Our History

Murtis Taylor Human Services System (MTHSS) was founded in the Mt. Pleasant Community as a Settlement House in 1948 by Murtis Howard Taylor-Mills and the Neighborhood Settlement Association of Cleveland. Originally, located in the basement of the Alexander Hamilton Jr. High School at 13000 Union Avenue, it was named the Alexander Hamilton Community Center. In 1952, the name was changed to the Mount Pleasant Community Center. In 1954, it was incorporated and the Board of Trustees was formed to replace an advisory board. For the first time in 1959, MTHSS rented its own facility at 12714 Union Avenue and continued delivering services there throughout the 1960s.

In 1966, a name that encompassed a broader focus was adopted, the Community Services Center of Mount Pleasant. In 1967, the Mental Health Planning Committee of the Welfare Federation of Cleveland invited MTHSS to consider sponsorship of a community mental health center under the federal statutes and the mental health program was designed. Due to its continued growth, in 1971 MTHSS moved to 12100 Kinsman Road. In 1976, MTHSS’s name was changed to Murtis H. Taylor Multi-Service Center in honor of its founder. In 1979, a new modern building was completed and dedicated to house the multi-service center at 13422 Kinsman Road.

Throughout the early 1980’s, MTHSS continued as a focal point of comprehensive community services. Funding cuts and reduction of the staff during the 1980’s made this period exceptionally challenging. However, by the mid-1980’s, MTHSS was positioned to provide residential housing services and programs to persons with mental illness. Three (3) properties were acquired that together housed 39 persons.

An increased demand for services influenced MTHSS to acquire property at 13411 Union Avenue. The first stage of a three (3) phase renovation project was completed in 1989, providing needed space for mental health and community services programs. In 1988, the outreach of MTHSS was again extended to render comprehensive case management services to individuals living in southeast suburban areas that included Bedford, Maple Heights, Garfield Heights and Newburgh Heights.

By the late 1990’s, changes in the healthcare industry prompted MTHSS to seek new partnerships to meet the demands of the Future. In 1996, MTHSS merged with Mental Development Center of Case Western Reserve University. This merger expanded services to children and families. In 1997 and 1998, community mental health services were further developed in Cleveland’s Downtown, Fairfax and Central neighborhoods. In 2005, outpatient community mental health centers were opened in the city of East Cleveland and the Glenville, Metro-Clark and Detroit-Shoreway communities. In 2008, the organization was renamed Murtis Taylor Human Services System to better reflect the scope and breadth of its services and locations.

Throughout its history, Murtis Taylor Human Services System has demonstrated unique partnerships with diverse groups. Since its founding in 1948, Murtis Taylor Human Services System has grown from a single location serving less than one hundred residents per year to a countywide organization with nine locations in three cities serving more than 10,000 individuals annually.