Transforming behavioral health systems requires more than administrative strategy—it demands an unwavering commitment to dignity, community collaboration, and human-centered care.
For Jason Joyce, chief executive officer of the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County, building compassionate networks of support has been the central mission of his career in public service. His leadership approach, rooted in the foundational education he received at Kent State University, has reshaped how mental health and addiction recovery resources are delivered across Northeast Ohio.
Reflecting on his time pursuing a Master of Education in Community Counseling at Kent State, Joyce recalls a formative lesson from his very first class—Intro to Counseling—that continues to dictate his approach to public service and system leadership. "The first thing in counseling you have to do is listen," Joyce said, noting how a classroom listening exercise revealed the transformative power of being truly heard. "If you are in public service, you have got to listen to what people need, to what people want, and not just jam it down their throats. That was true in counseling, and it's been true in leadership."
Throughout his distinguished career, Joyce has applied that collaborative, listening-first mindset to unite healthcare providers, government agencies, grassroots organizations, and local residents around complex behavioral health challenges. At the helm of the ADAMHS Board, he directs countywide efforts to modernize crisis care, expand prevention and recovery programs, and ensure public investments directly respond to the community’s most pressing needs.
Among his most prominent achievements, Joyce spearheaded the transition of the Cuyahoga County Diversion Center into the new $30 million Glick Recovery Campus Crisis Center, significantly expanding comprehensive mental health and addiction services within a fully integrated crisis-care continuum. Aligning stakeholders across such massive projects requires patience, good faith, and an ability to navigate tough financial conversations. "Where it worked really well with the crisis center was being able to have those discussions and getting the commitment to meet again," he said. "Getting people to commit to meeting again, to moving forward, to trying to fight it—that was really big."
Joyce also led a pivotal organizational turnaround at the Hitchcock Center for Women, bringing a state-of-the-art $27 million residential facility in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood from vision to reality to offer a safe, welcoming environment for women seeking treatment. Watching these major facilities transition from blueprints to physical sanctuaries is a gradual, intense journey. "When you're going through that process, you're in the grind... You're worried about the electrical, and the next day is the elevator," Joyce said. "When you go through that process, when you're done, it's more of a sigh of relief than maybe a celebration, but it still feels good."
Beyond these landmark physical facilities, Joyce continuously advances access to prevention, crisis intervention, long-term recovery, and supportive housing options across the region. In recognition of his broad cross-sector impact and civic contributions, Joyce was named one of Cleveland Magazine’s Top 500 Leaders.
As he looks back on his journey toward induction into the 2026 Hall of Fame, Joyce encourages current human services students to pursue their passions wholeheartedly, even when the path ahead seems uncertain.
"If you have a passion for something, and you're dedicated to it, and you're open to that experience, at least for me, it worked out really well," he said. "You have to put in the work, but it's not that hard if you care about it passionately."
Kent State’s College of Education and Human Services is proud to honor Jason Joyce for his dedicated public service and transformational leadership.
