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, as well as employment and training assistance.
Finding a Job
Ohio's statewide job-matching system, Ohio Means Jobs, has been developed into a more comprehensive online tool.
Each county has its own local One-Stop Career Center where you can apply for our services, get help finding your next job or career, or learn about training and educational opportunities. Please call 1-877-852-0010 or visit us on the Web to find the One-Stop nearest you.
Education and Training
One-Stops provide free job training and other employment services for any Ohioan who needs it. The One-Stops can also provide help with resume writing, using a computer or accessing training.
Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE) provides a variety of adult education and literacy services to the Ohio's job seekers. Services may include obtaining the knowledge and skills necessary to find employment.
Adult Workforce Education (AWE) provides labor-market-driven, postsecondary education and training for unemployed workers. This may include career guidance and counseling, skills assessment, financial aid, job placement and transitional services, customized training, as well as specialized services for employers.
The Ohio State Apprenticeship Council registers and monitors apprenticeship programs in our state to ensure their quality and safety. To begin, enroll, or learn more about the programs available, visit Ohio State Apprenticeship Council.
Financial Assistance
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 website 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at http://unemployment.ohio.gov.
You may also file Monday through Friday 8:00AM - 5:00PM by calling toll free 1-877-OHIOJOB (644-6562) or TTY at 1-888-642-8203.
Save the Dream 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 about foreclosure prevention call 888-404-4674.
Renters may also access foreclosure information.
Health Care 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.
Medicaid is a public healthcare 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 healthcare 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 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.
You may also want to check out Medicaid's fact sheets.
Ohio's Community Health Centers are required to provide care to all patients regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.
Ohio has 41 free medical clinics serving 52 counties. For more information or to find a clinic near you, call 614-221-6494.
Low Cost Prescription Drug Programs
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 a.) 60 years of age or over or b.) under age 60 with annual family incomes of less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level. To apply, call 1-866-923-7879.
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.
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).
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.
Mental Health Resources
The Ohio Department of Mental Health can help Ohio residents find mental health resources from local, state and federal organizations and agencies near by.
Local mental health and addiction services programs are overseen by Ohio Behavioral Health Boards.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Ohio provides education, advocacy and support for people with mental illnesses and their families.
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.
Find an Alcoholics Anonymous or a Narcotics Anonymous meeting near you.
Food Assistance
ODJFS administers the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (formerly Food Stamp) program, which provides cash assistance to eligible needy families to pay for food. Learn more or submit an application.
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.
Other Services
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, including a list of services near you, call (614) 221-6766.
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. If you need to find a child care facility in your community, call 1-866-635-3748.
The Ohio Benefit Bank is a webbased 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 or call (800) 648-1176.
The Coalition on Homelessness and Housing has developed a website to help individuals and families in Ohio find immediate shelter or long-term housing.
The Ohio chapter of the coalition maintains an online database of affordable housing options, organized by county.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture subsidizes more 15,000 rural multi-family apartment complexes throughout the country. Locate affordable rural rental housing near you.
If 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.
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.
Local County Veterans Services Offices offer an array of services for veterans and/or eligible spouses. 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.
For frequently asked questions on ODJFS Core Services
Last Updated 05/08/2013