As we move through these early months of 2025, I’m filled with the unique sense of potential and purpose that comes with the resetting of our calendar year. I am thrilled to be ringing in another year at such a special agency yet this marker of passing time is also bittersweet. My retirement approaches and I have but a few more seasons at the helm of our agency. And with the recent threat of a freeze to our federal funding, I have the deep sense that we are again facing uncertain times.
Being a grandparent is often one of the most fulfilling roles that one can experience in a lifetime. But sometimes the unimaginable happens, and life changes dramatically.
FrontLine Service has been proud to offer its unique programming, approach, and dedication to serving those most in need for almost four decades. Like any system with a long life, one of the key components of ensuring continued health is periodically assessing the agency's needs for growth and stability for the future. Last year, we were excited to embark on the creation of a new Strategic Plan, working with the consulting firms Sage & Maven and Strategy Design Partners to facilitate discussions with clients, staff, leadership, and our external community partners.
FrontLine Service is excited to announce the establishment of our agency’s first endowment fund through the Cleveland Foundation.
FrontLine’s calling has always been to reach out to those most in need, to provide a safe landing and services for those whose needs are not met elsewhere. With nearly 36 years of experience in pursuing this purpose, FrontLine is singularly positioned to serve those impacted by the trauma of violence, homelessness, and the growing need for accessible mental health and crisis services brought on by these escalating challenges.
When people are in crisis, someone must answer the call. But what happens when those who do the challenging work of responding to those in crisis and helping those who’ve experienced trauma begin to burn out and feel on the verge of crisis themselves? FrontLine Service now offers Resiliency Trainings for those in the emergency response and helping professions, lead by the combined expertise of intra-agency celebrity, Kim Kiley, and superstar FrontLine collaborator, Guy-Vincent.
FrontLine Service has increased staffing for crisis chat and text services to respond to the growing number of individuals reaching out for help through messaging, especially adolescents and young adults.
FrontLine’s Crisis team provides 24/7/365 support to people experiencing suicidal ideation, emotional distress, substance use challenges, or a mental health crisis.
By supporting FrontLine Service, you are reaching out to children like Mia, who at 8 years old had to call 911 when her mother overdosed. Michael, a FrontLine therapist, helped Mia understand that she is not bad, and that her anger and outbursts are natural reactions to the traumatic events she experienced.
A year ago this month, the U.S. Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration launched the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to ensure that everyone in the U.S. has access to services like FrontLine’s Crisis Call Center—simply by dialing 9-8-8.
On its one-year anniversary, here are 3 takeaways from the inaugural year of 988 in Cuyahoga County:
May 23, 2023 — A team of 13 Turner Construction staff volunteers spent the day at FrontLine Service to convert an old records room into a resiliency space for FrontLine staff. Every May, Turner Construction supports local partners in honor of its Founders’ Day of Service.
The FBI Office of Public Affairs in Washington, D.C. has awarded Grace Leon with the 2022 Director's Community Leadership Award for her service as a liaison between Cleveland homicide detectives and families dealing with tremendous grief.
Grace will travel to Washington, D.C. in May to be recognized at a national ceremony.
