Jason Mogus struggled from his late teens to early 20s with alcoholism and would spend time in jail six times for substance use.
He was able to stop drinking alcohol after working on his recovery for six years and attributes his sobriety to help from his wife, family and counselors.
“That’s when I decided I wanted to work to help other people,” said Mogus, who grew up in Canton and now lives in Waynesburg. “I made the decision to become a counselor, went back to school, became an addiction counselor, then a mental health counselor, and now, a psychologist.”
Today, he serves as chief operating officer at AVO Behavioral Health in Canton.
Mogus, 42, is married to Rose, and they have three children, Charlotte, Emerson, and Memphis. They also have four dogs: Rocky (red tick coon hound), Nova (Bernese mountain dog), Mario (mini-dachshund), and Luigi (mini-dachshund). And, there is a rabbit named FluffyMuffin.
Mogus has an associate degree from Stark State College in applied science, a bachelor’s degree from Kent State University in sociology, a master’s degree from Walsh University in counseling and human development, and a doctorate from Cleveland State University in psychology.
What are some of your duties as chief operating officer?
I am responsible for the organization’s daily operations. I oversee the clinical and operational facets of the clinic and work to build the organization in a sustainable and effective way.
I took over AVO at the beginning of 2025 when it needed substantial adjustments, and I have made many changes to how the organization runs. I work with my wonderful and diligent leaders to make processes more efficient and effective, help manage employee concerns, help onboarding and offboarding, and I am happy to jump in and perform the clinical work as well.
We recently started a partial hospitalization program for people with substance use disorders, and I facilitated those groups for the first two weeks. I think good leaders aren’t afraid to show up and help when needed, and that’s what I aspire to be. We have fantastic folks who work at AVO now, so it’s great to see people grow and thrive, and new folks come on board to help us with our mission.
You are also the founder of Center for Renewed Minds LLC. Would you share why you founded the company?
I started the center as an individual therapist in 2020. My wife, Rose, joined me after completing her MBA in health care management and upgraded us from a single counselor to 12 employees.
We aimed to build a clinic that was different in that we cared for the whole person. We had counseling, psychological testing, occupational therapy and personal training. We built a full gym to help people work on both their physical and mental health. We learned a lot by leaping in with both feet, and because of Rose, we have become a successful clinic in just three years.
In May 2025, AVO Behavioral Health and the Center for Renewed Minds merged. We went from 12 employees to 50.
We moved our little clinic to Belden Village, and it is now the AVO Testing and Therapy Center. We provide psychological testing and autism treatment (ABA therapy) there now.
Seeing those families get the answers they need for the help they need and seeing our kids in the clinic make so much progress is some of the most fulfilling work I’ve ever been a part of, and it is thanks to our amazing team there.
We are certainly not done growing yet, as we are building capacity to help people with the highest needs in our community: adults with substance use disorders, and children with developmental disorders. We want to do the most good for the most people that we can.
As an adjunct professor, what does it mean to you to be able to pass your knowledge and experience on?
I love teaching. I started helping teach the doctoral statistics and master’s level counseling classes as part of my assistantship in my doctoral program at Cleveland State University.
As opportunities came up, I have taught at Southeastern University, Walsh University, and NEOMED. Helping students learn to care for others has been very rewarding.
I like to think of it as finding a way to help the most people with the time I have left here to work. One of the best ways I can do that is to teach others to be helpers.
What is a favorite song that brightens your day every time you hear it?
“Swing Life Away” by Rise Against always brings a smile to my face. It reminds me of swinging at the playground with my kids. I sometimes forget that the simplest parts of life are the most enjoyable. Kids also see the world we wonder; it’s something we can miss out on as adults.
What are five words you would use to describe yourself?
Persistent. When I have a goal, I find it hard to move off course. That was true in a negative way with substance use, and it can be true in a positive way with working to help others. My mom still refers to me as her “strong-willed child.” I’m still trying to decide if that’s a compliment.
Optimistic. I tend to believe in possibilities. I look at what is possible instead of all the things that can go wrong. It keeps me hopeful when things are difficult, but it also usually means I’m a few minutes late for everything because I think I have more time than I do.
Direct. Most people who know me know that when I have something to say, I say it. It makes me good at having hard conversations with people when it’s needed. Even though no one likes confrontations, it can be helpful to be able to sit with discomfort.
Open. I am OK with sharing my story with people and being honest about the good and the bad. It’s something I learned in recovery that has served me well most of the time.
Competitive. I like competing at things, be it sports, games, or business. I like the challenge. It helps drive me and keep me motivated. I also think it’s a great outlet to play sports like tennis, basketball, and I’ve recently taken up soccer with my wife, and she’s way better at it than I am. Life has difficulties and challenges and doesn’t always let up when things aren’t going well. Being competitive has helped me persevere, overcome challenges, and not give up.
Editor’s note: Five questions with … is a Sunday feature that showcases a member of the Stark County community. If you’d like to recommend someone to participate, send an email to newsroom@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Jason Mogus overcomes alcoholism. Becomes counselor and psychologist
Reporting by Patricia Faulhaber, Special to the Canton Repository / The Repository
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