Ohio

COUNSELING AND OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES

AIDS Resource Center Ohio
15 West Fourth St., Suite 200
Dayton, OH 45402
Office: (937) 461-2437
Toll-free: (800) 252-0827
Website: www.arcohio.org
Email: info@arcohio.org

Lima Region
329 North West St.
Lima, OH 45801
Office: (419) 222-0827

Toledo Region
One Stranahan Square, Suite 354
Toledo, OH 43604
Office: (419) 241-9444

AIDS Resource Center Ohio provides comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention/education programs, testing and counseling, support services, and linkage to services throughout 35 Ohio counties. ARC Ohio is the region’s access point for two primary federal and state programs assisting those living with HIV: the Ryan White CARE Act and Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS. All persons living with HIV/AIDS wishing to access these resources can do so by enrolling in ARC Ohio’s case management program. In addition, ARC Ohio offers an array of other services aimed at maintaining and enhancing the quality of life for people living with HIV, including: crisis intervention; financial aid; nutritional assistance and pantry program; rent and utility assistance; advocacy and community referrals; quality of life programs; funds for diagnostic and medical care; transportation assistance; home-based assistance; education; support groups; and a supportive housing program for HIV+ individuals who are homeless. All AIDS Resource Center Ohio programs are confidential and free for participants.

American Red Cross Rape Crisis Services
525 Market Ave. N.
Canton, OH 44702
Office: (330) 453-0146
24-hour Hotline: (330) 452-1111
Website: www.stark.redcross.org

The mission of American Red Cross Rape Crisis Services is to offer information, emotional support, and counseling to any person who has been sexually abused, assaulted, or raped. Services include: a 24-hour rape crisis hotline offering emotional support, information, and referrals; hospital and legal advocacy; individual, family, and group counseling services; support groups for adult survivors of rape and childhood sexual abuse; and prevention education programs in schools and in the community. Rape Crisis also offers specialized services to LGBT survivors and men who have been sexually assaulted. All of these services are free and strictly confidential.

Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization
P.O. Box 82068
Columbus, OH 43202
Office: (614) 294-7867
Toll-Free Helpline: (866) 862-7286
Helpline Hours: Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm and Sunday-Thursday, 6-10pm
Website: www.bravo-ohio.org
E-mail: report@bravo-ohio.org

The Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization (BRAVO) works to eliminate violence perpetrated on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identification, domestic violence, and sexual assault through prevention, education, advocacy, violence documentation, and survivor services. BRAVO works within and on behalf of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender communities. BRAVO serves the Central Ohio area by providing the following services: crisis intervention; documentation of hate crimes, domestic violence, and sexual assault; judgment-free support for survivors, family members, and friends; links to local law enforcement officials; community-wide education; and support groups. All reports are confidential and all services are free.

Butler County Rape Crisis Program
110 S. College Avenue
Oxford, OH 45056
24-hour Crisis Hotline for Oxford/Hamilton and Business Line (TDD): (513) 523-4146
24-hour Hotline for Fairfield/West Chester: (513) 894-7002
24-hout Hotline for Middletown: (513) 424-5498
Website: www.helpandhealing.org
Email: admin@helpandhealing.org

Hamilton Office
323 N. Third Street
Hamilton, OH 45011
Office: (513) 856-8618

The Butler County Rape Crisis Program, a service of the Community Counseling & Crisis Center, was established in 1989 to serve the needs of sexual assault survivors, their family members, and friends. The Rape Crisis Program seeks to reduce the trauma of sexual assault by providing confidential immediate and long-term support for sexual assault survivors 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Services include a 24-hour hotline and crisis intervention assistance for sexual assault survivors at area hospital emergency departments and police departments. A Law Enforcement Liaison to assist survivors who choose to press charges against their assailants can be provided. The Rape Crisis Program periodically offers support groups for survivors. All Rape Crisis Program services for individuals affected by sexual assault are confidential and free of charge.

Cleveland Rape Crisis Center
1370 Ontario, Suite 420
Cleveland, OH 44113
Office: (216) 619-6194
24-hour Hotline: (216) 619-6192
Website: www.clevelandrapecrisis.org

Founded in 1974, The Cleveland Rape Crisis Center is the only agency in Cuyahoga County that provides free, comprehensive services to survivors of sexual assault. Services include: 24-hour crisis intervention hotline; information and referrals; individual and group therapy for children, adolescent, and adult survivors of sexual abuse and their non-offending family members; justice system advocacy; and community education. All services are free and confidential.

The Giving Tree
335 Buckeye Blvd.
Port Clinton, OH 43452
Office/TTY: (419) 734-2942
Website: www.givingtreecounseling.com

The Giving Tree is a community mental health agency that provides direct services to male, female, and youth survivors of sexual assault, and their family and friends in and around Central Ohio. Individual and family counseling are available, as well as case management services. All services are confidential. A sliding fee scale is available for residents of Ottawa and Erie Counties. Medicaid and some other insurance plans are accepted.

Lorain County Rape Crisis Service
6140 South Broadway
Lorain, OH 44053
Office: (440) 282-2315
24-hour Hotline: (800) 888-6161
Website: www.nordcenter.org

Operated by The Nord Center, Lorain County Rape Crisis Service offers comprehensive services to survivors of sexual assault, their family members, and significant others. Services include: 24-hour sexual assault hotline; hospital accompaniment and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program; advocacy and support throughout legal proceedings; short-term crisis intervention and individual or group support; referrals for counseling; and support for family members and significant others. Lorain County Rape Crisis Service is willing to meet one-on-one with prisoners and to provide educational presentations in correctional facilities. Services are free and confidential and available to adolescents, men, and women throughout Lorain County.

Open Arms Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services
P.O. Box 496
Findlay, OH 45839
Office: (419) 420-9261
24-hour Crisis Line: (419) 422-4766
Website: www.openarmsfindlay.org
E-mail: openarmsfindlay@yahoo.com

Open Arms offers programs, services, and resources to those affected by domestic violence and sexual assault in Hancock County. The Rape Crisis Program at Open Arms provides the following services to survivors of sexual assault: 24-hour crisis hotline; advocacy in the emergency room and accompaniment through the legal process; emergency shelter, as available; one-on-one support and education about sexual assault; support groups for adult survivors of rape; and support for family and friends. All services are free and confidential.

Women's Re-Entry Network
1468 West 25th Street
Cleveland, OH 44113
Office: (216) 696-7535
Website: www.lutheranmetro.org

Women’s Re-Entry Network (WREN) provides a holistic network of support to any woman who has been involved in the criminal justice system with a goal of promoting personal goal achievement and collective empowerment. WREN also provides services to family members. Services include: individual and group counseling; intensive case management; GED classes; family reunification support; employment readiness and placement; creative writing classes; and jail-and prison-based outreach services at the Cuyahoga County Jail and the Northeast Pre-Release Center. The Surviving Abuse Together Group focuses on supporting survivors of physical and sexual violence. All services are confidential and free of charge.

YWCA of Toledo H.O.P.E. Rape Crisis Center
1018 Jefferson Ave.
Toledo, OH 43604
Office: (419) 241-7006
24-hour Hotline: (419) 241-7273
Toll Free 24-hour Hotline: (866) 557-7273
Website: www.ywcatoledo.org
Email: hope@ywcatoledo.org

The YWCA H.O.P.E. Rape Crisis Center is the only rape crisis service provider in Northwest Ohio and provides comprehensive services to survivors of sexual assault and their family members. Services include: 24-hour hotline; crisis intervention; information and referrals; hospital accompaniment, support, and advocacy; legal system and criminal justice advocacy; and support groups. All services are free and confidential.

LEGAL RESOURCES

Lambda Legal: Midwest Regional Office
11 East Adams, Suite 1008
Chicago, IL 60603
Phone: (312) 663-4413
Fax: (312) 663-4307
Website: www.lambdalegal.org
E-mail: legalhelpdesk@lambdalegal.org

Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, and those with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work.

The Midwest Regional Office provides services for those who are located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin and accepts Help Desk calls at any time during business hours (M-F 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Central Standard Time). If Help Desk staff are busy helping other callers, your call will be routed to the Legal Help Desk voicemail. Please leave the following information: name, state, contact info, best time to reach you, and a brief message outlining your legal inquiry. A Help Desk staff person will return your call. It is usually most efficient for Help Desk callers to contact us by phone. If you are in a place where you are not able to make long distance calls, we can make an appointment to call you. If you are absolutely unable to call us, you may e-mail us at legalhelpdesk@lambdalegal.org or write to the addresses above.

Ohio State Bar Association
Lawyer Referral Services
P.O. Box 16562
Columbus, OH 43216
Office: (614) 487-2050
Toll-free: (800) 282-6556
Website: www.ohiobar.org/conres/findlawyer/referral.asp
E-mail: osba@ohiobar.org

In all of Ohio's major metropolitan areas and certain other counties, the local bar sponsors a lawyer referral service. If you need a lawyer, you can call the referral service to obtain the name of a lawyer. Often the lawyer will schedule a half hour consultation for a very affordable fee (typically $15-$25). Ask for fee information when you call.

Prison Reform Advocacy Center
617 Vine Street, Suite #1301
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Office: (513) 421-1108
Website: www.prisonreform.com
E-mail: dsingleton@prisonreform.com

The Prison Reform Advocacy Center (PRAC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to progressive prison reform. PRAC is designed to help inmates secure their civil rights; it does not do criminal defense work. PRAC's Litigation Project is aimed at helping prisoners secure their civil rights through federal and state court lawsuits. To this end, members of PRAC's Litigation Project work with the clerk offices of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit to coordinate legal representation for pro se prisoners' rights cases that are filed with those courts and present important legal issues. Additionally, PRAC helps prisoners' families understand prison procedures and their rights as family members.

GOVERNMENT RESOURCES

Office of the Chief Inspector
1050 Freeway Drive North
Columbus, OH 43229
Office: (614) 752-1677
Website: www.drc.state.oh.us/web/chiefinspector.htm
Inmate Grievance Procedure Pamphlet: www.drc.state.oh.us/web/UGP%20Manual.pdf
Prison Rape Elimination Act Information: www.drc.state.oh.us/web/prea.htm

The Office of the Chief Inspector monitors the application of the inmate grievance procedures in institutions to ensure that inmate concerns and problems are being appropriately addressed. Each institution has an Inspector of Institutional Services who is physically located at the institution. This inspector administers the inmate grievance process at the facility and conducts regular inspections to ensure departmental rules and policies are being properly followed.

The Office of the Chief Inspector provides assistance to institutional investigators and inspectors as well as conducts internal administrative investigations for the department. Inmates who believe that their grievance has not been resolved by the inspector can file an appeal to the Chief Inspector within 14 days of receiving the inspector’s disposition. Ask the inspector for an appeal form and mail the appeal along with copies of the grievance, disposition of grievance, and informal complaint (if any) to the Chief Inspector, who will review the appeal and send a decision in about 30 days. All decisions made by the Chief Inspector’s office are final.

Office of Ohio Inspector General
30 East Broad Street, Suite 1820
Columbus, OH 43215-3414
Phone: (614) 644-9110
Toll-free Hotline: (800) 686-1525
E-Mail: oig_watchdog@oig.state.oh.

The Office of Inspector General investigates fraud, waste, abuse, and corruption within the executive branch of state government. Complaints received by the office are reviewed and evaluated to determine whether there is reasonable cause to believe the underlying allegations, if true, would constitute a “wrongful act or omission” on the part of a state officer, agency, or employee. Inmates can write to the Office of Inspector General to report incidents of sexual abuse in detention and concerns regarding the handling of investigations into such abuses.