Recent Event - Faith-Based Addiction Recovery Providers Meeting 

Our team had the opportunity to host our first faith-based addiction recovery providers meeting on August 25. Faith-based leaders and advocates throughout Ohio joined us to discuss best practices for SUD treatment, aggregating impact data to show the effect the Body of Christ is having in addressing the opioid epidemic in Ohio, and volunteer engagement and management.

We were blessed to have Greg Delaney of the Woodhaven Residential Treatment Center, Brian S. Wade of the Genesis Center, and Brian D. Wade of the Alpha House help lead and facilitate the discussion. They were able to share their work and experience with faith-based addiction treatment and lead breakout groups for each region in Ohio.

One of the key takeaways from the meeting was the willingness of our participants to learn and connect with others. 75% of participants agreed that if the Body of Christ were to intentionally collaborate around a challenging problem like substance use disorder that we could have measurable and positive outcomes. Our team would love to help facilitate this vision.

If you are interested in being part of a core leadership team to help us form a faith-based addiction recovery collaboration, please reach out to us at info@relink.org. Additionally, if you are interested in connecting with other faith-based addiction recovery advocates in Ohio, please reach out to our team and we will keep you updated about future events and meetings.

2022 Building Bridges Community Experience

Join us for the 2022 Building Bridges Community Experience on October 12-13 either virtually or in person at one of 5 regional sites throughout Ohio.

The Community Experience is designed to educate participants about emerging reentry trends and services that improve reentry service delivery and outcomes. Participants have the opportunity to connect with co-laborers in collaborative sessions to create more positive reentry opportunities and experiences within their local community and across Ohio.

This year's event is focused on providing information about housing opportunities and meaningful employment in your area. Plenary speakers and panel discussions will offer timely perspectives and strategies for coalition building and effective community collaboration. Participants will also be able to meet with regional co-laborers in collaborative sessions to develop meaningful connections.

Relink.org will be co-hosting the NEO site at Wedgewood UMC, located at 2350 Wedgewood Drive, Akron 44312. Northeast Ohio reentry coalition leaders will be in attendance to help foster and grow relationships in the area. If you would like more information about the schedule and event agenda in Akron, please reach out to our Communications and Community Engagement Director, Rachel Sobitz, at rsobitz@relink.org.

Registration is FREE if you are an Ohio resident. Use the discount code "OhioFree" when registering to get free access to the event. Registration closes October 5.

If you have any questions or would like additional information about the entire event, please email allincommunity@wocumc.org or call 419-591-9717.

One Hope NEO Launches Community Collaboration Website

One Hope NEO recently launched a website where Cleveland Near West Side organizations can connect and collaborate with one another. The site provides upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and several other service opportunities for those looking to make a difference in their community.

One Hope NEO is a partner of relink.org. Relink.org's database can be accessed through their website, and we are thankful for our strong connection with their team.

The One Hope NEO community website is free to use and free to sign up. If you are looking to volunteer or would like to post about an upcoming event, this is a great community to work and connect with.

National High School Human Trafficking & Social Justice Summit

The International Human Trafficking & Social Justice Conference is hosting a summit for high schoolers to learn about human trafficking and social justice, connect with one another, and build the capacity to take action and be advocates in their schools and communities.

The National High School Summit is free for high school students, including their teachers, counselors, and school administrators. The Summit will take place on Tuesday, September 20 from 8:30 A.M.-2:30 P.M. EDT.

Restore: Information

Encompass Christian Counseling - A Great Resource for Child Care & Counseling 

September is National Suicide Awareness month. In the last few months, we have had a sharp increase in the number of searches for organizations offering counseling for children. We are thankful we can give people access to so many great resources in our database.

We wanted to share with you the great work Encompass Christian Counseling is doing. They have several locations in the Northeast Ohio area and offer counseling for individuals and families. Our Director of Community Engagement, Rachel Sobitz, sat down with Kevin Carver, one of the counselors at Encompass, to learn a little more about what they offer. 

One thing Kevin pointed out that makes them unique is their home for children. Christian Children’s Home of Ohio (CCHO) is a Qualified Residential Treatment Program located halfway between Cleveland and Columbus. The children’s residential center provides a safe, structured environment to meet the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs of abused and neglected children.

Licensed by the Ohio Dept. of Job and Family Services, they can serve up to 46 children at once at the Wooster residential campus. Their mission is to help youth ages 6 to 17 from all across Ohio experience their worth, heal from trauma, and be successful back in community life. 

Relink.org Data - Counseling Searches Continue to Rise

The number of searches for psychiatry and counseling services on relink.org continues to sharply increase. Last month, there was a 107% increase in searches for psychiatry resources compared to the previous month. Our team has seen significant increases in utilization for counseling and psychiatry services this year, and it is our goal to continue to raise awareness of these resources in our database.

The graph above shows the 5 most searched subcategories in August. We've seen family service categories such as Child Care Services and Educational Resources for Families increase considerably in search utilization in the past few months.

With school back in session, relink.org is an excellent resource for children and families struggling with increased stress and anxiety. Our Communications and Community Engagement Director, Rachel Sobitz, will be presenting at Northeast Ohio schools in the upcoming months to show students and families how to utilize our website. Please reach out to Rachel at rsobitz@relink.org if you would like to schedule a presentation at your school.

Ohio Human Trafficking Sting Results in Dozens of Arrests

Close to 100 Ohio law enforcement agencies joined together for a human-trafficking investigation earlier this month (WKYC). The sting, known as Operation Time's Up, targeted buyers of sex across the state.

Law enforcement focused on crimes against children by arresting individuals seeking to buy and solicit sex from minors (Ohio Attorney General's Office). The sting included an investigation of illicit message parlors in Cleveland as well as a statewide search for missing children.

Human Trafficking is a major issue not only in the United States, but also in Ohio. Ohio had the fifth highest rate of human trafficking in 2021 according to the Ohio Attorney General's Office.

The relink.org team is committed to raising awareness about human trafficking. Our database lists over 500 human trafficking resources for those looking for help.

If you know of a resource that would benefit from being listed on our database, please reach out to our Statewide Data Coordinator, Bill Picha, at wpicha@relink.org.