The Nord Center helps sexual assault victims and loved ones

NORWALK — More than 540 sexual assault survivors and families have been assisted in Huron County through the Nord Center. The Nord Center offers sexual assault services, a child advocacy center and a rape crisis center in its Norwalk office. Representatives from the center attended the Huron County commissioner's meeting to share their work in the past year. Based out of Lorain County, the Nord Center is a community behavioral health agency providing counseling, crisis services, emergency assessments, treatment, residential programs and employment assistance. Recently, the center has begun treating substance abuse disorders. "The services that are needed to provide support and coping and similar," said chief executive officer Don Schiffbauer. The Norwalk office, 257 Benedict Ave., opened in 2019 and since then has served 545 survivors of sexual assault and families. Since March, 290 people have been helped. For the first time in Huron County, the Nord Center has helped those who experience sexual assault received a forensic medical exam. Previously, to receive this care, survivors would have to travel out of the county. Since the start of the year, Nord has provided 50 medical exams and 98 forensic interviews. The Nord Center has a retired FBI agent who provides forensic interviews that are utilized by police and attorneys. In 2020, 49 adults have been served at the rape crisis center and 130 youth have been helped through the child advocacy center. "We've been working hard to get the word out and maintain what services we can virtually," said Bethany Lewis, director of sexual assault services. Schiffbauer said Kristen Cardone, director of Huron County Board of Mental Health and Addiction Services, has been important to their operation, assisting in coordinating services between county agencies. Huron County commissioner Terry Boose thanked Lewis and Schiffbauer for their work in Huron County and for providing these services. "It's in our best interest to work collaboratively to best met the needs of the community," he said. "Huron County is doing an exceptional job of making sure the community is aware of these types of services and these atrocities are happening but there are resources to help victims and loved ones."