Tuesday, October 22, 2002
Neil Kennedy Recovery Clinic was the nation's first private, free-standing, nonprofit alcoholism treatment facility.
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Neil Kennedy Recovery Clinic celebrates its 55th anniversary at 4 p.m. Thursday by placing a plaque at the clinic's original location across the street from McKay Auditorium in Youngstown State University's Beeghly College of Education.
The observance also will include remarks by Lucille Fleming, director of the Ohio Department of Drug and Alcohol Services, and Jerry Carter, Neil Kennedy Center executive director.
Neil Kennedy Recovery Clinic, which began as the Lincoln Avenue Clinic on Lincoln Avenue near Fifth Street, is recognized as the nation's first private, free-standing, nonprofit alcoholism treatment facility.
The Lincoln Avenue Clinic was started by Jack Deibel, a local businessman, at the urging of Neil Kennedy, an alcoholic whose wife had to take him to Akron for Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
The clinic has 16 in-patient beds, sees from 1,500 to 2,000 clients a year, and has programs for men, women and juveniles.
History
Here is a chronology of the development of NKRC.
U1947: Kennedy started the first AA organization in Youngstown and became the clinic's first executive director. Meetings were conducted on the first floor and patients were housed on the second floor while detoxification occurred and they were taught the 12-Step AA program.
U1967: The clinic moved to its current location at 2151 Rush Blvd., on the city's South Side and at the time was one of the first facilities in the nation built specifically for treatment of alcoholics.
U1978: NKRC was certified by the Ohio Department of Health and accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations; and outpatient and prevention services were started with the assistance of public funds from the state.
U1983: The clinic added outpatient services for adolescents.
U1987: A project called Woman to Woman, a prevention outreach treatment program, was begun.
U1989: A new residential wing was added; and Dick Riley Fellowship Hall was opened on the other side of Rush Boulevard to house 12-Step meetings.
U1991: The name of the clinic was changed to the Neil Kennedy Recovery Clinic.
U1994: NKRC joined with other county agencies to form Prevention Partners Plus, a prevention program.
U1998: A Juveniles Diversion Program, in coordination with the Mahoning County Juvenile Court, was begun, and a new site opened in Crestwood Center, 25 N. Canfield-Niles Road, Austintown.
U2000: A site was opened at 160 Clifton Drive N.E. in Howland, and NKRC became a primary partner with the Mahoning County Misdemeanor Drug Court to provide treatment services for referrals from the court.
U2001: Programming was restructured to provide gender-specific treatment, and NKRC partnered with the Mahoning County Juvenile Drug Court to become the court's primary source for outpatient referrals.
U2002: NKRC opened a Residential Substance Abuse Treatment program for incarcerated chemically dependent adolescents in collaboration with the Mahoning County Juvenile Detention Center.