Axess Family Services and Children’s Advantage on Feb. 19 announced that the two nonprofits are merging.
Children’s Advantage provides behavioral healthcare services to children, adolescents and families. Axess Family Services offers comprehensive primary care and provides a wide range of community support programs that address homelessness and housing issues, transportation, food insecurity, domestic violence, behavioral health and addiction, and gaps in care for youth, seniors and veterans.
“Together we can evolve and strengthen our clinical practices, invest in our staff, find ways to work more efficiently, grow our service range and locations and develop more flexible services to better meet client needs,” said Kathy Regal, CEO of Children’s Advantage.
The two behavioral health organizations have served Portage County residents for decades as Children’s Advantage was formed in 1975 and Axess Family Services can trace its roots back to 1941.
Axess Family Services Executive Director Mark Frisone has overseen more than 30 mergers in his 33-year career with what’s now known as Axess Family Services, which itself was formed on Jan. 1, 2024, when AxessPointe Community Health Centers and Family & Community Services merged.
“The clinical specialties of Children’s Advantage will complement those of Axess Family Services,” he said. “The future for children and families in the area will be markedly improved by this merger.”
John Garrity, executive director of the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County, said the merger adds up to “more comprehensive, accessible and effective mental health services for the families of Portage County.”
Children’s Advantage will remain at its Ravenna location and will retain its name, said Karyn Kravetz, associate director of the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County.
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.