The H.E.A.T. is on: A new program will spark transformational change for Euclid's young black men

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Brian Moore is a man of many titles. He is a licensed and ordained minister, Ward 2 councilman in Euclid, and vice president and COO of Moore Counseling & Mediation Services Inc. Moore works closely with his wife, Martina Moore, who is the president and CEO at Moore Counseling.

The Moores founded Moore Counseling 20 years ago with the idea that together they could have more positive outcomes, reach a greater number of people, and altogether “do it better,” shares Moore, who oversees seven Moore Counseling locations in Ohio. “Helping people is our lifestyle.”

Now they’re harnessing that energy to better serve Euclid’s young adult males with H.E.A.T., or “Habilitation Empowerment Accountability Therapy.” This new, 36-week counseling program is led by a specially trained drug and mental health counselor and geared at African-American men between the ages of 18 and 29 years old.

“[This program is designed to] retrain the brain and change habits,” Moore says. “These are young men who for many reasons haven’t focused on their community. H.E.A.T. helps to break the cycles that led them away from their community in the first place.”

Broken up into three 12-week sections, H.E.A.T. features three modules focused on self, family, and community. The program culminates in a six-week service project titled “Healing Voices,” meant to inspire participants to find purpose and spur change within underserved communities. Participants pick an issue, research the problem, engage community partners, and suggest policy change.

“As a councilman, I know plenty of service work they could do,” says Moore. “But the outcome is so much better when they find their passion and identify what they want to focus on themselves.”

The first H.E.A.T. cohort graduated in September from Moore Counseling’s downtown Cleveland location, with the participants presenting service projects revolving around gun violence, abandoned houses, illegal dumping, high school dropout rates, and lack of healthy food options.

In January, the program will debut in Euclid, led by Antonio Conway, Moore Counseling’s assistant director of clinical services. It’s a logical next step for Moore, who has lived in Euclid since 1999 and resides in the city’s Chardon Hills neighborhood.

Together—in Euclid, and beyond—the Moores have built a life in ministry. With Moore Counseling, their mission is to deliver compassionate, specialized services that help people. H.E.AT. is their newest means of fulfilling that mission, with Moore committed to ministering, mentoring, and helping participants long after graduation.

“The support will not end for these young men after the 36-week program; there will be continued counseling and support moving forward,” says Moore. “There is no end.”

Moore realizes that the future of every graduate is not guaranteed, but he is carefully optimistic.

“Every young man we reach is a success,” he says. “Each graduate who feels positively influenced by H.E.A.T. can then positively influence those around him, creating accountability and community engagement.”