its leadership in strengthening and diversifying Summit County’s behavioral health workforce through the Behavioral Health Partnership Program (BHPP).

Launched in 2023, the BHPP, a collaboration between the ADM Board and UA, focuses on building a diverse, sustainable behavioral health workforce through:

  • Campus Coordinator: The ADM Board funds a UA position held by Sylvester Huston III, who recruits future behavioral health professionals beginning in middle & high school, while also providing support to the BHPP student participants.
  • Student Support and Scholarships: Each year, six social work students — both BSW and MSW — are selected to receive mentoring, advising, and scholarships of up to $13,000 each, support described as “unprecedented in the region.”
  • Commitment to Service: Students complete field placements at ADM Board funded agencies with the intent of employment post-graduation.

Dr. McCarragher noted in his nomination letter that the ADM Board’s investment has “dramatically improved the profile of behavioral health in the region,” with the first graduate of the program now working within the ADM Board’s network of care.  

The BHPP model gained national recognition after being presented at the 2024 NASW National Conference in Washington, D.C. by Executive Director Aimee Wade, Coordinator Sylvester Huston III, and Dr. McCarragher.

The success of the Behavioral Health Partnership Program has drawn national attention, with the model presented at the 2024 National Association of Social Workers Conference in Washington, D.C. From left are BHPP Coordinator Sylvester Huston III, County of Summit ADM Board Executive Director Aimee Wade, and University of Akron Dr. Timothy McCarragher. 

“We are proud to honor the County of Summit ADM Board, which exemplifies the best of our profession’s values and strength,” said the NASW Ohio Chapter in its award notification.

As a regional winner, the ADM Board advances for statewide consideration for the NASW Ohio Agency of the Year, to be announced later this winter. A local celebration for Region 2 winners will be held January 8, 2026, at Quaker Station in Akron, followed by recognition at the NASW Ohio Social Work Gala on March 14, 2026, in Columbus.