Nebraska

Bright Horizons is dedicated to the elimination of violence against women, men, and children through empowerment, education, social action, and support services.

Service area: Antelope, Boyd, Brown, Holt, Keya Paha, Knox, Madison, Pierce, Rock and Stanton Counties
Work with: all survivors of sexual assault. We provide services to survivors’ family and friends.
Services for survivors during incarceration include: crisis intervention via the 24-hour hotline, by mail or by email; hospital accompaniment during forensic exams; court accompaniment and legal accompaniment for sexual assault cases; and/or information and referrals.
Services for survivors after release include: crisis intervention via the 24-hour hotline, by mail or by email; hospital accompaniment during forensic exams; court accompaniment and legal accompaniment for sexual assault cases; in-person services such as counseling or support groups; and/or information and referrals; assistance filling out a protection order; ongoing advocacy and support.
Services for loved ones include: All of the above.
Fees: Free
Additional information: We have Spanish speaking staff members.  We would be unable to serve sex offenders or perpetrators of domestic violence.

The Center for Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Survivors, Inc. provides comprehensive services for adult and child survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and their families.

Service area: Boone, Butler, Colfax, Nance, Platte, and Polk Counties
Work with: Adult and child survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence and their loved ones
Services for survivors during incarceration include: Crisis intervention via the hotline and by mail; hospital accompaniment during forensic exams; legal advocacy and court accompaniment for sexual assault cases; information; and referrals. In-person advocacy may also be available at the Platte County Correctional Facility, by arrangement.
Services for survivors after release include: All of the above.
Services for loved ones include: Crisis intervention; advocacy; information; and referrals
Fees: Free
Additional Information: The Center for Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Survivors also offers a group for men who batter. The Group is educational and open to any male who is at least 18 years of age. Enrollment is on a voluntary basis or through a court order. The Center for Survivors also offers batterer intervention classes for $15 a class.

Hope Crisis Center is a non-profit organization committed to empowering survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and the community through advocacy, education, and confidential emergency services. Hope Crisis Center works out of its main office in Fairbury and two satellite offices throughout its service area.

Service area: Fillmore, Gage, Jefferson, Saline, Seward, Thayer, and York Counties
Work with: Survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and their loved ones.
Services for survivors during incarceration include: Crisis intervention via the 24-hour hotline and by mail; hospital accompaniment during forensic exams; legal advocacy and court accompaniment; information; and referrals.
Services for survivors after release include: All of the above; one-on-one advocacy; and emergency shelter.
Services for loved ones include: Crisis intervention; one-on-one advocacy; education; information; and referrals.
Fees: Free
Additional Information: Hope Crisis Center will provide immediate crisis intervention to any survivor who contacts them. For survivors under the age of 18, Hope Crisis Center will provide appropriate referrals for ongoing support services.

Nebraska AIDS Project serves the entire region and acts to eliminate the spread of HIV and provides comprehensive services to all people affected by HIV and AIDS.

Service area: Nebraska, Southwest Iowa, and Eastern Wyoming
Work with: Any and all persons living with and/or affected by HIV/AIDS, including families, friends, and others
Services for survivors during incarceration include: Currently, NAP provides educational courses on HIV and STDs to incarcerated populations. Additionally, upon request, a NAP case manager may be able to meet with an incarcerated client should that client be awaiting release and seeking services. NAP currently cannot provide HIV testing in correctional facilities.
Services for survivors after release include: HIV testing; HIV education; safe sex education and materials; and a range of services for people living with HIV, including case management, which provides assistance with obtaining medical care, financial assistance, support groups, food pantries, clothing, and other needed services. NAP is not a medical clinic and cannot dispense medical advice or medication of any kind.
Services for loved ones include: HIV education that can be tailored for anyone. NAP will work with you or your family to determine what information or materials are needed.
Fees: Free
Additional information: A Spanish speaking case manager is available. Se habla español.

The Nebraska Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Coalition (NDVSAC) is a statewide advocacy organization committed to the prevention and elimination of sexual and domestic violence. NDVSAC works to enhance safety and justice for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault by supporting and building upon the services provided by the network of local programs. Its broader mission is to increase public awareness and community involvement and to encourage local community leaders and other key service providers to support efforts to change the institutional polices and cultural practices that perpetuate violence against women and children.

Service area: Nebraska
Work with: Survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and their loved ones, member programs, and allied professional groups
Services for survivors during incarceration include: Information and referrals to the nearest rape crisis center via phone and by mail and a directory of affiliated rape crisis centers on the NDVSAC website.
Services for survivors after release include: All of the above.
Services for loved ones include: All of the above.
Fees: Free
Additional Information: Other NDVSAC services include: membership services and outreach; training on the local and statewide level; dissemination of a variety of education materials; and advocacy to ensure laws and public policy initiatives support survivors and hold offenders accountable.

Project Response provides services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Southeastern Nebraska.

Service area: Johnson, Nemaha, Pawneee, and Richardson Counties
Work with: Survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and their loved ones
Services for survivors during incarceration include: Crisis intervention via the 24-hour hotline and by mail; legal advocacy and court accompaniment with protection and harassment orders; information; and referrals.
Services for survivors after release include: All of the above; individual short-term counseling; financial assistance; emergency shelter; and transportation assistance.
Services for loved ones include: Crisis intervention; short-term counseling; information; and referrals.
Fees: Free

The DOVES Program provides free and confidential domestic, dating, stalking, and sexual violence services and prevention.

Service area: Banner, Box Butte, Cheyenne, Dawes, Alliance, Chadron, Morrill, and Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, and Sioux Counties with an additional office in Sidney.
Work with: Survivors of domestic, dating, and sexual violence and their loved ones.
Services for survivors during incarceration include: Crisis intervention via the 24-hour hotline and by mail; hospital accompaniment during forensic exams; legal advocacy and court accompaniment; information; and referrals. DOVES advocates will meet with survivors wherever it is safe to respond, including at local jails, by arrangement. Please contact DOVES directly for more information.
Services for survivors after release include: All of the above; walk-in services, such as one-on-one support; and referrals and financial assistance for long-term counseling. Support groups may also be available, depending on interest.
Services for loved ones include: Crisis intervention; one-on-one support; education; information; referrals and financial assistance for long-term counseling; and referrals for other needed services.
Fees: Free
Additional Information: Survivors can also visit the DOVES office at 2035 10th St., Gering, NE 69341. All services are available in English and Spanish. Se habla español.

The S.A.F.E. Center’s mission is to provide free and confidential services for individuals and families affected by domestic and sexual violence while bringing awareness and prevention efforts to communities across South Central Nebraska.

 Service area: Buffalo, Franklin, Harlan, Kearney, and Phelps Counties.
Work with: Survivors of dating, domestic, and sexual violence and their loved ones.
Services for survivors during incarceration include: Crisis intervention via the 24-hour hotline and by mail; hospital accompaniment during forensic exams; court accompaniment and referrals to attorneys; information; and referrals. In-person services in local correctional facilities may also be available, by arrangement, including counseling.
Services for survivors after release include: All of the above; walk-in services such as one-on-one advocacy; counseling; emergency shelter; support group.
Services for loved ones include: Crisis intervention; support; education; information and referrals.
Fees: Free
Additional Information: Services are available in English and Spanish. Se habla español.

Voices of Hope provides services to empower those who have experienced relationship violence, sexual assault and related forms of abuse. Our services are free and confidential to victims of these crimes as well as their family members.

Service area: Lincoln and Lancaster County Nebraska.  Adult Survivors at Lancaster County Jail.
Work with: Women, men, transgender, survivors’ family and friends. Services for survivors during incarceration include: crisis intervention via the 24-hour crisis line, by mail or by email; hospital accompaniment during forensic exams; court accompaniment and legal accompaniment for sexual assault cases; and information and referrals.
Services for survivors after release include: Walk in services, PO Petition assistance, 24 hour crisis line, education and support groups (female only), information and referrals.
Services for loved ones include: Walk in services, PO Petition assistance, 24 hour crisis line, information and referrals.
Fees: All services are free.
Additional Information: A bilingual advocate is on staff (Spanish) and arrangements can be made via a language line or interpreter to accommodate individuals speaking other languages. Voices of Hope is unable to provide services to sex offenders and/or individuals identified as primary aggressors.

Since 1893, YWCA Omaha has been dedicated to helping empower women toward personal, social, and economic success, and to help women and their families build lives of strength, growth, and stability. The YWCA Omaha provides services to female and male survivors of violence, sexual assault, and abuse.

Service area: Omaha metropolitan area
Work with: Survivors of violence, sexual assault, and abuse, and their loved ones
Services for survivors during incarceration include: Crisis counseling via the 24-hour hotline and by mail; information; and referrals.
Services for survivors after release include: All of the above; individual counseling and group therapy for adult, adolescent, and child survivors; art therapy; and trauma therapy, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), one the most effective and rapid methods for healing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Services for loved ones include: Crisis intervention; counseling for couples and families of survivors; information; and referrals.
Fees: All victim advocacy services are free. Payment is requested for the following services: counseling, women’s non-violence program, women’s empowerment class, women’s domestic violence support group; women’s self-defense; parenting classes, and the batterers’ intervention program. DHHS vouchers and insurance are accepted from several companies. A sliding fee scale may be available if insurance payments or vouchers do not cover services.
Additional Information: Victim advocacy services are offered in Spanish through the Latina Resource Center (LRC) at 402-898-6760. YWCA Omaha offers additional services for women, teens, and children, including legal advocacy; medical advocacy; education programs; family violence services; non-violence intervention for people who batter; career and economic advancement programs; and the Empower Clinic, which provides education and basic health screenings for women.

The Legal Division supports all Department of Correctional Services programs and institutions by giving legal advice and representation regarding labor relations, inmate rights, contracts, legislative issues, inmate grievances, transportation orders, or matters involving litigation and the Courts. Among its duties, the Legal Division investigates inmate grievances appealed to the Director.

The Office of the Public Counsel (also known as the State Ombudsman’s Office) is an independent office based in the legislature that handles citizen complaints regarding the actions of state administrative agencies.

The Deputy Public Counsel for Corrections has jurisdiction over all facilities and parts of facilities, houses of confinement, and institutions that are operated by the Department of Correctional Services and all county or municipal correctional or jail facilities.

The Ombudsman’s Office seeks to provide administrative justice to all citizens as well as to promote accountability in public administration. The Ombudsman makes specific recommendations for corrective action whenever the investigation of a complaint reveals a mistaken, unfair, or arbitrary state action; develops general recommendations to promote continuing improvement in the state agencies’ policies and procedures, and issues annual reports.

Inmates who have been sexually assaulted in a detention facility, including facilities operated by the Department of Correctional Services and county or municipal correctional or jail facilities, can contact the Deputy Public Counsel for Corrections to report the assault and any concerns regarding the handling of investigations into such abuse.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Nebraska Correctional System was established in 2015 by the Nebraska Legislature in order to provide for increased accountability and oversight of the Nebraska correctional system. The office is a subdivision of the Office of Public Counsel.

The OIG identifies and examines systemic issues of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services and also investigates incidents resulting in death or serious injury that occur within the Nebraska correctional system.

ACLU Nebraska is a nonprofit, non-partisan, privately funded organization devoted exclusively to the defense and promotion of the individual rights secured by the U.S. and Nebraska constitutions. ACLU Nebraska carries out its mission through litigation, negotiation, lobbying, and education. ACLU Nebraska is one of the smaller ACLU affiliates, but it has gained a reputation for having a very aggressive legal advocacy program for its size. The ACLU of Nebraska protects individual civil liberties by providing legal counseling, representation in court or before administrative law judges, and by filing friend of the court briefs when civil liberties issues arise in cases where the ACLU is not directly involved.

Each year, ACLU Nebraska receives and responds to approximately 600 requests for assistance. ACLU Nebraska has always provided advice and referral information for those individuals it is unable to assist directly. The ACLU also resolves some complaints through informal intervention and is also able to provide personal legal representation on cases selected for the impact they are likely to have on the civil liberties of all Nebraskans.

Prisoners who believe their rights have been violated can submit a complaint by printing out and mailing in a completed Complaint Form (link above) or by writing to the ACLU of Nebraska.

The Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP) is a statewide volunteer legal services project and referral network founded on the belief that all citizens should have access to the legal system, regardless of ability to pay. Established in 1982 as a project of the Nebraska State Bar Association, VLP seeks to match people who have civil legal problems with attorneys who are willing to provide legal assistance on a pro bono, reduced fee, contingency fee, or full fee basis.

Any individual with a civil legal problem may apply for assistance from the VLP. (The program is not able to assist with any criminal matters, including misdemeanors and traffic violations.) Because there are usually more requests for assistance than there are attorneys to accept cases, civil legal problems are ranked by priority, with the most urgent needs receiving attention first. Referrals depend on availability of attorneys in a geographic area and the areas in which those attorneys practice. Contact VLP for more information on eligibility and available services.

VLP also offers a Self Help Center, a free, walk-in legal information and resource center for low-income persons representing themselves in court. Representing yourself in court is not easy. Like lawyers, you are responsible to understand and follow court rules and procedures and adhere to strict time deadlines. A Self Help Center is not a substitute for professional legal advice. When you cannot afford a lawyer, however, a Self Help Center can provide legal information and resources to help you resolve a legal problem on your own.

Each Self Help Center is coordinated by the Nebraska State Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project in collaboration with the Courts, local bar associations, law schools, attorneys and legal professionals. Volunteers include Nebraska lawyers and non-lawyers who provide assistance under the supervision of a Nebraska lawyer.

VLP volunteers can answer general questions about the civil court process and court procedures; provide information and instructions for approved court forms and identify resources to help you complete the forms (forms are not available for every legal problem); review approved court forms for completeness and provide instructions for filing; and identify resources to help you find a lawyer or legal services for low-income persons.

VLP volunteers cannot meet with you if you are represented by a lawyer; help with criminal, immigration, bankruptcy, appeals, or trial discovery documents; provide information or resources for every case type or legal situation; give personalized legal advice or legal strategies for your legal problem; and act as your lawyer, appear with you in court, or speak to a judge on your behalf

Self Help Center Locations and Hours:    

Buffalo County:

First Friday of the month 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Buffalo County Courthouse at 1512 Central Avenue in Kearney, across from the Clerk of the District Court office.

Douglas County:

Every Monday and Wednesday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Douglas County Courthouse at 17th & Farnam Street in Omaha, across from the Douglas County Law Library, Harney Street level.

Hall County: 

Every Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Hall County Courthouse at 111 West First Street in Grand Island, the lower level across from Courtroom #3.

Lancaster County:

Thursdays, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Lancaster County Courthouse at 575 South 10th Street in Lincoln, Third Floor Jury Room area, rear door to the office of the Clerk of the District Court.

Madison County:

Third Friday of the month 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Madison County Courthouse at 313 North Main Street in Madison; check in with the Clerk of the District Court office (first office at the courthouse entrance).

Scotts Bluff County:

First and third Thursday of the month 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Scotts Bluff County Courthouse at 1725 10th Street in Scottsbluff, basement level.