OneEighty History

In 1974, STEPS at Liberty Center (formerly Wayne County Alcoholism Services) began as a one-person operation. Over the years, the agency has grown to offer a full continuum of substance use prevention, intervention and treatment services. In 2005, the agency was selected as one of thirteen providers to participate in the Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx) -- a national program tasked with improving the treatment and outcomes of individuals facing substance use challenges. OneEighty remains actively involved in this important effort and since its inception, NIATx has grown to include over 1,000 treatment providers.

Every Woman’s House began in 1978, when a group of women in Wayne County, Ohio, began meeting informally to discuss the need to serve women who were victims of family violence—especially those trying to flee from an abusive partner. The women began using volunteer efforts to provide shelter and support to battered women and rape victims. In 1982, the donation of an eleven-room house allowed the agency to offer a short-term domestic violence shelter, while also expanding its services to include victim advocacy, counseling, support groups, and a 24-hour hotline. The same level of quality service which had been established for decades by Every Woman’s House and STEPS at Liberty Center is still the standard at OneEighty.

In 2024, OneEighty will be celebrating 50 years of supporting substance use and mental health recovery, as well as providing dedicated support services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.