Upcoming Webinar Series: Familial Trafficking

Relink.org will be hosting a three-part familial trafficking webinar series beginning on November 21. Discussion will be centered around familial trafficking; understanding familial trafficking, understanding the needs of a familial trafficking survivor and how to serve them, and healing and hope for familial trafficking survivors. 1 CEU social worker credit will be awarded to participants.

Webinar Schedule

• November 21: Understanding Familial Trafficking
• Panelists: Christi Scott Bartman - MPA, JD, PhD, Eyes Up Appalachia. Liz Williamson - Training Specialist at Truckers Against Trafficking. Jennifer - BA, Mentor, Survivor-Leader with the Survivors Network.
• December 15: Understanding the Needs of a Familial Trafficking Survivor and How to Serve Them
• Panelists: Christine Cesa - MAICS, Lived Experience Expert, Coordinator of Outreach, Avery Center. Angela Clark - Survivor Leader
• January 19: Healing and Hope for Familial Trafficking Survivors
• Panelists: Jasmine Myers - BA, SWT, Advocate, Collaborative to End Human Trafficking Advisory Council. Alicia Ley - Program Specialist for the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking, Survivor Advocate for The Joseph Project. Anchal Jain - A Resilient Human Being.

We are eager to hear from these strong individuals and learn about the important work they are doing to combat human trafficking. If you would like more information, please reach out to our team at info@relink.org.

Recent Webinar: Reentry Efforts and Programming

Relink.org recently hosted a webinar for those looking to make a difference in the reentry community. Louis Fields from Builders: Rebuilding Our Families & Communities As We Rebuild Ourselves and Rick Williams from Truly Reaching You discussed their programs and other reentry efforts in their communities. Discussion was focused on addressing core issues to prevent recidivism and ensure people thrive.

A recording can be found on the Webinars page on relink.org as well as the relink.org YouTube channel. Please reach out to our team at info@relink.org if you have any questions or would like to connect with our panelists.

Recent Webinar: Youth Mental Health

Relink.org recently hosted a youth mental health webinar entitled "Growing Up Too Fast: Addressing the Mental Health Challenges Facing Our Youth Today." We teamed up with National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Summit County to share resources, ideas, and information about youth mental health.

NAMI Summit County Executive Director, Leslie Powlette Stoyer spoke about the increased number of traumas and challenges our youth are facing today. Chantelle Lewis of YouthMOVE Ohio reflected on her own challenges with mental health and gave a strong testimonial advocating for better mental health practices.

The recording can be found on the relink.org Webinars page. Please reach out to our team at info@relink.org if you have any questions or would like to attend future webinars.

Restore: Information

Recent Project: Anti-Human Trafficking Appalachia Ohio Directories

Eyes Up Appalachia is an anti-human trafficking initiative in Appalachian Ohio that illuminates, educates, and advocates against human trafficking. Their team provides anti-human trafficking resources and training sessions for individuals looking to combat human trafficking.

We have had the pleasure of knowing Eyes Up Appalachia Founder Christi Scott Bartman for years and have developed a strong connection with her initiative. Christi has spoken on multiple relink.org webinars and has been a valuable asset for our team.

We recently teamed up with Christi to create an anti-human trafficking directory for Appalachian counties in Ohio. The directory lists anti-human trafficking resources throughout Appalachia Ohio and lists each organization’s services and contact information. We are eager to share this directory with Ohioans to help combat human trafficking in our state.

New Partnership: Summit County Collaborative to End Human Trafficking

We recently connected with the Summit County Collaborative to End Human Trafficking (SCCAHT) to discuss collaboration. The relink.org team met with SCCAHT leadership to make plans to create a positive impact in the anti-human trafficking community.

The Summit County Collaborative to End Human Trafficking was founded in 2009 by multiple agencies and community members with the united goal of eradicating human trafficking in their communities. The collaborative continually expands their reach through education and collaborative efforts to ensure that survivors receive quality services and that agencies feel equipped with best practices as outlined by The Attorney General's Office.

We look forward to partnering with SCCAHT on anti-human trafficking projects moving forward. For more information on the collaborative, please visit their website.

Relink.org: What Makes Us Different

One of the biggest questions we are asked is what makes us different from other community services. There are dozens of organizations throughout the state doing similar work. So, what makes relink.org special?

Relink.org is proud to offer a full continuum of care for Ohioans in all 88 counties. Our database lists resources from addiction recovery and behavioral health to reentry and anti-human trafficking resources. Our website is free to use and free to register an account on. Users are able to print, share, and email resources to individuals in need at no charge. Those looking for help and those looking to help others are connected through relink.org.

Outside of our database, the relink.org team is doing meaningful outreach work every day. We host monthly webinars where leaders and professionals speak about relevant topics, including addiction recovery and behavioral health. Participants are able to ask questions to our panelists through live Q&A sessions to gain a better understanding of their respective fields. Additionally, we are grateful to receive grant opportunities where we connect and collaborate with local organizations to make an impact in the reentry, anti-human trafficking, and addiction recovery communities.

If you would like to learn more about our work, please visit our Who We Are page on relink.org. Also, feel free to reach out to our team at info@relink.org if you would like to connect and collaborate.

Reentry Success Story

Our team recently attended a correctional education program conference hosted by Ashland University. The keynote speaker was Stanley Andrisse, who was incarcerated for 10 years and started taking college courses while in prison. After release, he received his Bachelor's Degree and went on to get his MBA and PHD. He is now a faculty member at Howard University College of Medicine. His book entitled From Prison Cells to PHD: It is Never Too Late to Do Good outlines his journey.

At the conference, we learned people are 43% less likely to return to prison if they get a degree while incarcerated. Each year in Ohio, 20,000 people are released from prison and reenter back into society and 98% of all people incarcerated will be released at some point. Returning to the community from jail or prison is a complex transition. Getting an education while incarcerated is a key factor to help reenter successfully.