Who We Are
Mission Statement
Our mission is to help and encourage individuals who are struggling with mental illness, trauma and substance use disorder by offering services with a holistic approach.
Vision Statement
Our vision is to provide culturally competent, holistic, and wellness focused services for self-directed recovery and mental health through authentic programs.
Goal
The goal of Free Agents 4 Recovery is to educate, encourage and empower, offering hope for a better quality of life.
Values
Respect, Culture-Sensitive, Trauma Informed, Inclusive, Person-Driven
Free Agents 4 Recovery recognizes there are multiple pathways to wellness recovery.
State of Ohio Certified Peer Services, Peer Run Organization, General Services,
Therapeutic Behavioral Services and Psychosocial Rehabilitation
About us
Free Agents 4 Recovery
A safe place for mental health and recovery life.
When come to Free Agents 4 Recovery, you become part of an accepting, caring community of people who will understand you, who’ve had similar experiences as you, and who value you.
Free Agents 4 Recovery is a Peer Run Organization that offers opportunities for members to reach their full potential. We are a vibrant community in which our peers can share life events and gather support for accomplishments or challenges.
The personal bonds and friendships formed at Free Agents 4 Recovery can last a lifetime.
We help our peers lead normal and productive lives by offering opportunities to increase social and vocational skills.
Free Agents 4 Recovery believes that work is restorative and provides a firm foundation for growth and individual achievement as well as the belief that normalized social and recreational opportunities are an important part of a person’s path to wellness/recovery.
Free Agents 4 Recovery is family friendly and encourages all members of the family and friends to attend support meetings and our social sober events. We believe the presence of a supportive family can transform the treatment process helping with a successful recovery and wellness journey.
A welcoming community of encouragement, strength, and hope.
Our Executive Director and
the start of Free Agents 4 Recovery
Before dedicating his life to recovery and advocacy, Darnell Howard Sr. had a very different kind of career—one that began on the court. In the early 1980s, he signed as a free agent with a professional basketball team and went on to play overseas in Turkey for two years. But beneath the surface of this athletic success, Darnell was quietly battling a cocaine addiction that had started during his service in the United States Navy. Upon returning to the States, he sought help through the VA and began what would become a lifelong commitment to sobriety and service to others.Darnell holds a Bachelor Degree in Human Services and an Associate of Applied Science with options in Addiction and Mental Health. He is a CDCA State Licensed Drug Counselor, CCAR Certified Recovery Coach Trainer, and a State of Ohio Certified Peer Supporter and Master Facilitator. His credentials reflect both lived experience and formal expertise—an integration that defines the very heart of Free Agents 4 Recovery.
As a tutor at an alternative school, Darnell began noticing that every student’s growth required a unique and genuine connection. He quickly applied this principle to recovery, realizing that one-size-fits-all services weren’t effective. Motivated by gaps in his own recovery experience—some services he didn’t need, and vital ones he was denied—he set out to create a holistic, peer-driven program that could truly meet people where they are.
Although a serious illness forced him to temporarily step away in 2016, it was his daughter TaNesha who reignited the vision by officially founding Free Agents 4 Recovery in 2018. With family support, Darnell resumed his role and transformed the agency into a trusted hub for community-based recovery services across Portage County. His contributions include serving on state-level committees focused on recovery rights and mental health stigma, training more peer supporters than anyone in the state, and building bridges for countless individuals transitioning out of incarceration or treatment.
At Free Agents 4 Recovery, we operate with the compassion and resilience of a true free agent—unbound, prepared, and always ready to serve. Darnell’s lived experience and unwavering dedication continue to guide us in doing what others won’t: offering real hope and real help, one peer at a time.