The Fairfield County Common Pleas Court, in collaboration with the Fairfield County Reentry Coalition, is in the process of distributing reentry-focused “Quick Reference Guides,” at no cost to county agencies and individuals in need of guidance. The goal of distributing these pocket- sized reference guides is to provide readily accessible information to those in need of food, clothing, emergency shelter, medical care, housing, substance abuse or mental health treatment, and/or legal assistance.
“The idea to create a pocket-sized quick resource guide came from one of our law enforcement partners,” explained Court Administrator Jillian Boone. “They thought it could help officers provide crucial information to individuals in crisis. Our Reentry Coordinator Samantha Green took that idea and ran with it. We have received multiple requests from other agencies, which confirms that the need—and the collective desire to help those in our community—is there.”
Within three days of making the Quick Reference Guide available to the community, the Court distributed 500 of them throughout Fairfield County: to county departments, law enforcement agencies, treatment providers, the domestic violence shelter, and the local ADAMH board.
“The quick reference guides that have been provided to all of our officers will be beneficial when we encounter individuals who are having difficulty being connected to resources,” said Lancaster Police Department Sergeant Chuck Sims. “Law enforcement meets people in their environment and most of the time these individuals just need pointed in the right direction. The quick reference guide will certainly assist officers in the field, and we will use these interactions to continue to build community trust.”
The Court intends to utilize grant funding to continue to distribute these guides free of cost to individuals and agencies throughout the county. To request a Quick Reference Guide for personal use or on behalf of your agency, please contact Reentry Coordinator Samantha Green at Samantha.green@fairfieldcountyohio.gov .
