Mr. Ruth has developed a 45+ year professional background that covers a very wide and unique professional landscape that distinctly sets him apart from his professional peers. His background is equally divided over 20+ years of concentration on service delivery to at-risk youth, families, and their communities. He has over 20+ years of concentrated focus on adult services delivery. He also has over 30+ years as a trainer/consultant to many municipalities, at-risk schools, and law enforcement around the nation. He also has served as a trainer/consultant for the International Chief of Police in Washington, DC, providing his cutting edge and innovative training, Gravesian Values System, to law enforcement around the nation. He also has a private practice, New Life Journey located at 3015 E Skelly Drive in Tulsa, OK.

Mr. Ruth was born in Gary, IN. Gary is located about 25 miles east of the city of Chicago. He received his BS degree from Ball State University, Muncie, IN in 1974 and his MSW degree in Clinical Social Work in 1976 from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS. The first 16 years of his professional clinical experience was focused on honing his clinical/therapeutic knowledge and skills. To that end, he gained employment in two different private residential group home facilities. The first was Shults-Lewis Child and Family Services in Valparaiso, IN, located 20 miles southeast of Gary, where he was employed as a Child and Family Therapist. There he provided clinical services to the youth in the three residential group homes in three different counties. He also supervised the staff at each. Mr. Ruth pioneered the development of a statewide foster care program during his employment (1976-1984).

In 1984 he relocated to Tulsa, OK to accept a new administrative position as the Director of Counseling and Programs at a facility named Hope Harbor. While there he provided clinical services to youth in the residential group homes (now located in Claremore, OK.) He also supervised and trained counseling staff, as well as the staff of the group homes. Similar to his previous position, he also developed a statewide foster care program modeled after the one he developed in Indiana. The duration of his employment at Hope Harbor was 1984-1992. His eight years of employment now provided him a combined total of 16 years of concentrated clinical services to at-risk youth, families and communities.

To continue the development of his leadership skills, Mr. Ruth’s journey in focusing on at-risk youth would consolidate and culminate with a tenure as the Director of Counseling Services for Youth Services of Tulsa, OK, where he was employed from 1993-1997. Beginning in 1989 his professional career began an organic shift to include a concentration on the adult population. That would include a nearly 20 years working in a variety of contract, part-time and full-time employment with Domestic Violence Intervention Services. Over the span of his 20 year association with DVIS, he provided services that included clinical services to sex offenders and court ordered batterers, and supervision of staff, and also training of staff. He developed an innovative training, Gravesian System Values model, which was a 2 day course. He also supervised a city-wide faith-based outreach training.

Over a span of approximately an additional 16 years his career path would diversify and broaden to include a position as Case Manager and Clinical Director of the Morton Comprehensive Health Services’ Homeless Clinic, Tulsa, OK. He was employed at Morton from 2003-2008. Additional employment experience includes Freedom Ranch, Inc, as the Director of Counseling and Staff Development. While there, he was responsible for all agents of a multi-county behavioral health foundation for in-patient and outpatient substance abuse treatment. He also provided statewide supervision for all clinicians (appr 25) and other direct service employees. Mr. Ruth was responsible for designing and conducting company training that included an “Employee Wellness Program.” In addition to his administrative duties, he also provided clinical services to female and male clients.

Mr. Ruth’s background includes that of Training/Consultation for Systemic Development Services where he provided nationwide training in public schools, law enforcement, and human service
agencies i.e., the Tulsa Police Department (980 employees, 1993), City of Tulsa At-Risk Schools (1993- 1997) and other secondary institutions. The model he developed was implemented in a variety of other institutions around the country and Vancouver, Canada from 1990-2001.

Lastly, but certainly no less vital to his background, he has been employed at John 3:16 Mission Homeless Recovery Program as a full-time employee, from 2008 -2023 and continued until joining the staff at Oasis Ascension in May of 2023. He continues to provide contracted therapeutic recovery groups for John 3:16 Mission Men’s Program.