Akron Urban Minority

About Akron Urban Minority

Akron UMADAOP (Akron Urban Minority Alcoholism Drug Abuse Outreach Program) is a community-based agency in Akron, Ohio, offering substance use education, prevention, and treatment to residents of Summit County, with a particular focus on African Americans and other minority communities. They belong to a statewide network of UMADAOP programs created by Ohio legislation in 1980 to meet the needs of African American and Hispanic Ohioans. Their approach rests on the idea that recovery works best when a person’s cultural background is part of the process. They treat addiction as a chronic but treatable illness that affects the whole person, physically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually, so their care is holistic and culturally specific.

Their clinical services serve adults 18 and older, who work with certified counselors on problems tied to alcohol and other drugs, and no one is turned away because they can’t pay. Clinical hours run into the evening Monday through Thursday, with Saturday sessions available by appointment, which can help people balancing work or family obligations. For people coming home from incarceration, their reentry programs pair comprehensive case management with life skills support to help returning citizens settle back into the community. They also run prevention and community education efforts, including youth-led prevention, aimed at building healthier neighborhoods, schools, and families across the county.