Cleveland Agency Tapped to Head Statewide Campaign to Help Ohio Minorities Fighting Addiction

CLEVELAND, Aug. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascent, a subsidiary of Sober Grid, Inc., has hired Cleveland and Cincinnati based marketing and public relations firm The Eisen Agency to lead their statewide advertising and media relations campaign. Ascent has been awarded funding from the Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services Agency to deliver treatment services that increase long-term positive outcomes for those struggling with addiction.

Through online app Sober Grid, the program focuses on providing recovery support services to the African American, Hispanic/Latino American, and other minority communities. This award is funded through federally-appropriated dollars from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency's (SAMHSA) State Opioid Response program to combat the opioid epidemic.

According to Sober Grid CEO, Beau Mann, there is a lack of access to cost effective, 24/7, addiction recovery support in the marketplace, many people in recovery lack access to an effective continuum of care for addiction recovery, and there are limited tools for ongoing and proactive support.

"Now we find ourselves in a situation where COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting communities and individuals of color, and simultaneous to this pandemic are rising tensions across the United States," Mann said. "Each of these scenarios is incredibly trying on their own, but the combination of the two is traumatic for people of color throughout Ohio. We needed a firm that understood the nuances of messaging, and the best avenues for getting those messages out throughout the minority communities in the State of Ohio. The Eisen Agency brought to us a deep understanding of our mission and of the best avenues to maximize our voice."

The Eisen Agency CEO Rodger Roeser said in a pre-COVID-19 world, the statistics surrounding addiction and opioid abuse were already staggering. Nearly 90 percent of people in need of addiction treatment do not receive it, and for those individuals who do receive treatment, 40 – 90 percent will relapse within their first-year post treatment. "But with Sober Grid and the downloadable app, Ohioans needing support and peer counseling can receive it any time via their phone. We're honored to have been selected to share this important technology."

About Ascent

Based in Cuyahoga County, Ascent Powered by Sober Grid is a behavioral health organization that provides evidence-based addiction recovery peer coaching services that offer personalized support 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, to its members who need professional assistance to stay drug free. Ascent pairs its 24/7 peer coaching with the convenience of a mobile application, Sober Grid, so that members can access the right support at the right time. Ascent provides non-facility-based telehealth services that begin with a plan customized by the client, in concert with a coach and other members of his or her support team. As the client moves forward in recovery, coaches remain accessible by phone. Ascent clients are then enrolled in our innovative, clinically-tested recovery mobile application that offers expansive resources for MAT. Not only does the mobile application allow members to interface with one another and provide a network of peer support, it also allows the coaching team to have real-time access to clients at-risk, and can be used in conjunction with electronic medical records. Ascent is currently being used by individuals struggling with addiction, families working to help a loved one, treatment centers, drug courts, and other recovery organizations.

CONTACT: Rodger Roeser, [email protected]

SOURCE The Eisen Agency