January 29, 2025
From Fairfield County ADAMH
Toni Ashton, Prevention and Community Manager with the Fairfield County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board will retire Jan. 29. Ashton, a Licensed Social Worker and Ohio Certified Prevention Consultant, has provided work in behavioral health for over 40 years.
Wherever there was a gap in services, Ashton sought ways to fill it. Along with several other agencies and organizations in Fairfield County, she launched Prevention Works for a Drug Free Fairfield County– a coalition focused on preventing and reducing substance abuse in youth in Fairfield County.
Ashton facilitated numerous trainings and presented programs to audiences of all types not just locally in Fairfield County, but throughout the State of Ohio and some at the national level – always serving as an advocate for prevention programs to help those in need. One such program, Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) Ashton coordinated the first responders in Fairfield County to prepare them for mental health situations they may encounter when in the field. The training, Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) focuses on suicide prevention. This training was presented to businesses and even inmates in the county jail.
The P.A.R.T. (Prevention, Advocacy, Recovery and Treatment) Coalition (FKA Fairfield County Opiate Task Force) was established with Ashton at the helm addressing areas around substance use disorder in Fairfield County.
Ashton’s prevention work spanned over the entire county and many organizations celebrated her commitment through numerous awards and recognitions over the years. In more recent years; The Outstanding Leadership Award by the Ohio Educational Service Center Association, 2012; the Youth Services Award in May 2016 from the Robert K Fox Family Y; the Firefly Award, 2018 by the Fairfield County Family and Children First Council; and the 2024 Health Guardian Award through the Fairfield County Health Department.
A Licensed Social Worker through the State of Ohio, Ashton is also an Ohio Certified Prevention Consultant through Ohio Chemical Dependency Board and an internationally certified prevention specialist.
“We are grateful for the service Toni Ashton brought to Fairfield County as prevention and community manager at the Fairfield County ADAMH Board,” Marcy Fields, Executive Director said. “If a gap in services was discovered, Toni would get to work on discovering ways to fill it – she never saw an end to what needed to or could be done to help others, and she will be missed by all who had the privilege to work with her,” Fields added.
First responders, city and county officials, former and current coworkers of service organizations, along with members of Ashton’s family gathered at the ADAMH Office on Tuesday to celebrate Ashton at an open house held in her honor. Later that same day, the Fairfield County Board Members recognized the work that has left an indelible impact on Fairfield County at the monthly board meeting.
The tree of life was used throughout the day to symbolize the legacy Ashton has created in Fairfield County. The many programs she initiated and developed will continue to grow and flourish to serve the residents of Fairfield County for years to come.
