Call us
Call 614-502-0396 Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm. Tell us what is going on. If we cannot help with something, we will try to tell you who can.
Get help
Looking For Help?
You are in the right place.
Coming home from prison or jail is hard. So is getting sober. So is finding work and a place to live at the same time. You do not have to figure it out alone.
Three ways to start
Reach out however is easiest
Call, walk in, or send a short message. All three get you to a real person.
Come in
Our office is at 1511 S. High St, Columbus, OH 43207. You can walk in during our hours. You do not need an appointment and you do not need to bring anything.
Write to us
If writing is easier than calling, use the short form below. Telling us what you need helps us get back to you faster.
What it costs
Nothing. Our programs are free. We will never ask you for money to get help.
Send a message
Tell us what you need
A few questions, and none of them are hard. You only answer what you want to answer.
If you need help right now
Nobody watches this form at night or on weekends. If someone is in danger, call 911. If you are in crisis or thinking about hurting yourself, call or text 988. It is free and someone answers 24 hours a day.
What happens next
A real person reads every message, and you will hear back from us within one business day. We answer Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm. If you write to us at night or over the weekend, we will get to you the next day we are open.
That is why the questions above matter — when we already know what you need, your message goes straight to the right person instead of starting over.
If you need help right away, call 614-502-0396 or just come in. A five-minute conversation beats waiting on an email.
What we do with it
We use it to call you back. That is all. We do not sell it, trade it or post it anywhere. Read the privacy policy if you want the details.
What we help with
Here is what we can do
Most people need help with more than one of these. That is normal, and it is fine to ask about all of them.
Coming home
If you are getting out soon or just got out, we help you make a plan. What to do first, what papers you need and where to go for each one.
Finding a job
We help you build a résumé, practice interviews and figure out how to talk about your record. Then we help you apply.
Getting hired
We work with employers who hire people with records. They know your background before you walk in, so you are not hiding anything.
A place to live
We help you look for safe, steady housing and connect you with the programs that can help you keep it.
Everyday skills
Money and budgeting, handling conflict, setting goals, managing your time. The things that make the rest of it stick.
People who get it
Support groups led by people who have been where you are. A place to talk honestly without being judged for it.
What to expect
What happens when you come in
Nobody is going to put you on the spot. This is a conversation, not a test.
We talk
You tell us what is going on and what you need most right now. You only share what you want to share.
We make a plan
We figure out the first two or three steps together. Not twenty steps. Just enough to get moving.
You get started
We sign you up for what fits — a class, a support group, job help, housing help — and tell you when and where to show up.
We stay with you
We check in. When something goes wrong, you call us and we work on it. You are not done with us after one visit.
Straight answers
Things people worry about before they call
If one of these is the reason you have not called yet, read it and then call anyway.
“My record is bad.”
That is who we work with. We are not going to be surprised by anything you tell us, and we are not here to judge it.
“I messed up before.”
If you tried something and it did not work, you can come back. People start over here all the time. That is the whole point.
“I do not have ID or papers.”
Come anyway. Getting your ID, birth certificate and Social Security card sorted out is often the first thing we help with.
“I have no way to get there.”
Call us and say so. Transportation is one of the biggest problems our people have, and it is something we work on with you.
“Will you tell my PO or my family?”
We keep what you tell us private. We do not share it without your permission, except in the rare cases the law requires. Ask us and we will explain.
“I am not sure I am ready.”
You can call and just ask questions. Nothing happens that you do not agree to. Asking is not signing up.
Right now
If you need help this minute
Our office is open Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm. We are not a crisis line and we are not open at night or on weekends.
If you are in danger, thinking about hurting yourself, or someone needs medical help, use the numbers in the box. They answer 24 hours a day, every day.
Then call us when we open. We will still be here.
24-hour help
988 — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988 any time, for yourself or for someone else. It covers mental health and substance use.
911 — for a medical emergency or if someone is in immediate danger.
Both are free and both are open all night.
For family and friends
Trying to help someone else?
You can call us and ask questions for them. We will tell you what we do and what the first step looks like.
There is one thing we cannot do: sign someone up who has not decided to come in. That part has to be theirs. What you can do is tell them we are here, and that it is free.
See all our programsTwo more things we can do
Peer support matches you one-to-one with someone who has been through it and can walk alongside you. Case management gives you one person who helps you keep track of everything at once, so it is not all on you to remember.
Ask us about either one when you come in.
Call us. That is the whole first step.
614-502-0396, Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm. Or come to 1511 S. High St, Columbus.
Call 614-502-0396