Domestic Violence Project

Canton emergency shelter offers emergency housing to men, women, and children survivors of Domestic Violence. All services are free, confidential, and available 24/7. A client-centered continuum of care is provided through comprehensive services in a trauma-informed environment. Case management services are available, including safety planning and linkage to community resources. Emergency shelter provides all basic needs, including housing, food, clothing, and limited child care and transportation services to clients. Eight rooms with private baths and eight rooms with shared bath facilities are available, with a maximum of 44 beds. . For the current fiscal year, the canton shelter provided safe refuge to 252 survivors for a total of 10,688 nights of shelter. Dvpi's 24-hour crisis hotline is housed in the canton shelter with 1,131 calls answered in the fiscal year.

Western stark shelter offers free housing on an emergency 24-hour basis to victims of Domestic Violence and their children. Services are provided in a trauma-informed care environment. Case management services, including safety planning and linkage to community resources, are available and the shelter provides food, clothing, and limited transportation services to residents. Six rooms with private baths and a total of 19 beds are available. For the current fiscal year, the massillon shelter provided refuge to 119 survivors for a total of 3,806 nights of shelter.

Legal advocacy supportive services provides justice systems advocacy and support for survivors of Domestic Violence. Clients are assisted through the court process and given safety planning on information about community resources, crime victims' compensation, and the Ohio victim information notification network (vine). Legal advocates help survivors navigate civil and criminal courts and assist them in understanding legal rights, attending court hearings, filing criminal protection orders, speaking with the prosecutors and police, and reinforce safety planning with shelter residents as well as with clients who access services exclusively through the courts. A partnership with cleveland clinic mercy hospital and aultman hospital offers forensic evidence collection for clients, aiding in prosecution of abusers. During the fiscal year, legal advocacy staff served 873 clients.

Victim services provides outreach and aftercare services to survivors who are no longer working with other dvpi programs as well as medical advocacy support services to survivors in emergency rooms during the forensic medical evidence collection process. Case management services are available, including safety planning and linkage to community resources support for housing, food, and clothing are also available, if needed. During this fiscal year, 169 survivors received outreach services. Transitional housing services works to release Domestic Violence survivors from housing concerns and provide them with adequate time to rebuild lives, transition into permanent housing, and integrate into the community by providing survivors with assistance in rent, utility costs, and other living expenses. Survivors are also provided with assistance in accessing community resources to help with the transition process as well as any other community resources such as food and medical assistance. During this fiscal year, 34 adults and children were provided with 6,923 nights of housing. Although no longer a separate department, dvpi provides education services to law enforcement, legal/judicial professionals, educators, medical personnel, and the community at large. During the fiscal year, 602 individuals received Domestic Violence awareness training through dvpi services.