Mahoning County Mental Health & Recovery Board

09/03/2026

Recovery doesn't have to happen alone. 💙 For National Recovery Month, we're beginning with a simple but powerful reminder: recovery grows through connection.

When people have supportive relationships, access to resources, meaningful work, safe housing, peer support, family, and a community that believes in them, they have more opportunities to build lives rooted in hope and purpose.

Recovery is not the responsibility of one person or one organization. It takes a community working together—behavioral health providers, families, employers, schools, faith communities, peer support, recovery programs, and organizations all have a role to play.

At the Mahoning County Mental Health & Recovery Board, we believe that connecting people to the right support at the right time can make a meaningful difference.

Addiction thrives in isolation. Recovery grows through connection. 💙

This month, let's look beyond the challenges and recognize the people, partnerships, and communities helping recovery happen every day across Mahoning County.

Every connection matters. Every partnership strengthens recovery. Every person deserves a path forward.
Learn more about National Recovery Month and recovery resources through SAMHSA at:
https://www.samhsa.gov/substance-use/recovery

📲 Follow along throughout September as we celebrate recovery, share resources, challenge stigma, and highlight the many pathways to healing in our community.

09/01/2026

Our mission is rooted in hope, connection, and community. 💙

Our mission is to support and improve the quality of life for residents of Mahoning County by instilling hope through accessible mental health and recovery services, and by promoting prevention, education, and advocacy.

From mental health and su***de prevention to recovery, education, and community resources, we’re here to help connect our community with the support they need—because no one should have to navigate their mental health journey alone.

Follow along with us as we work alongside our community to:
🧠 Promote mental health & wellness
💙 Break down stigma
🫶 Support su***de prevention
🌱 Champion recovery
📚 Share education & resources
🤝 Connect people with help

Together, we can build a healthier, more hopeful Mahoning County. Follow us and be part of the conversation. 💙

***dePrevention

08/31/2026

When gambling starts affecting your life, it may be more than just a game. 🎰

Problem gambling occurs when someone continues to gamble despite negative consequences to their finances, relationships, work, or overall well-being. Gambling can include casinos, slot machines, scratch-offs, sports betting, and more—and like other addictive behaviors, it can activate the brain’s reward system and become difficult to control.

SOME WARNING SIGNS INCLUDE:
🚩 Feeling restless or irritable when trying to stop
🚩 Trying to hide how much you gamble
🚩 Gambling with increasing amounts of money
🚩 Repeatedly trying and failing to stop
🚩 Gambling when stressed or using it to cope
🚩 Chasing losses by gambling more to try to win money back
🚩 Lying about gambling
🚩 Putting relationships, work, or responsibilities at risk
🚩 Experiencing financial problems because of gambling
🚩 Relying on family or friends for financial help

Anyone who gambles can develop a gambling problem. Recognizing the signs in yourself or someone you care about is an important first step—and reaching out for support is a sign of strength, not weakness. 💙

Meridian Healthcare offers resources and support for individuals experiencing problem gambling and other behavioral health challenges.

🔗 Learn more and find resources through Meridian Healthcare: https://meridianhealthcare.net/patient-care/addiction-help/gambling-addiction-information-treatment-program/

📞 If you or someone you know is struggling with problem gambling, call the Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966.

You don't have to navigate it alone. Help is available, and recovery is possible. 💙

🔎 Wondering if gambling may be becoming a problem for you? Take a quick self-assessment:
https://screening.mhanational.org/screening-tools/gambling/?layout=actions_c

Awareness can be the first step toward change. Support is available, and recovery is possible. 💙

08/30/2026

Today, on Grief Awareness Day, we hold space for everyone carrying the weight of losing someone they love—whether to su***de, addiction, illness, or any other loss.

To the survivor of su***de loss, the family member grieving someone lost to addiction, or anyone quietly learning how to live with an empty space where someone once was: your grief is valid. Your love is still here. And you do not have to carry it alone.

Some days may feel heavy. Some may bring unexpected memories, tears, anger, and more. There is no “right” way to grieve. Healing doesn't mean forgetting—it means learning to carry the love alongside the loss, one day at a time. 🕊️

Be gentle with yourself today. Reach out. Talk about them. Say their name. Let someone sit with you in the hard moments. And remember that asking for support is not a sign of weakness—it is an act of courage.

For anyone struggling with grief, mental health, or thoughts of su***de, help is available. Call or text 988 to connect with the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline. 💙

You are here. You are loved. And you don't have to walk through this alone.

***deLossSurvivor

08/27/2026

WKBN is shining a light on an important event happening in our community for International Overdose Awareness Day. 💜 International Overdose Awareness Day is a time to remember the lives lost, support those who are grieving, reduce stigma, and remind our community that recovery is possible.

This Thursday, Mahoning County will come together for an Overdose Awareness Day event at First Unitarian Universalist Church in Youngstown. The evening will include community resources, health screenings, free Narcan training and distribution, harm reduction education, recovery stories, and a candlelight vigil honoring those lost to overdose. Luminarias will also be available for anyone who would like to remember a loved one.

Since last August, 76 drug-related deaths have occurred in Mahoning County. Behind every number is a person, a family, and a story that matters.

Join us in creating a space for remembrance without stigma, shame, or judgment—while sharing resources, education, and hope with those who need it.

📅 Thursday, August 27
⏰ 6–9 PM | Speakers begin at 8 PM
📍 First Unitarian Universalist Church | 1105 Elm St., Youngstown

💜 Recovery happens. Hope is here. And together, we can make a difference.

Read the full WKBN article and learn more about this important community event:

OhioCAN is scheduled to host its 12th International Overdose Awareness Day event this Thursday at the First Unitarian Universalist Church in Youngstown to provide resources, training, and a memoria…

08/26/2026

TOMORROW: INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY EVENT 💜🚨

Tomorrow, we come together to remember lives lost, support those in recovery, share resources, reduce stigma, and remind our community that overdose is preventable.

📅 TOMORROW — Thursday, August 27
⏰ 6:00–9:00 PM
📍 First Unitarian Universalist Church
1105 Elm St., Youngstown, OH 44505

A few important times to remember:

💜 6:00–8:00 PM: Free Narcan training & distribution
🎤 8:00 PM: Speakers begin
🕯️ 8:30 PM: Candlelight vigil & reading of names of those lost to overdose
Bring your family, bring a friend, or simply come as you are. There will be music, children's activities, community resources, harm reduction supplies, recovery stories, luminarias, and opportunities to remember loved ones.

This is a space for hope, healing, education, and remembrance—without stigma, shame, or judgment.

💜 Tomorrow, let’s stand together.

Together We Can. Hosted by OhioCan

For more information:
Hope Lovrinoff-Moran
📞 330-507-5313
📧 [email protected]

08/21/2026

MORE THAN AN EVENT—A EVENING OF CONNECTION, EDUCATION & REMEMBRANCE. 💜

Join us for International Overdose Awareness Day and spend an evening surrounded by community, resources, stories of recovery, and opportunities to honor those we’ve lost.

Here’s what you can expect:

🎶 Music, games & children’s activities
💜 Free Narcan training & distribution | 6–8 PM
🧠 Substance Use Disorder education
🫶 Harm reduction education & supplies, including Narcan, fentanyl & xylazine test strips and condoms
🎤 Community speakers & Voices of Recovery
🗣️ Hope Lovrinoff-Moran — Ohio CAN Mahoning County Harm Reduction Outreach
🗣️ Aimee & Riley Fay — Our Journeys: From Teens Finding Recovery to Navigating Recovery as a Couple
🗣️ Rev. J. Boyd — Harm Reduction: Love in Action
💜 Voice of Loss
🤝 Community resource tables
🧺 Free feminine hygiene essentials, diapers, personal hygiene products & children’s gift bags
🕯️ Luminarias honoring those lost to overdose
🕯️ Candlelight Vigil & reading of names | 8:30 PM

📅 Thursday, August 27, 2026
⏰ 6:00–9:00 PM
📍 First Unitarian Universalist Church
1105 Elm St., Youngstown, OH 44505

Come for the resources. Stay for the stories. Leave knowing you’re part of a community that cares. 💜

08/19/2026

REMEMBERING WITHOUT STIGMA. HONORING WITHOUT JUDGMENT. 💜 International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) is a global event held each year around August 31 to raise awareness about overdose, reduce the stigma surrounding drug-related deaths, and acknowledge the grief carried by families, friends, and communities.

It is a day to remember the lives lost, support those affected, and remind our community that overdose deaths are preventable. It creates space for loved ones to step out of the darkness and into the light—remembering those we’ve lost with compassion, dignity, and without shame.

Join us as we come together for an evening of remembrance, education, hope, and community. 💜

📅 Thursday, August 27, 2026
⏰ 6:00–9:00 PM
📍 First Unitarian Universalist Church
1105 Elm St., Youngstown, OH 44505

🎤 Speakers begin at 8:00 PM.

Together, we can remember. Together, we can reduce stigma. Together, we can prevent overdose.

08/14/2026

Remember. Educate. Prevent. Together We Can. 💜 Join us for International Overdose Awareness Day—an evening dedicated to remembering those we’ve lost, supporting those in recovery, sharing resources, and working together to prevent overdose without stigma, shame, or judgment.

📅 Thursday, August 27
⏰ 6:00–9:00 PM
📍 First Unitarian Universalist Church
1105 Elm St., Youngstown, OH 44505

This family-friendly event will include:
💜 Free Narcan training & distribution
💜 Harm reduction education and supplies
💜 Substance use disorder education
💜 Community resource tables
💜 Music, games & children’s activities
💜 Voices of Recovery & community speakers
💜 Luminarias honoring loved ones lost to overdose
💜 Candlelight Vigil & reading of names at 8:30 PM

Speakers begin at 8:00 PM, with Narcan training and distribution available from 6:00–8:00 PM.
International Overdose Awareness Day reminds us that every life matters, every story matters, and overdose deaths are preventable. Come stand with our community as we remember those we’ve lost, support those still here, and spread a message of hope. 💜

Together, we can reduce stigma. Together, we can save lives.

08/13/2026

A few more moments from this week’s Trauma-Informed Train-the-Trainer education! 🤝
We’re grateful for the professionals across Mahoning, Trumbull, and Columbiana Counties who came together to learn, collaborate, and strengthen the way we respond to individuals impacted by trauma.

Better understanding leads to better responses—and stronger communities. 💙