Hope Town Ohio

10/21/2026

Thank you to Hope Town Ohio for being a Presenting Sponsor of our Substance Use & Mental Health Conference being held Thursday, Oct 29 at the NEW Center from 8am-4pm. It's not too late to register: https://www.mental-health-recovery.org/2026-conference

10/18/2026

What if your next career move helped change the trajectory of someone else’s family—for generations?

At Hope Town, we’re looking for a dynamic leader who understands recovery and behavioral health, brings real AI fluency and technical ability, and has the vision and drive to help build something extraordinary.

We shared this opportunity last week, and we have interviews scheduled for this week. Before we head into that process, we want to make sure we’re going to meet everybody we’re supposed to meet. That might be you—or someone you know.

2027 is going to be a transformational year for Hope Town. We’re bringing together recovery, workforce development, AI, and the practical supports people need to rebuild their lives—creating pathways to meaningful careers, purpose, independence, and possibilities they may never have imagined for themselves.

The person who joins us will help shape that model, turn the vision into daily practice, and share in the credit for what we create together.

AI fluency and the ability to improve operational and administrative systems are essential to this role. You should be comfortable using AI in everyday work, mapping workflows, connecting digital tools, and identifying opportunities for automation. We need someone who can help make documentation, reporting, scheduling, and information management more efficient—with sound judgment about privacy, accuracy, and human oversight.

That technical ability needs to come with strong people skills: building relationships, leading through change, supporting staff, and helping people recognize and pursue their potential.

You’ll need both imagination and ex*****on. A belief in people—and the ability to build the systems that help them move forward.

If you’ve been looking for a place to put your experience, ambition, and heart into work that could become your legacy, let’s talk.

Review the original posting below and reach out if this sounds like you. Know someone we should meet? Tag them, share this, or send them my way.

We’re building something worth being part of.

Hope Town | Windham, Ohio

https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=6f61af6db1d734c1&from=shareddesktop_copy

10/16/2026

I’ve been looking forward to this conference for months! In just a few weeks, I’ll be in Brooklyn sharing what we’ve learned at Hope Town about putting AI to work—and why governance and training are essential to getting it right.

The capabilities available today are remarkable, and the risks deserve serious attention. Helping people use these tools confidently, protect sensitive information, and maintain accountability is how we turn potential into lasting impact.

Excited to learn, share, and connect. This is going to be a good one!

🎤 Meet Ted St John, Founder and Chief Executive of Hope Town, Inc., and President of Ohio Recovery Housing.

With more than a decade of leadership in behavioral health and recovery services, Ted has dedicated his career to expanding access to recovery housing, peer support, employment opportunities, and community-based services.

At Hope Town, Ted and his team have explored how AI can reduce administrative burdens without compromising the trust, dignity, and lived experience that make recovery possible.

🧠 His Workshop: "How a Recovery Nonprofit Learned Where AI Belongs — and Where It Doesn't"

This isn't simply a conversation about embracing new technology. It's about knowing when to use it, when to set boundaries, and when to keep it out of the way.

Drawing from Hope Town's real-world experience, Ted will explore how organizations can:

✅ Use AI to free up more time for meaningful human interaction.

✅ Establish ethical boundaries that protect peer support relationships.

✅ Identify critical decisions and conversations that should never be automated.

✅ Develop practical, mission-driven policies for responsible AI use.

Because technology may help us do our jobs more efficiently, but it cannot replace the relationships that help people heal.

We invite peer specialists, mental health professionals, nonprofit leaders, HR professionals, and community advocates to join Ted for a workshop that challenges us to think beyond what AI can do and focus on what it should do.

📅 November 5–6, 2026
🎤 Ted's Workshop: November 6
📍 BRIC | 647 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY

🎟️ Seats are limited, and the conversation is too important to miss!

Reserve your tickets today and join us for Roots of Recovery 2026: Reclaiming Human Connection in the Age of AI.

🔗 REGISTER HERE:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/roots-of-recovery-reclaiming-human-connection-in-the-age-of-ai-tickets-1998383386504

The future of recovery must embrace innovation without ever losing its humanity.

10/14/2026

A meaningful first day in Tampa representing Hope Town and Hope Town AI alongside Grant.

We connected with Kate Benedetto, Customer Insights Manager at Eleos Health, whose background in clinical care and IT leadership brings a valuable perspective to behavioral health technology. She helps translate the needs of frontline professionals into practical solutions that improve workflows and create more time for care.

We also met with Tina Miller, founder of Victory Recovery Schools. Her passion for helping young people through education, mental health support, and addiction recovery is inspiring. She’s creating opportunities for students to heal, grow, and envision a different future.

Grateful for conversations with two leaders whose work keeps people at the center of progress.

We wrapped up with great tacos and a restaurant fully embracing Halloween—costumes, decorations, and all. A memorable start to the trip, with more to come tomorrow.

10/12/2026

AI readiness is becoming workforce readiness. People need practical skills, clear guidance, and someone who can help them navigate the change.

That’s why we’re hiring an AI Workforce and Development Lead at Hope Town.

Here in Windham, Ohio, we’re putting AI to work in a small nonprofit with a deeply human mission: helping people recover and move forward. This role will help extend that work to employers, treatment centers, and recovery systems across our community and beyond.

The opportunity goes beyond teaching someone how to use a tool. It’s helping staff build confidence, helping leaders assess readiness, and supporting organizations as they establish governance committees and clear expectations for responsible, ethical AI use. That means protecting confidential information, checking AI’s work, and keeping people accountable for decisions.

For the people we serve, these skills can open doors to employment and greater independence. For organizations, they can help staff spend more time on the work that needs their judgment, experience, and care.

We’re looking for someone who uses AI in their own work, can teach it in plain language, and knows how to build relationships. Someone who sees the connection between technology, opportunity, and community.

Full-time | $60,000 starting salary plus quarterly performance bonuses
Behavioral health experience is preferred, not required.

If this sounds like work you want to help lead—or you know someone who would be a strong fit—please apply only on Indeed.

There is meaningful work to do here, and this person will help shape it.

https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=6f61af6db1d734c1&from=shareddesktop_copy

10/09/2026

Some of the best conversations happen when leaders from across a community sit in the same room and ask, “How can we help each other?”

This week, Leadership Portage County brought this year’s class to Hope Town as part of their annual bus tour. We shared our mission, showed them around our offices, and talked about the programs that help our neighbors take steps toward stability. We also talked about how we’re using AI to support our work and the people we serve.

LPC has stopped at Hope Town for several years now. Our CEO, Ted St. John, has always been out of town for the visit, so we were glad he could be here this year to lead it himself.

Thank you, Leadership Portage County, for helping leaders get to know the people and organizations that make this county home. We’re grateful for the chance to share our work, and we look forward to the conversations that come next.

10/07/2026

Today, Grant Kirkwood and I gave our first presentation together at the 2026 Ohio Council Annual Conference in Columbus: “Leading Through Change – Building AI-Ready Teams & Systems.”

We were grateful for the invitation to share what we’re learning at Hope Town about responsible AI implementation in behavioral health—and how to prepare the people and organizations who will use it.

Our conversation covered implementing local AI models, protecting sensitive information, and building the training and governance needed to guide responsible, ethical use. Leaders, practitioners, and everyday users all need the knowledge, clear expectations, and ongoing support to navigate this change thoughtfully.

The purpose behind this work is simple: help organizations improve outcomes and the experience of the people they serve, while giving providers better tools and more time for meaningful human connection.

At Hope Town, helping the helpers is part of our mission. We’re excited to keep sharing our experience, learning alongside others, and helping our field move forward with intention.

Thank you to The Ohio Council of Behavioral Health & Family Services Providers for making room for this important conversation.

10/07/2026

Sometimes the most meaningful support comes with a set of keys.

Thanks to the generosity of Hometown Bank, our Hope on Wheels fleet has grown by one vehicle. Reliable transportation is often what stands between a person and a job interview, a doctor's appointment, or a meeting with their support network. This gift means more of our neighbors can get where they need to go.

Our administrative coordinator, Zoey St. John, met with Melissa Koher, Senior Vice President and Administrative Officer, and Cathleen Fertig Clark, who keeps the front desk running and is known as the "mom" of the Main Branch. Hometown Bank has long shown up for Portage County, and we are grateful to count them as partners in this work.

Join us in thanking Melissa, Cathleen, and the whole Hometown Bank team for helping our neighbors move forward.

10/07/2026

Some dinners leave you with more energy than you brought to the table. Dinner with Nicole Jackson was one of those.

Nicole, CTO of Optimum Technology and an international AI governance expert, has become an incredible mentor and friend as we build Hope Town AI. We’re strengthening our relationship with Nicole and her organization as we develop governance policies, practices, and readiness.

We’re also thrilled that Nicole has agreed to join the Hope Town AI advisory board and lead our governance committee—an important step forward for our organization.

Our conversation kept coming back to this: responsible, ethical AI takes more than a policy. It requires people who know how to put it into practice, along with training and curriculum that prepare leaders, practitioners, and operators for a rapidly changing world.

As a real-world AI practitioner, Hope Town is actively putting responsible AI into practice, learning from the experience, and building systems that work beyond theory. We look forward to sharing practical insights that may also inform Optimum’s work with other organizations.

AI can feel like a Ferrari without a steering wheel, with everyone’s foot on the gas. We need to move thoughtfully and intentionally, building the skills, accountability, and direction to match the technology’s capabilities.

Thank you, Nicole, for your friendship, mentorship, and generosity. We’re grateful for this partnership and excited about what it can mean for the people and organizations we serve.

10/06/2026

Grant and I spent an invaluable afternoon with Ravi Tenneti at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business, talking about what responsible AI adoption can mean for nonprofits, behavioral health, and recovery organizations.

We shared what we’re learning at Hope Town—the investments we’ve made, the hard lessons, and the challenges we’re working through. Our conversation covered organizing and centralizing data, reducing administrative burden, and understanding where today’s AI capabilities can make a practical difference for the people doing this work.

Ravi brings years of AI experience, executive leadership, and an energy that makes you want to think bigger. We appreciated his willingness to listen, challenge our thinking, and help us sharpen our ideas while learning more about the realities of our field.

We’re also excited to be working with Ravi, Zack Huhn, and the Enterprise Technology Association toward AI executive education courses for nonprofit leaders through Ohio State. Bringing practical experience and executive education together is an opportunity we’re grateful to help shape.

Thank you, Ravi, for your time, insight, and partnership. We left with clearer thinking and plenty of momentum.

At Hope Town, helping the helpers is part of our mission. Conversations like this help us move that work forward.