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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)

Victim Service Center Rape Helpline/Hotline: (407) 500-HEAL

RAINN: Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network

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

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 intimate partner violence escaping their situation and in need of services. Some shelters explicitly state what type of violence survivors they provide services for, as many are connected with direct service organizations.

Mercy Center (Transitional home for Muslim Women)

  • andrea.rodrigues@icnarelief.org

  • 9am-5pm, or in case of emergency: (321) 616-0015

Harbor House of Central Florida:

Help Now of Osceola:

SafeHouse of Seminole:

Haven of Lake & Sumter Counties:

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 gender-based violence (GBV) often can access these services to address their trauma and find pathways to more services unique to their needs.

Victim Service Center

Mental Health Clinics

Services that include but are not limited to counseling, psychological, and 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.

Bismillah Institute:

Muslim Mental Health Directory: 

NAMI of Greater Orlando

Mental Health Association of Central FL

Aspire Health Partners

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

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

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

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 .