Our mission is to cultivate healthy futures for children, families, and their communities through the consistency of providing a safe, stable, child centered, and family like environment. 

Our vision is a continuum of care for children and adolescents focused on core values and commitment to quality.

 Child focused - we practice an uncompromised commitment to the needs of children.

 Safety and security - we work every minute of every day to create a safe, predictable environment. 

 Staff - They are the foundation of our success and our most valuable resource.

 Relationships - We focus on building, maintaining, preserving, and teaching healthy relationships.

Leadership - our goal is to inspire and develop more leaders through unbiased accountability. 

Reputation - we value our established reputation of integrity, honesty, and transparency.

Hittle House

774 Internet Dr

Columbus, OH 43207

Phone: 614 443-5454

Fax: 614 737-5248

Alt: 614 214-8840

Heidi McAfee

Executive Director

heidihittle@hittlehouse.com

Mrs. McAfee earned her Bachelor's degree in Forensic Psychology from Tiffin University. She has been working professionally in the child welfare industry since 1997. Having worked for Children’s Services as a caseworker and Juvenile Court as a Diversion Coordinator/Probation Officer, she has first hand knowledge of what placing agencies look for in programming. Mrs. McAfee has twenty years of experience working with adolescent males with sexually abusive behaviors.

Mrs. McAfee is responsible for program management and human resources.

Heather Bush

Executive Director

heatherbush@hittlehouse.com

Mrs. Bush has a BA degree from Otterbein College in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Psychology. She has worked in the administration/finance industry for 9 years. Most recently, she has worked as a case manager for a therapeutic foster care network. Heather has worked professionally in the child welfare industry since 2006. Mrs. Bush is responsible for all fiscal and administrative duties.

Mrs. McAfee & Mrs. Bush attend several professional conferences annually, to include Public Children’s Service Agencies of Ohio (PCSAO) conference, Ohio Probation Conference, Two Days in May (Victim’s Assistance) Conference and the National ATSA Conference. Heidi and Heather are the proud owners of Hittle House.

John Williamson

Program Manager

john@hittlehouse.com

Mr. Williamson attended the Ohio State University with a concentration in Human Resources. John has 2 years experience working with special needs and at risk children as a Behavior Specialist for an SBH/ED classroom at North Ridge School District and Zanesville Middle School. He coached High School football for 6 years. He is reponsible for all daily operations and staff developlement. He has been with Hittle House since 2007.

Irma Dotto

Compliance Manager

irma@hittlehouse.com

Ms. Dotto graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor's degree in Sexuality Studies. While attending OSU she worked as a student research assistant in the Department of Human Development and Family Science. In 2013/2014 she was an intern at Hittle House and in 2015 she accepted the position to oversee all licensing, accredititation and qaulity control duties. 

Mary Griffin

First Shift Program Supervisor 

mary@hittlehouse.com

Ms. Griffin has been with Hittle House since October 2008. She has worked in residential care since 2003. Mary served as a high school and junior high volleyball coach for several years. She is responsible for all first shift programming, education, appointments, food service, and supervises a staff of 6-9 direct Behavior Support Specialists. 

Steve Lipps

Third Shift Program Supervisor

steve@hittlehouse.com

Mr. Lipps has been with Hittle House since July 2008. He started with the agency before we took our first resident! Steve has been in management for more than 20 years and he has served as a soccer coach at all levels for 15+ years. He is responsible for inventory management, laundry services, all resident progress reporting, data collection and preparation, and supervises a staff of 4-6 Behavior Support Specialists. 

Shane Mickey

Program Supervisor

shane@hittlehouse.com 

Mr. Mickey has been with Hittle House since December 2008. He served as an area high school baseball coach for many years. Shane is responsible for all daily programming, new hire training and orientation, serves on the  risk prevention (safety) committee and supervises a staff of 20-30 Behavior Support Specialist and Shift Supervisors. 

Emily McKenna-Lowe, MSSA, LISW-S

Clinical Director

Certified Sex Offender Treatment Specialist

emily@hittlehouse.com

Earned her Bachelor's degree in Social Work from Ashland University and her Master's Degree from Case Western Reserve University in Science and Social Administration. For the last 7 years she has specialized in treating adolescent males with problematic sexual behavior in residential treatment settings. She is a member of NASW and ATSA. She has been with Hittle House since 2008 providing clinical supervision, individual, group, and family therapy.

Sidney McAlpine, MSW, LSW

Clinician

Trauma Specialist

sidney@hittlehouse.com

Received her Bachelors of Arts (Social Work and Psychology) in 2009 from Ohio University and her Masters degree in Social Work from The Ohio State University in 2010. She is currently our Trauma Specialist. 

She has worked at Milestones Therapeutic Foster Care Agency in Athens, OH where she assisted in training and supporting foster care providers in appropriately caring for at-risk youth who suffered with behavioral and/or emotional disturbances and at Pomegranate Health Systems (Sept. 2009 - April 2010) where she worked with adolescent males with behavioral and mood disorders in individual and group therapy. She has been with Hittle House since 2010 providing individual, group and family therapy. 

Jacob Ross, MSW, LSW

Clinician

Jake@hittlehouse.com

Recieved his bachelors degree in Social work from Marshall in 2012 and earned his Masters degree in Social work from Concord University in Athens, West Virginia in 2014. Jake started his career working with youth in a residential setting as a direct care worker and supervisor. He has experience providing supervision to social workers in the foster care setting as a Foster Care Program Supervisor. He also spent time as the Executive Director for an advocacy agency that represents child care agenices in West Virginia. His most recent work was as a Medical Social Worker with clients in a hospital setting. Jake became a full time Clinician at Hittle House in September 2016.

Dr.Yaser Ramadan, M.D.

Dr Ramadan is our program psychiatrist.  He earned his M.D. from the University of Bucharest. Dr. Ramadan completed a residency in general psychiatry and a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at The Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. He specializes in the psychiatric treatment of children, adolescents, and adults. Dr. Ramadan has been with Hittle House since 2007.