The 1979 State Plan from the Ohio Department of Health identified that youth substance abuse treatment was the number one health priority for Ohio. This plan, allocated to be awarded to the first community in Ohio to provide vision, commitment, a program model and a site for residential treatment of substance dependent youth with mental health challenges. Thanks to the inspired leadership of the local planning and funding Board, Cleveland was awarded funding for this unique program and New Directions was born.

The initial Board of Directors arranged for the consultants to help develop the program, deal with various start-up needs, hire the executive director, and recruit more volunteer Board members. In 1980 Nikki Babbit was hired as Executive Director.

On February 8, 1981, we welcomed our first clients into the facility provided by David Gleason. Gleason, President of the Austin Powder Company agreed to donate two of their farmhouses in Glenwillow, Ohio, to house the new program.

With the hard work, dedication, and commitment of our Board of Directors we moved to our permanent site on Chagrin Boulevard in 1989.

The word “demonstration” in our grant took on a new meaning: showcase. The Ohio Department of Health sent national and international health care officials and treatment providers to review our model. The most interesting visitors were those from the Soviet Union. As a result of these visits, Nikki Babbit was invited to discuss adolescent treatment and New Directions at the first Sino-American Conference on Alcoholism in Moscow. She was also given the opportunity to help start AA and Al-Anon in Moscow.

Upon Nikki’s retirement in 1995, the Board of Directors conducted a search for her replacement, and as so often happens, the best can often be found in our own backyard. Mike Matoney was hired as our new Executive Director. Mike was one of our first counselors in 1981, and after five years, moved on to hospital based programs. With this knowledge and experience he was ready to lead us through the challenges and keep us moving in a positive direction.

Since then, we not only grew in space, we expanded our programming to include various levels of outpatient treatment, parent empowerment groups, and home-based treatment. In 2001, we started our gender specific residential treatment program.

The W. Hayden Thompson Center was named in tribute to the New Directions Chairman Emeritus of the same name.

In 2007, in collaboration with Applewood Centers, we opened a dual diagnosis treatment program for male adolescents on the west side of Cleveland.

The New Directions team surpassed our Building Hope for the Future Campaign goal to raise $3.1 million. On June 26, 2008, female adolescent clients moved into their new building constructed by the generosity of our community.  Named after one of the New Directions Board Members, the Nancy Hanna House on our Chagrin campus officially opened its doors.

We expanded our mission to include young adults and implemented a Recovery Housing Program. Integrated into individual treatment plans, New Directions began providing access to a Recovery App and Peer Recovery Coaching for each client. Recovery Support avenues have become available 24 hours a day / 7 days a week / 365 days a year.

New Directions partnered with Young People in Recovery to establish Greater Cleveland Chapters supporting young people in or seeking recovery by empowering them to obtain stable employment, secure suitable housing, and continue and complete their educations.