The Center for Child and Family Advocacy gave Williams County commissioners an update on its Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) clinic and asked for continued support and help pursuing funding and legislative contacts.

Rory Mack, executive director of the Center for Child and Family Advocacy, and Charlotte Young, clinic coordinator, told the board the clinic — housed in donated space at Archbold Hospital — provides forensic medical exams and trauma-informed mental-health services across a five-county area and will not turn anyone away. “We will not turn anybody away,” Mack said, describing the clinic’s mission to serve victims of sexual assault, strangulation and child abuse and to provide evidence-based medical documentation for law enforcement and prosecution.

Staff said the clinic operates on a modest budget and needs expanded support to retain trained nurses and secure a medical director. Mack said the center’s overall agency budget is about $1.9 million and that the SART clinic budget runs between $100,000 and $130,000; much of the clinic’s funding comes through a contract with the Adams Board. The center reported it has completed nearly 500 forensic exams since opening and is seeing a rise in calls for strangulation and physical-abuse exams — a rise the staff attributed in part to increased community education and law-enforcement awareness.

Mack and Young described the clinic’s investment in high-resolution imaging equipment that helps document bruises and marks for prosecution; Mack said the camera and photo documentation significantly improve evidence collection compared with typical ER photography. The clinic’s nurses currently number four trained clinicians (including one pediatric nurse), and staff said they are seeking a medical director and additional trained nurses so the clinic can expand hours and better meet demand. The clinic is available 24/7 on call, and staff coordinate with emergency rooms, local advocates and hospitals to schedule exams and follow-up care.

Commissioners praised the clinic’s work and volunteered to help identify funding channels and state-level advocates. Mack said the center pursues grants, United Way support and contracts with the Adams Board, and she asked commissioners to help with outreach to state-level organizations and elected officials, including the County Commissioners Association of Ohio (CCAO), area legislators and other potential funders.

The commissioners did not commit county general-fund dollars at the meeting. They encouraged the center’s leaders to continue grant-seeking, to meet with state advocates, and to invite county officials to tour the clinic so legislators and partners can see the services in person.