Central Florida Resources
Resources for Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, & Abuse
From shelters, to counselors, and even legal resources, this comprehensive list can guide you to find the help you need.
Hotline
Hotlines are direct toll-free telephone lines that are public for specific purposes. Oftentimes there are operators available 24/7 to address the needs of those calling in. Specific Hotlines may include: Child abuse hotline, Mandated Reporting, Suicide, Rape, Trafficking, etc.
Florida’s Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-962-2873
Mandated Reporting Hotline: 1-800-962-2873
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
LifeLine of Central Florida (24 hours / 7 days)
Community Crisis Line: (407) 425-2624
Teen Hotline: (407) 841-7413
NAMI HelpLine (M-F | 10 am – 6 pm)
800-950-6264, info@nami.org
Victim Service Center Rape Helpline/Hotline: (407) 500-HEAL
RAINN: Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network
Hotline: 800-656-HOPE (Live Chat also available on website)
National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888.
Legal Clinic
Legal clinics offer free or reduced-rate legal advice and services. Legal clinics can be programs established by law schools, where law students gain real-world and practical experience working for clients who do not have to pay attorney fees. Legal clinics can also be places where practicing attorneys offer advice for free or reduced fees.
Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida
Helpline Toll Free: (800) 405-1417
Florida Pro Bono Matters:
https://thefloridabarfoundation.org/florida-pro-bono-matters/
Legal Aid
Legal Aid is free or inexpensive legal advice, assistance or representation provided to individuals who are not able to afford legal services. Legal aid is an important provision through which a government ensures equal access to justice for all individuals regardless of their financial condition.
Florida Legal Services
Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association
Rape Crisis Center
Rape crisis centers are community-based organizations affiliated with the anti-rape movement and sometimes medical facilities that work to help victims of rape, sexual abuse, and sexual violence.
Victim Service Center of Central Florida
Domestic Violence (DV) Shelter
A place/home/shelter for temporary protection and support for survivors of GBV escaping their situation and in need of services. Some shelters explicitly state what type of GBV survivors they provide services for, as many are connected with direct service organizations.
Mercy Center (Transitional home for Muslim Women)
Mercycenter@icnarelief.org
Hotline: (407)-377-7754
Harbor House of Central Florida:
Hotline: (407) 886-2856
Help Now of Osceola:
https://www.helpnowshelter.org/
Hotline: (407) 847-8562
SafeHouse of Seminole:
Hotline: (855) 655-7233
Haven of Lake & Sumter Counties:
http://www.havenlakesumter.org/
Hotline: (352) 753-5800
Direct Service GBV Organizations
Services that include but not limited to: counseling, psychological and/or psychiatric treatment for individuals who are either diagnosed or can be diagnosed with a mental illness. Survivors of GBV often can access these services to address their trauma and find pathways to more services unique to their needs.
Victim Service Center
https://www.victimservicecenter.org/our-services/therapy-support-services/
Mental Health Clinics
Services that include but not limited to: counseling, psychological and/or psychiatric treatment for individuals who are either diagnosed or can be diagnosed with a mental illness. Survivors of GBV often can access these services to address their trauma and find pathways to more services unique to their needs.
Muslim Mental Health Directory:
https://muslimmentalhealth.com/directory/
NAMI of Greater Orlando
Mental Health Association of Central FL
https://www.mhacf.org/mental-health-connections/
Aspire Health Partners
https://aspirehealthpartners.com/
Peer Support Space
Lifestream Behavioral Center
Central Florida Behavioral Hospital
Courthouses
Many survivors will choose to file protective orders, and courthouses are places to get this done. Depending on your local area, there are specific courthouses designated for survivors.
Orange County Courthouse
425 N. Orange Avenue, suite 320
Orlando, FL 32801
M-F, 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
Clerk of the Courts - Seminole County
Seminole County Civil Courthouse
301 North Park Ave.
Sanford, FL 32773
Osceola County Courthouse
2 Courthouse Square
Kissimmee, Florida 34741
Injunction Processing Unit, located on the second floor
Family Justice Centers
A Family Justice Center is a multiagency, multidisciplinary service center where public and private agencies assign staff members to provide services to survivors/victims of GBV and their families from one location. It’s essentially a one-stop shop including services such as: direct service, mental health services, legal aide, and access to law enforcement.
Florida Family Court
https://www.flcourts.org/Resources-Services/Court-Improvement/Family-Courts
Spiritual/Religious Support
The following individuals can provide Trauma-informed, faith based emotional and spiritual support for Muslim women survivors of violence as trained Chaplains.
MWO Hakima, Amany Shalaby
Trained clinical chaplain and Sufi teacher. MWO’s Gender Equity Advancement Coordinator. Free spiritual support consultations online or in person.
Email: amany@mwo-orlando.org
Schedule a Visit: www.mwo-orlando.org/hakima
Imam Abdurrahman Sykes, MSW
Muslim Chaplain for the students of Rollins College as well as a Marriage and Family counselor with a Masters in Social Work. Former Chairman of the Orange County Domestic Violence Task Force.
Email: imamsykes@gmail.com
Knowledge is Power
National Organizations with Resources for Muslim Women
HEART Women and Girls: Provides educational resources for the Muslim community to nurture sexual health, and confront sexual violence.
Peaceful Families Project: Dedicated to preventing domestic violence in Muslim families, this organization provides links to domestic violence programs serving the Muslim community throughout the country.
Facing Abuse in Community Environments (FACE): Provides resources to hold Muslim community leaders accountable and report allegations of misconduct.
Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights has an archive of articles and papers about topics relevant to gender equity and the rights and role of women in Islam.
MuslimARC: Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative provides resources on combating racism within the Muslim community.
Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU): Conducts research and shares their findings to empower the Muslim community through this data. On their website you can find educational resources, toolkits, and more.
Malikah: Provides resources to empower women. Their website contains powerful self-defense tips and resources.
WISE Muslim Women: Provides information on issues as well as profiles of amazing Muslim women from the past and present.
Hurma Project: Provides resources in supporting Muslim women and youth who are facing immediate danger.
In Shaykh’s Clothing: An organization providing resources and services to help Muslims understand and recover from spiritual abuse.
Project Sakinah: Dedicated to stimulating family violence awareness and action in the Muslim community.
Do you know any other resources to help survivors? Are you a Mental Health Provider, Attorney, etc. willing to provide Pro-bono or reduced fees services to survivors? Email info@mwo-orlando.org .