ELIJAH JONES, Mental Health & Recovery Services Board of Lucas County
Elijah Jones is the manager of treatment with the Mental Health & Recovery Services Board of Lucas County where he actively monitors over $14 million in mental health and substance use disorder treatment service contracts. He actively works on health equity initiatives and moving trauma-informed care forward in Lucas County.
In 2019, he began working with a small team to bring Lucas County leaders together to strategize ways to enhance trauma informed care in their own organizations. He is an essential member of the Lucas County Opioid Coalition and a co-lead for the Healing Communities Study; a multi-state study through the National Institute on Drug Abuse working on reducing opioid overdoses by 40%. He recently led efforts, in partnership with the Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services, to rapidly distribute hundreds of naloxone kits into high-risk communities to prevent opioid overdoses.
Jones received his Master’s degree in social work from The University of Toledo (UToledo) and is currently a doctoral candidate in educational psychology. He is a licensed independent social worker with supervisory designation, a licensed independent chemical dependency counselor, a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers, and a certified clinical trauma professional. To demonstrate his commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, he has also completed the requirements to become a certified diversity professional.
Jones is an active member of the community. He is an appointed co-chair for the Social Justice Committee of the City of Toledo Human Relations Commission where he works on advancing equity in the city while celebrating inclusivity.