28 • The Beacon November 5 , 2020
Meet Fehrman Ridenbaugh - LCC Class of 2021
Leslie Fehrman Ridenbaugh is a Coshocton native , growing up in Coshocton attending Coshocton High School . Following graduation in 2004 , she attended Marietta College majoring in international business . Realizing this major was not a good fit for her career goal , Ridenbaugh returned home to attend Central Ohio Technical College , where she started in the human resource program .
After one year Ridenbaugh transferred to Mount Vernon Nazarene University , where she completed her bachelor ’ s in social work . She went on to earn her master ’ s in social work from Akron University and is working toward her doctorate through online coursework offered by Tulane University .
Ridenbaugh began her career in social work with Thompkins Services , now Allwell Behavioral Health Services , working for eight years . She also worked at Coshocton Regional Medical Center
Leslie Fehrman Ridenbaugh as a medical social worker and various socialservice agencies in grantfunded positions .
Recognizing there was a need for mental-health and family-counseling services in Coshocton , Ridenbaugh opened her practice , Ohio Family Counseling and Consultation LLC , in January 2019 . The practice is certified by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to be a community behavioral health center , which allows them to provide more services through Medicaid reimbursement .
Ridenbaugh ’ s agency provides counseling and direct practice services to individuals , families , couples or groups ; contracts with the Alternative School to provide anger-management training ; and provides grief counseling and serves substance-abuse groups . Additionally , counselors in her practice consult with other agencies such as Help Me Grow to assist with case studies , provide trainings for other organizations , assist schools with casemanagement services to help with mental health and therapy goals , work with Journey Home Foster Agency in seven counties , and provide services through employee-assistance programs .
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In Ridenbaugh ’ s role as CEO / owner , she runs the agency and supervises a staff of 13 employees . It is her goal for everyone who seeks services from her agency to be treated the same when they walk through the door .
Ridenbaugh is regional director for the
National Association of Social Workers , a Master Gardener volunteer with OSU Extension , Triple Locks Theater volunteer , and is a member of the Coshocton Family and Children First Council and the Creative Options Committee .
Ridenbaugh wanted to go through Leadership Coshocton County for years as both of her parents went through . While she ’ s a lifelong resident , Ridenbaugh wants to learn more about Coshocton . She knows the social-services field but not other fields . She wants to meet others who want to better the community .
“ This is my home ; I ’ m proud of my home and want to do positive things that relate to the community ,” Ridenbaugh said .
Ridenbaugh refers to Coshocton as “ an amazing place to live and work .” Ridenbaugh chose to work , raise a family and start a business here and is excited for the future . She does
think Coshocton needs to refocus its vision as a community .
“ If more people could take ownership of ‘ their thing ,’ we could move the community forward ,” Ridenbaugh said .
To make the county stronger , Ridenbaugh would like to see more people take pride in the things they do , start on a small level and from there come together as a community with a positive focus .
Ridenbaugh recognizes the community has weaknesses but “ way more strengths ” and said one such strength is new businesses and support for new businesses on the rise .
Ridenbaugh would recommend Leadership Coshocton as a way to learn new things about Coshocton and come together with other likeminded people and move forward .
“ I ’ ve encountered other people I wouldn ’ t have otherwise , which is really neat ,” Ridenbaugh said .
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