Jacob Spellis remembers exactly what it felt like to fall through the cracks. As a young student struggling with behavioral issues, substance use and a learning disability, he wasn’t seen as a child in crisis—he was seen as a problem.

“I got kicked out of school. I got labeled early,” Spellis recalls. “No one asked what was happening underneath. I needed help, not punishment.”

Today, Spellis is the CEO of Vital Health, a behavioral health organization that’s reshaping how kids and families access care in Northwest Ohio. His mission is personal: to make sure no child has to walk the same path without support.

A whole-person approach

At Vital Health, services go far beyond therapy. The organization provides integrated outpatient programs for youth ages 5–17—including:

• Individual & group counseling
• Case management
• Psychiatric services
• Trauma-informed clinical care
• After-school day treatment programs

“We’re not just treating symptoms—we’re creating a system that sees the whole person, the whole family and brings care to where it’s needed most,” Spellis said.

One unique feature is genetic testing for medication management. This helps reduce trial-and-error when prescribing treatment, easing the frustration for families and youth alike.

After-school programs that heal

This fall, Vital Health is expanding its after-school behavioral health programming. The program provides a structured, therapeutic environment from 4-6:30pm, Monday through Thursday, including transportation to and from school.

Kids receive snacks, meals and engage in age- and risk-specific groups, such as:

• Art therapy and skill-building activities
• Social-emotional learning workshops
• Mental health and substance use support groups

“Fun is part of the formula,” said Krystal Freyre, chief marketing officer. “We want kids to feel safe, engaged, and hopeful—not like they’re in trouble. Our after-school program was designed as a safe space where kids at risk can thrive and heal.”

RELATED: Facing Daily Challenges as a Parent with Personal Health Hurdles

Healing families, not just kids

Vital Health believes that supporting children means involving the entire family. Many parents who witness progress in their kids choose to engage in services themselves.

“Systems of disease don’t just start with one person,” Krystal explains. “They usually run in the family. If we can address the system, we can improve the outcome for the youth.”

Schools, partners and community

Vital Health works hand-in-hand with schools, ensuring that students aren’t simply suspended or sent home when they act out. Instead, they’re connected to restorative supports.

“This isn’t about fixing kids,” Krystal emphasizes. “It’s about healing what’s hurting them.”

Living proof of transformation

From a troubled youth to a visionary leader, Spellis embodies the hope Vital Health provides. His story reminds families and children alike that transformation is possible.

“I always felt that no one cared about me,” he reflects. “I just needed someone to ask what was going on at home. Now, I get to be part of that change for others.”

More information on Vital Health 

• After-School Program: vitalhcare.com/kids-after-school-program-toledo
• Youth IOP: vitalhcare.com/services/youth-intensive-outpatient-program-iop

Programs serve ages 5–17 (and some 18 if still in high school). Seasonal programming includes spring, fall, winter and a summer mental health camp. Transportation is provided when possible.

Vital Health. 111 Clinton St., Maumee. 419-740-3022. [email protected]. vitalhcare.com.

The brother-sister duo of Gavin and Grace Gibson’s lemonade stand in their Northwood neighborhood is more than the stuff of summertime tradition – it has raised more than $700 for fabric that will become blankets for local hospitalized children.

That’s because the Gibson siblings know what it’s like to be in a hospital.

Gavin, 10, had wanted to have a lemonade stand, but it was the experience that Grace, 8, had in February that led to a mission. “When I was in the hospital, I saw how all the nurses were nice with all the kids, and I thought maybe I should help,” she said.

Gavin also had been hospitalized, a year earlier.

So they came up with Project Warming Hearts. “We picked the name because we warm hearts by helping children and giving them blankets to be warm and comforted,” Grace said.

The Gibson family – including mother Ginger and father Gary – spread the word about the project ahead of the siblings setting up their stand. On the day of the lemonade sale in June, the Gibsons raised $550 in donations. “We have very generous family and friends,” Ginger said.

Word spread further. They set up their stand one more time, on Aug. 2. They raised $186, for a two-day total of $736.

“There were a lot more new faces this time,” Ginger said. “As with the last one, when they found out what [Grace and Gavin] were doing, they gave more.”

The money is being used to buy fleece, which is already being made into blankets by cutting a fringe and tying them. Grace and Gavin are doing the work, helped by their grandfather, Gary Gibson. The blankets will be distributed to kids in Nationwide Children’s Hospital-Toledo and the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Ohio. The kids then can take the blankets home.

The Gibsons have no idea how many blankets they’ll provide. “We are going to purchase as much fleece as we can and make as many as possible,” Ginger said, adding that the family hopes to provide at least 75.

Grace and Gavin’s parents, both of them physical therapists, said there’ll be another lemonade stand day if there’s time before the siblings return to school.

“We’re really proud of them for putting others above themselves,” Ginger said of how she and her husband feel about what Grace and Gavin have done and are doing. “All the money they get [from the stand] goes to blankets. That’s a pretty great thing for kids their age.”