We're here to serve you and to help Ohio's families find solutions to their temporary challenges. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services offers a wide range of assistance. We encourage you to apply for all of the benefits that your family might be eligible for during these difficult times. This could include financial assistance, food assistance, health care, employment and training assistance.
Ohio Means Jobs Ohio's statewide job-matching system has been developed into a more comprehensive online tool. The new Web site, for both employers and job seekers, can be found at www.ohiomeansjobs.com.
Local One-Stops No matter where you live in Ohio, each county has its own One-Stop Career Center where you can apply for our services and where you can get help finding your next job or career or learn about training or educational opportunities. To find your local One-Stop Center, call 1-877-852-0010. The One-Stops can provide help with resume writing, using a computer or accessing training or higher education. Visit or visit us on the Web at http://jfs.ohio.gov/owd/wia/wiamap.stm to find the One-Stop nearest you.
Local One-Stops One-Stop Centers are located throughout Ohio to provide free job training and other employment services for any Ohioan who needs it. The One-Stops can provide help with resume writing, using a computer or accessing training or higher education. Visit http://jfs.ohio.gov/owd/wia/wiamap.stm to find the One-Stop nearest you.
Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE) Through the Workforce Investment Act, Ohio provides a variety of adult education and literacy services to the state's job seekers, to help them become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to find employment. For more information, click here.
Adult Workforce Education (AWE) Ohio provides labor-market-driven postsecondary education and training for unemployed workers, including career guidance and counseling, skills assessment, financial aid, job placement and transitional services, customized training, and specialized services for employers. For more information about these programs, click here.
The Ohio State Apprenticeship Council The Ohio State Apprenticeship Council registers and monitors apprenticeship programs in our state to ensure their quality and safety. To start an apprenticeship program, to enroll in an apprenticeship program, or to learn more about the programs available, click here.
Unemployment Compensation There are several options to choose from when filing a new application for Ohio unemployment benefits or reopening an existing Ohio claim.
You may access our Web site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at http://unemployment.ohio.gov.
You may also file toll-free by telephone at 1-877-OHIOJOB (644-6562) or TTY at 1-888-642-8203. Claimants may file their unemployment claims the following days and times:
Monday - Friday 8 AM - 5 PM
Financial Counseling/Foreclosure Prevention
"Save the Dream" Foreclosure Prevention The Save the Dream foreclosure effort in Ohio is designed to give struggling homeowners more information about the foreclosure process and link them to possible sources of help, even if foreclosure proceedings have already started. To learn more, visit http://www.com.ohio.gov/SavetheDream/ or call 888-404-4674.
Foreclosure Information for Renters Important information for renters whose house or apartment is in foreclosure can be found here.
Insurance Options If you recently lost your employer-provided health insurance or have been uninsured for some time, the Ohio Department of Insurance can help you understand the coverage options available to you. Call 1-800-686-1526 for more information or visit www.ohioinsurance.gov.
Ohio Medicaid Programs Medicaid is a public health care program funded by the state and federal government. It provides necessary health care coverage to certain individuals with limited income. In Ohio, a person is entitled to Medicaid health care coverage for free or at a low-cost if they meet specific income and eligibility requirements. Because Medicaid is an entitlement program, the state cannot limit the number of eligible persons enrolled in it or deny access to medically necessary services to control costs. For more information about Medicaid, call 1-800-324-8680 or TTY (for the hearing impaired) 1-800-292-3572, or visit http://jfs.ohio.gov/OHP/consumer.stm.
Fact sheets about Ohio's Medicaid programs can be found at http://jfs.ohio.gov/OHP/bcps/FactSheets/.
Community Health Centers Ohio's community health centers are required to provide care to all patients regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. To locate a facility in your area, click here.
Free Medical Clinics Ohio has 41 free medical clinics serving 52 Ohio counties. For more information or to find a clinic near you, call 614-221-6494 or visit http://www.ohiofreeclinics.org/find-a-clinic.html.
Low Cost Prescription Drug Programs
Ohio Best Rx Ohio's "Best Rx" is a prescription drug discount card program designed to lower the cost of prescriptions for Ohio residents without prescription drug insurance coverage who are 60 years of age or over or under age 60 with annual family incomes of less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level. To apply, call 1-866-923-7879 or visit http://www.ohiobestrx.com.
Golden Buckeye Card All Ohioans age 60 or older, as well as adults ages 18-59 who have disabilities as defined by Social Security, are eligible for a free Golden Buckeye Card. For more information about the card's prescription drug benefits, visit http://aging.ohio.gov/goldenbuckeye/.
The Partnership for Prescription Assistance The Partnership for Prescription Assistance can help you determine which prescription programs you might be eligible for. For more information, call 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669) or visit https://www.pparx.org/Intro.php.
Rx for Ohio Rx for Ohio is designed to help low-income, uninsured Ohio residents get access to patient assistance programs where they may qualify for free, or nearly free, prescription medicines. To search more than 1,400 medications in more than 300 government, industry and privately sponsored programs, go to www.RxForOhio.org.
Mental Health Resources
Ohio Department of Mental Health The Ohio Department of Mental Health can help Ohio residents find mental health resources near them, from local, state and federal organizations and agencies. For more information, visit http://mh.state.oh.us.
Ohio Behavioral Health Boards Ohio Behavioral Health Boards oversee local mental health and addiction services programs. To locate the board near you, click here.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Ohio NAMI provides education, advocacy and support for people with mental illnesses and their families. For more information, visit http://www.namiohio.org/.
Drug & Alcohol Abuse The Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services coordinates an extensive system of services designed to prevent substance abuse and to treat Ohio's addicted populations. For a list of treatment providers near you, call 1-800-788-7254 or visit http://www.odadas.state.oh.us/directory/search.aspx.
Alcoholics Anonymous Find an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting near you, visit http://www.usrecovery.info/AA/Ohio.htm.
Narcotics Anonymous To find a Narcotics Anonymous meeting near you, go to http://portaltools.na.org/portaltools/MeetingLoc/.
Government Resources Ohio's County Departments of Job and Family Services administer the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (formerly Food Stamp) program, which provides cash assistance to eligible needy families to pay for food. Click here to learn more. Click here for an application.
Other Resources The Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks represents 12 foodbanks, which then distribute food to more than 3,300 member charities, including food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and other hunger relief organizations that reach all 88 Ohio counties. For more information or to locate a pantry near you, call (614) 221-4336 or visit http://www.oashf.org/.
2-1-1
More than 75 percent of Ohioans have access to 2-1-1, a free, multilingual and confidential telephone information service that links callers with trained professionals who can give them information about local foodbanks, shelters, clothing sources, rent assistance, utility help and foreclosure assistance. Like 9-1-1, 2-1-1 is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. To access it, simply dial 2-1-1. In the absence of 2-1-1, many counties have free information and referral services. For more information, call (614) 221-6766 or for a list of services near you, click here.
Child Care Finding affordable and quality child care is always a challenge. Yet, there are many services and programs to assist you in meeting this challenge. ODJFS offers financial assistance to eligible needy parents to pay for child care while they engage in work and training efforts. Call or visit your County Department of Job and Family Services for more information.
If you need to find a child care facility in your community, go to http://www.odjfs.state.oh.us/cdc/ or call 1-866-635-3748 option 2, ext. 1.
The Benefit Bank The Ohio Benefit Bank is a Web-based computer program that can quickly and easily connect Ohioans to a variety of services, from public assistance programs to help with tax preparation. More than 4,000 trained counselors currently staff hundreds of Benefit Bank sites and clinics in 87 of Ohio's 88 counties. Ohioans can check their potential eligibility for food assistance, health care coverage, home energy assistance and child care subsidies at Ohio Benefit Bank sites or online. To find a Benefit Bank location near you, call (800) 648-1176.
Housing Help The Coalition on Homelessness and Housing has developed a Web site to help individuals and families in Ohio find immediate shelter or long-term housing: http://www.ohiohousinglocator.org.
The Ohio chapter of the coalition maintains an online database of affordable housing options, organized by county. To search it, go to http://www.cohhio.org/info_odsa.php.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture subsidizes more 15,000 rural multi-family apartment complexes throughout the country. To locate affordable rural rental housing near you, go to http://rdmfhrentals.sc.egov.usda.gov/RDMFHRentals/select_state.jsp.
Child Support If you have a child support order in Ohio or another state and you lose your job through no fault of your own, you have the right to request a review of your child support order from your local child support enforcement agency (CSEA). The CSEA will consider your case and present a recommendation for a possible adjustment. The amount you pay could go up, go down or stay the same. To find the CSEA in your county, call (800) 686-1556 or visit http://jfs.ohio.gov/County/cntydir.stm.
Veterans' Services Ohio's One-Stop system provides priority of service to eligible military veterans and their spouses. They can receive job search assistance through any One-Stop location. Veterans with disabilities or other barriers to employment can receive specialized assistance by highly trained State Veterans Representatives.
In addition, local County Veterans Services Offices offer a wide array of services for veterans and/or eligible spouses. To view the types of services and a listing of the offices, go to http://dvs.ohio.gov/. The Veterans Services unit assists eligible veterans, including disabled veterans, get the training they need and find employment. For more information call (888) 296-7541, option 5, or click here.