Victim of Crime Advocacy

Legal Support

​​Our advocates are knowledgeable about ways to legally protect yourself and can provide comfort during court hearings. Our advocates offer the following for legal support: ​

• ​Referrals and assistance with protection orders.
• Accompaniment to court for criminal justice proceedings.
• Assistance with the Safe at Home address confidentially program.

Victim of Crime Counseling

​Our mental health counselors specialize in working with victims of crime. They provide a safe environment to help process your thoughts and feeling, reduce stress and help you cope with how the crime has changed your life. These services are free and confidential.

​Individual Counseling and Group Counseling 

• Victims of Crime
• Survivors of trauma, sexual assault or abuse
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Relationship issues
• Stress management

Portage County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART)

​Townhall II team members lead a coalition of agencies that serve sexual assault survivors through a variety of multidisciplinary services. Team members can include, but are not limited to, victim advocates, law enforcement officers, forensic medical examiners and prosecutors. The SART works together to ensure that the county has guidelines and protocols in place that prioritize victims’ needs, hold offenders accountable and promote safety and support. The Portage County SART is committed to educating the county on all available services including intervention and prevention of sexual violence and coordinating services.

Safety Plans

​We use safety plans when we feel that a client wants to know how they can be safe in a violent situation. They are used primarily for domestic violence/intimate partner violence clients, but can be used for other victimizations like stalking. Each safety plan is unique, so that they can best adapt to the situation and the people in it. No matter how many safety precautions you take, you can never completely eliminate risk. However, taking steps to reduce risk helps to provide emotional comfort for clients.

The safety plan can address issues of concern for both the client and advocate. It’s important for safety planning to be collaborative since the advocate brings the knowledge of actual safety planning and area resources, while the client brings the experience of their own situation, their unique needs, safety risks and life circumstances. However, it is not mandatory for it to be completed together. Safety planning can be done when the client is choosing to stay in an abusive relationship, when the client is deciding to leave an abusive relationship, or when a client has left, but still faces safety concerns from an abusive ex-partner. Safety plans can be long- or short-term, complex or brief and written or unwritten.

Download a Safety Plan

Police Packets

​These packets are provided free of charge and include information regarding varying victimizations, Townhall II’s services, and other area resources. The police departments throughout Portage County who utilize this program are encouraged to provide packets to citizens who have experienced sexual assault, domestic violence or intimate partner violence, stalking, and/or human trafficking. Packets can be requested by emailing Sarah McCully at sarahmc@townhall2.com.