Recovery Is More Than Treatment: NORA Is Building What Comes Next

What happens after treatment?

At Northern Ohio Recovery Association (NORA), we believe that question is just as important as what happens during treatment.

Recovery is about more than completing a program. It is about having a safe place to live, reconnecting with family, finding purpose, getting a job, becoming financially stable and having the opportunity to build a life in recovery.

That is why NORA’s mission is simple: helping individuals, families and the community live lives of recovery.

For over 21 years, NORA has been doing that work in Cleveland, Ohio. Located at 1400 East 55th Street, NORA is a community-based behavioral health organization that understands recovery because we see it every day — and because our leadership has lived it.

Recovery Is Personal

NORA President and CEO Anita Bradley has been in recovery for more than 30 years. Her lived experience is part of the foundation of NORA. She understands that recovery is possible, but she also understands that people need more than treatment to sustain it.

They need opportunity.
They need stability.
They need a community that believes in them.

Anita has spent more than three decades walking and talking the talk of recovery, and she has built an organization that reflects that belief.

NORA is CARF-accredited, demonstrating our commitment to quality, accountability and services that meet nationally recognized standards.

But we are not standing still.

Building a One-Stop Shop

NORA is working toward becoming an accredited one-stop shop for recovery, employment and self-sufficiency. We envision a place where individuals can receive behavioral health services while also connecting to the practical supports that help them build their next chapter.

NORA already provides residential and recovery-focused housing supports, including women’s sober housing, men’s residential services and sober housing. We are expanding that vision.

Our workforce initiative is designed to help individuals move from treatment to recovery to employment and greater self-sufficiency. Employment services can include job readiness, resume development, computer skills, interviewing, job development, job coaching and connections to education and community resources.

Because getting well is important. Building a life is the next step.

A Home Is Part of Recovery

Housing is another critical piece of that journey. NORA is currently engaged in a capital campaign to raise funds to build additional homes for women and children. We believe families in recovery deserve safe, supportive places where they can heal, grow and move forward together.

A house is more than a building.
It can be the beginning of stability.
It can be where a mother begins rebuilding her life.
It can be where children experience safety and consistency.

And it can be the foundation from which a family moves toward a healthier future. We are inviting the community to be part of making that vision possible.

Our Community. Our Responsibility.

NORA believes recovery belongs to all of us. When individuals recover, families have an opportunity to heal. When families are stronger, communities become stronger. That is why our work extends beyond the walls of a treatment program.

We are building partnerships. We are expanding workforce opportunities. We are strengthening housing supports. We are pursuing additional accreditation. And we are developing a model that connects the pieces of recovery instead of asking people to navigate disconnected systems on their own.

Our goal is straightforward: one organization, connected services, and a stronger pathway from treatment to recovery to opportunity.

Twenty-one years into NORA’s journey, we remain committed to the work. There is still much to build. There are more lives to touch. More families to support. More opportunities to create. And more people who need someone to believe that recovery is possible.

We invite you to learn more about NORA, our services, our capital campaign and how you can become part of the work at norainc.org.

Because recovery is not just about what happens in treatment. It is about what happens next. And NORA is committed to empower individuals, families and communities to support lifestyles of recovery.

— Dorenda Swanson, Workforce Program Director, Northern Ohio Recovery Association