Our History
Since 1988, FrontLine Service has been providing critical support and services to those experiencing homelessness, trauma and crisis in Cuyahoga County.
1988
Our agency was created as Mental Health Services for Homeless Persons in response to the growing number of individuals who were struggling with severe, untreated mental illness and who were living in places not meant for human habitation.
Teams outreached into the community to locate and begin to build the trust that was needed for individuals to accept the help that was offered. This non-traditional, innovative service philosophy of reaching out to those in need continues to be at the core of the services and programs we offer today. These services range from outreach, case management, forensic re-entry and diversion, supported employment, and psychiatric and medical services. Specialized services and housing programs have been created for veterans, young adults, and families experiencing homelessness and those who have endured homelessness for years.
1995
Responding to the desperate need for supported housing, we successfully applied to the Department of Housing and Urban Development to create and operate one of the first Safe Havens in the nation.
We continue to operate Safe Havens today, providing the intensive services and support needed to help residents stabilize from long term psychiatric and health problems.
1995
The Cuyahoga County Mental Health Board (now the Alcohol Drug Addiction Mental Health Services board) awarded the operations of the county’s psychiatric Adult Mobile Crisis Team to our agency.
We expanded our outreach work in the community to respond to those who were experiencing a psychiatric crisis and those who were contemplating ending their lives by suicide. Crisis services expanded to include the Crisis Stabilization Unit in 2013, a short-term residential program, and the Child Response Team in 2014.
1999
FrontLine secured funding to create the first Children Who Witness Violence program in the country in response to the growing number of requests received to assist children in our community who had witnessed violence in their own home or neighborhood.
We continue to work closely with law enforcement and other partners to provide support and services to these children and their families. In 2008, we expanded our trauma services to include working with those impacted by a sudden and violent loss (Traumatic Loss Response Team) and in 2012 we partnered with the county and other providers to respond to children who evidenced symptoms of trauma, through the Defending Childhood Initiative.
2004
FrontLine assumed operations of the Community Women’s Shelter, later renamed The Norma Herr Women’s Center.
The largest emergency women’s shelter in the state of Ohio, FrontLine continued to operate the Center through 2018.
2006
FrontLine worked extensively with other community partners to explore housing models which would address the vast number of adults who were chronically homeless and living with a severe mental illness.
Emerald Commons, the first of thirteen Housing First sites to be created in our community, was opened in 2006, providing permanent supportive housing in a newly constructed, 52 unit apartment building.
2009
FrontLine piloted a centralized process for individuals and families seeking housing stabilization assistance from shelters funded by the county’s Continuum of Care.
Coordinated Intake & Assessment services now include intake, screening and assessment, diversion from homelessness and referrals to community resources.
2013
Following the gathering of input from community stakeholders, individuals and families served, staff and board members, it was evident that the agency name no longer accurately depicted the organization.
We rebranded our agency under the name FrontLine Service, highlighting the unique role we play in our community and our service philosophy of reaching out to those in crisis to provide the support and services needed for healing and recovery to occur.
2014
In partnership with Care Alliance, our agencies collaborated on the creation of an Integrated Care Clinic.
Both agencies now provide primary and behavioral healthcare to individuals who are challenged with a severe mental illness and who are homeless or formerly homeless. This model has been proven to dramatically reduce barriers to care, maximizing recovery and stabilization.
2017
FrontLine merged with the Cleveland Mediation Center (CMC), a center which has been resolving community disputes and providing conflict resolution training in Northeast Ohio since 1981.
FrontLine and CMC have been partnering for many years. This merger enables us to expand these much-needed services into our community programming.
Accreditations
The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) has awarded to Mental Health Services for Homeless Persons, Inc. (DBA FrontLine Service) three-year accreditation continuously since August 2006 for the following programs:
Case Management/Services Coordination: Adults Mental Health and AOD (Alcohol and Other Drugs/Addictions)
Case Management/Services Coordination: Children and Adolescent Mental Health
Crisis Intervention: Adults Mental Health and AOD (Alcohol and Other Drugs/Addictions)
Crisis Intervention: Children and Adolescent Mental Health
Outpatient Treatment: Adults Mental Health and AOD (Alcohol and Other Drugs/Addictions)
Outpatient Treatment: Children and Adolescent Mental Health
Community Employment Services
FrontLine Service’s Mobile Crisis Team (MCT) earned American Association of Suicidology certification as an approved Crisis Intervention Program in October 2003. MCT is now one of only 150 certified 24/7 crisis response programs in the U.S. and Canada.
The mission of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) is to provide statewide leadership of a high-quality mental health and addiction prevention, treatment and recovery system that is effective and valued by all Ohioans.
