Meet OneEighty’s New CEO: Fredy Robles Shares His Vision for the Future

Article Highlights

OneEighty’s new CEO, Fredy Robles, brings more than 20 years of behavioral health and nonprofit leadership experience to the organization. He shares his vision for OneEighty’s future, including expanding access to care, strengthening community partnerships, and building a culture where both clients and staff feel valued. His approach centers on whole-person care, compassionate treatment, and ensuring OneEighty remains a trusted resource for mental health, addiction recovery, and victim support services for decades to come.

Meet OneEighty’s New CEO

For more than 20 years, Fredy Robles has worked in the human services field and has been leading teams to help individuals, families, and communities navigate some of life’s most difficult challenges. Long before becoming OneEighty’s Chief Executive Officer, he was already familiar with the organization’s impact.

“I’ve been acquainted with OneEighty since the time when I was providing direct care as a therapist,” Robles said. “I used to send my clients here. I knew that they would be cared for, treated with respect, and receive the skills they needed.”

That reputation for compassionate, high-quality care made joining OneEighty an easy decision.

“I was familiar with the community and had a good sense of what the nonprofit ecosystem looked like and the potential opportunities of working here. It really became a no-brainer for me.”

From Therapist to Nonprofit Leader

Robles never set out to become an executive. “I went into the field wanting to help people, wanting to make a difference,” he said.

His career began in prevention, and he later became a therapist and worked primarily with clients with severe trauma and co-occurring mental health and addiction struggles. Robles has worked in various settings in behavioral health including private practice where he served Richland County residents and provided outpatient counseling and employee assistance services. Over time, he moved into providing supervision, leadership, and eventually assumed executive-level roles. Most recently, he served as Chief Program Officer for Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland, where he provided strategic direction, operational and administrative oversight for programs impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people each year across eight counties throughout Northeast Ohio.

While his responsibilities have grown, his focus has remained the same. “As I moved into supervision, helping a team, I really fell in love with being able to equip people,” Robles said. “Administration gave me greater scope and a larger team that can impact more people.”

Building a Sustainable Future for Behavioral Health Services

When asked about his top priority as CEO, Robles answered without hesitation, “The biggest priority is to align mission and sustainability.” For Robles, sustainability means ensuring that OneEighty can continue to provide mental health treatment, addiction recovery services, victim support services, and other critical programs well into the future.

“This organization has been around for more than 50 years, one of my priorities is to ensure we are here for another 50.”

That means making thoughtful decisions about funding, operations, and growth while staying focused on the people OneEighty serves. He shares, “We need to make sure we can continue to do the good work that we do and expand access to care.”

Why Culture Matters

For Robles, delivering exceptional behavioral health, recovery, and victim support services starts long before a client walks through the door. It begins with the people providing the care.

Throughout his career, he has seen firsthand how organizational culture influences everything from employee engagement to client outcomes. That is why creating an environment where staff feel supported, valued, and empowered remains one of his top priorities.

The work OneEighty does is deeply personal. Every day, staff members help individuals and families navigate addiction, mental health challenges, trauma, victimization, and recovery. To do that effectively, they need more than training and resources. They need a workplace where they can grow, feel appreciated, and bring their best selves to the people they serve. As Robles puts it, “The people providing care, they are people. They also have a need to feel appreciated and valued. They have to feel that there are opportunities for growth.”

That philosophy aligns closely with what has made OneEighty a trusted resource in Wayne and Holmes counties for more than 50 years. The organization’s reputation is built not only on the services it provides, but on the compassion, respect, and dignity with which those services are delivered.

In fact, Robles believes culture creates a ripple effect that extends throughout the entire organization. “Once they feel good about their position, then they can provide better care, which leads to better outcomes, which leads to sustainability.”

A Whole-Person Approach to Care

Robles believes behavioral health organizations must look beyond individual services and address the broader factors that affect well-being. He explains, “We’re not just here to be great counseling providers. We’re here to improve people’s lives.”

Many individuals seeking treatment face challenges beyond mental health or substance use, including housing instability, food insecurity, transportation barriers, childcare needs, and employment concerns. That reality is driving Robles’ commitment to stronger community partnerships; “I see collaboration as part of a survival strategy for us and a multiplier of impact.”

By building intentional relationships with other organizations, OneEighty can help connect people with the resources they need while staying focused on its core services. He emphasizes, “We can do greater things through a collaborative effort than we can ever do alone.”

Meeting People Where They Are

When asked how he would describe OneEighty to someone unfamiliar with the organization, Robles pointed to one defining characteristic: “OneEighty is an organization that meets people where they’re at.” Whether services are provided in schools, the justice system, shelters, residential treatment settings, or outpatient programs, the goal remains the same. “Recovery is cyclical,” he said. “Meeting people where they are in that recovery journey and meeting them with compassion is incredibly important.”

Looking Ahead

As OneEighty enters its next chapter, Robles remains focused on preserving what makes the organization special while preparing for future challenges. “I care about the people we serve. I care about those doing the work.” He added, “There are plenty of providers doing what we do, but it’s how we do it that matters.”

For clients, families, staff, volunteers, and community partners, that commitment signals a future built on compassion, collaboration, and a shared goal of helping people thrive. Together, we can aim and achieve so much more than on our own.

Ready to Get Help or Get Involved?

Whether you’re seeking support for yourself or a loved one, looking for ways to volunteer, or interested in partnering with OneEighty, we’re here to help. Contact OneEighty today to learn more about our behavioral health, recovery, victim advocacy, and community support services.

About Fredy Robles

Fredy Robles serves as Chief Executive Officer of OneEighty. With more than 20 years of experience in behavioral health, nonprofit leadership, community mental health, and addiction treatment services, he brings a strategic, people-centered approach to expanding access to care and strengthening community impact.