The Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program (UMADAOP) of Ohio were established in 1980, via State legislation spearheaded by State Representative William L. Mallory. Representative Mallory was informed by Don Turner of Cincinnati, a professional field of substance abuse, that the culturally specific needs of African-Americans were not being met. Jacqueline P. Butler, a longtime advocate for under-served populations, shared with State Representative Mallory and others that state monies were available to possibly fund a substance abuse service delivery system specifically targeting Ohio’s minority community. Under the guidance of Representative Mallory, along with Ohio State Senator William F. Bowen, Turner, Butler, and others worked to develop a statewide network that would adequately address the prevention of alcohol abuse among African and Hispanic/Latino Americans throughout Ohio.

With a $200,000 appropriation in 1979, (House Bill 204), the state network was born. The original programs were entitled the Urban Minority Alcoholism Outreach Programs (UMAOP) and operated under the guidance of implementing agencies. The eight original programs were located in Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Cleveland Hispanic, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo, and Youngstown. In the early years of UMADAOP, the main programming emphasis was on community outreach and education.

In the mid 1980's, crack cocaine and other drugs began to take a devastating toll on the African and Hispanic American communities. Although UMADAOP programs had always addressed drugs other than alcohol, the 117th Ohio General Assembly passed a law to formally change the name to Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Programs in Ohio in 1987.

In July 1987, under the direction of Helen Postell, the Youngstown UMADAOP became an independent, free standing 501(C) (3) agency.

YUMADAOP is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, color, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, physical or mental handicap, developmental disability, genetic information, human immunodeficiency virus status, or in any manner prohibited by local, State, or federal laws.