Helen Jones-Kelley Named PRSA Dayton's Newsmaker of the Year
Helen Jones-Kelley, Executive Director of Montgomery County ADAMHS, has been named the Newsmaker of the Year by PRSA Dayton. Jones-Kelley's contributions to the field of mental health have been invaluable, and her work has earned her this well-deserved recognition.
Jones-Kelley is known for being the first person the media turns to when needing an expert on mental health. She is a trusted voice in our community, and she adjusts her schedule to be available to the media in times of crises. In just the first three months of 2023, ADAMHS was interviewed for 111 news stories, resulting in 1.6 million impressions, creating $235,687 in PR value for ADAMHS, according to a report by a recent media audit.
"As a government agency, we are unable to purchase large amounts of media time, so it's important for ADAMHS to build partnerships with local and statewide media organizations to use our voice to share life-saving information with our community. Helen is our leader in this initiative. Helen is a passionate, compassionate leader in the greater Dayton area," said Tina Rezash Rogal, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Communication at ADAMHS.
Jones-Kelley's work extends beyond media appearances. She works to find gaps in services available in our community, then sets out to find solutions to fill those gaps. A recent example is the implementation of the Crisis Now model in Montgomery County. Jones-Kelley was concerned that our residents did not have access to quality mental health services 24/7, and because of that, individuals in mental health crisis were often taken to jail or the hospital emergency room. After a full year of planning, the Crisis Now model was launched in Montgomery County in January 2022. The data for the first year proves the great need for mental health services. More than 12,000 people called the Crisis Call Center in the first year of operation, with more than 600 visits to individuals from the Mobile Crisis Response Team. This spring, the Crisis Receiving Center will open in Dayton, allowing individuals in mental health crisis to walk into a state-of-the-art facility for immediate care. The Crisis Receiving Center will also be a place police officers can take someone in mental health crisis, as opposed to jail. This is the first time in the country that the entire Crisis Now model will be implemented in one location. This is a huge win for our community and the result of Jones-Kelley's vision to ensure every citizen in our community will be able to access the care they need and be treated with dignity and respect.
Jones-Kelley gives so much of herself to our community. She currently sits on the boards of Sinclair College, Dayton Children's Hospital, Family and Children First Council, and is the current Chair of the Health Plan Foundation Board of Directors. Her previous board service includes National CASA, the Dayton Foundation, Miami Valley Hospital, and Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio. Jones-Kelley is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Dayton, where she teaches Public Health Policy in the Political Science Department and a course on Children and the Law in the School of Law. Jones-Kelley implemented the CASA Program at Montgomery County Juvenile Court to give children a voice in the child protection system. She co-founded the African American Women's Giving Circle. She has received numerous honors, including the Ten Top Women of the Year Award, the Evangeline Lindsay Award, Friend of Children, African American Living Legacy and Woman of Integrity, and the YWCA’s Woman of Influence and Lifetime Achievement awards. Jones-Kelley is an NCCJ Humanitarian of the Year
PRSA Dayton will celebrate the achievements of Jones-Kelley and other outstanding public relations projects and campaigns at the Gem City PR Awards on May 24 at the Top of the Market, beginning at 5:30 pm. Don't miss out on the opportunity to celebrate and learn from our region's best PR professionals. Register now and join us for an unforgettable evening.
