PEPPER PIKE, Ohio — After more than 45 years, New Directions will be closing its doors due to a rapid shift in funding and evolving regulatory requirements impacting residential treatment.
In a press release sent to News 5 on Wednesday, the community-based nonprofit that oversees New Directions, Crossroads Health, said, "After thoughtful review and with guidance from its Board of Directors, Crossroads Health has made the difficult but necessary decision to conclude adolescent residential substance use disorder services at New Directions in Pepper Pike."
New admissions have ended and residential services will close by June 30.
Crossroads Health President and CEO Leslie Quilty said, "Every individual currently served will have a personalized transition plan. We are prioritizing step-down and continuing care options—including services available through Crossroads Health. No client will be discharged without a plan. Our focus is on maintaining continuity, stability, and compassionate care for youth, families, and the systems that support them."
MJ Nash, a former employee of New Directions for nearly a decade who wore many different hats, told me it felt like a blindside to hear about the soon-to-be closure.
"Things seemed fine a couple months ago. I was shocked because they did have the corner like on the adolescent market, you know, I mean, as far as, you know, drug and alcohol treatment goes. It's pretty sad to see it end this way," Nash said.
Nash started his chemical dependency career at New Directions in 2000, now being in that field for 25 years.
"It kind of doesn't make sense to me," he told me Monday afternoon. "I can't say one bad thing about it. I mean, they treated the kids and the families with dignity, you know, they weren't overbearing, they weren't too punitive. They met the clients where they were at instead of where they thought they should be and demanding this, demanding that."
Nash recalled New Directions prioritizing patients' health and mental well-being during the week, then making sure they still had a good social life on the weekend.
"We would take them to laser tag or, you know, go-karts or whatever. I mean, the movies, we did all that kind of stuff with them. The kids there, they had a decent time. I'm still in the recovery community and I still see a lot of those kids sober today," Nash said.
One of those kids serviced years ago was Denise Strasser.
"Well, let's see, it was 1982 and I was 15 years old," Strasser said.
Strasser said she'd gone through a 28-day treatment in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, prior to that. Beyond that, she said there weren't many places that met her support needs.
A counselor then told Strasser's family about New Directions, she told me.
At that time, Strasser said the facility only served six girls and six boys.
"At the time, I was pregnant, and I had decided that I wanted to have the baby and give it up for adoption. I wasn't thinking long term of sobriety at the time. I was thinking about a place to go have my baby," Strasser said.
From what Strasser recalls, she said she believes she was the facility's first pregnant teen to be accepted.
Strasser ended up residing at New Directions for eight months.
When asked if she had a positive experience, she said, "Oh, I definitely did, yeah. They were awesome, learned a lot."
Strasser said she was heading down a bad path towards substance abuse, despite not having used for long, and because of New Directions, she was able to get sober.
"Once I left there, I wanted to continue my recovery, you know, went to meetings and got involved and got a sponsor," Strasser said.
Hearing that a place that helped her get to where she is today is now closing, she said it makes her sad.
"It's frustrating that places like that are closing when there's such a need for mental health facilities, especially residential," Strasser said. "That's what helped me too—being in a residential [facility] 24/7. I didn't have to be trying at the time, trying to stay sober and going to school or doing that and living with my family. Definitely residential was really good for me and it's good for adolescents."
While an unfortunate closing, Nash said he's confident a similar program to New Directions will be quick to take its place, especially as he and other employees of it have begun talks of doing so.
"What we were talking about is starting an adolescent PHP with supportive housing, which would typically be the same thing almost, and that might be coming later in November. I mean, other people will take its place. It's not gonna last long as far as not having those services for adolescents, but it is too bad," Nash said.
As for the 28 full- and part-time staff members of New Directions, Crossroads Health said some will remain part of the nonprofit's team, while others will be supported in securing employment with nonprofit organizations offering similar services in Cuyahoga, Lake, and Geauga counties.
"Although residential services at New Directions are ending, Crossroads Health’s responsibility to children and families continues. The Board and leadership team are actively exploring how the existing New Directions endowment and related philanthropic resources can carry forward its legacy—supporting families in meaningful, sustainable, and accessible ways into the future. Additional details regarding treatment and service options will be shared throughout the coming months," Crossroads Health said in a press release.
I reached out to Cuyahoga and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services for more information on the closure of New Directions.
I've also reached out to the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board to inquire about the funding provided to New Directions this year and what would happen to that.
Any updates will be provided here.
