North Dakota

The mission of Council on Abused Women’s Services North Dakota (NDCAWS) is to provide leadership and support in the identification, intervention, and prevention of domestic and sexual violence.

Service area: North Dakota
Work with: Survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and their loved ones, sexual assault 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 NDCAWS/CASAND 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 NDCAWS/CASAND programs include: membership services and outreach; prevention education; training; and legislative and public policy advocacy.

From the time of its incorporation in 1979, Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Center (DVRCC) has worked to consolidate under a single administration management of the region’s services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault; to secure physical safety for these individuals and their families; to make available to domestic violence and sexual assault survivors the sustained support that enables them to break the cycle of abuse; and to educate the community about abusive relationships.

Service area: Adams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, Hettinger, Slope, and Stark 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 for sexual assault survivors in Dickinson and surrounding areas; legal advocacy and court accompaniment; a support group for treatment group participants at Dakota Women’s Correctional and Rehabilitation Center (DWCRC) in New England; information; and referrals. Hospital accompaniment during forensic exams may also be available for survivors at DWCRC, depending on weather and staff availability. The support group at DWCDC is closed to treatment group participants only.
Services for survivors after release include: Crisis counseling via the 24-hour hotline; emergency shelter; personal and legal advocacy; hospital accompaniment during forensic exams; assistance with protection orders; support groups for women and children; information; and referrals for counseling and other needed services.
Services for loved ones include: Crisis counseling; emergency shelter; information; and referrals
Fees: Free

The Minnkota Center is a nonprofit, community-based organization providing safe and affordable counseling services for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (GLBTQ) individuals. The Minnkota Health Project provides services for people living with HIV/AIDS, their partners, and families in western Minnesota and North Dakota

Service area: North Dakota and 40 counties in greater Minnesota
Work with: GLBTQ individuals and people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS
Services for survivors during incarceration include: Information, support, and referrals for services after release by mail and by phone for GLBTQ prisoners and people with HIV.
Services for survivors after release include: Referrals for HIV testing and counseling; and a range of services for people living with HIV/AIDS through the Minnkota Health Project, including care advocacy; individual counseling and monthly support groups; social activities; transportation assistance; a food voucher program; emergency financial assistance; leadership opportunities; Speakers’ Bureau; and referrals for appropriate resources, including medical care, medication, and social services. Services available to GLBTQ people through the Minnkota Center include individual counseling; relationship counseling; GLBTQ youth group; discussion groups for men who identify as gay, bisexual, queer or as men who have sex with men and for lesbian, bisexual, and queer women; smoking cessation programs; leadership opportunities; and Speakers’ Bureau.
Services for loved ones include: Information; support; referrals for HIV testing and counseling; and support groups.
Fees: Counseling services are provided on a sliding scale, and no one is turned away for lack of ability to pay. All HIV-related services are free.
Additional Information: A new support group is scheduled to begin meeting in Bismarck in March, 2010 for people living with HIV/AIDS and anyone affected by it, including their caregivers or loved ones. Contact Minnkota Health Project for more information. Services are available in English, but Minnkota Center and Minnkota Health Project Center staff can access interpreter services for non-English speakers.

The North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) HIV/AIDS Program is divided into three sections: HIV Surveillance, HIV Prevention, and HIV Care. The HIV Surveillance Program receives funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to collect information about HIV infection and AIDS diagnoses among North Dakota residents. The HIV Prevention Program works to reduce the spread of HIV in North Dakota by decreasing risky behaviors, which include unprotected sex, needle-sharing, tattooing, and body piercing. North Dakota CARES (Comprehensive AIDS/HIV Resources and Emergency Services) is a program that assists low-income North Dakota residents living with HIV or AIDS to access confidential health and supportive services.

Service area: North Dakota
Work with: People who are living with HIV/AIDS, at risk of contracting HIV, or in need of testing
Services for survivors during incarceration include: Information related to HIV/AIDS and referrals via phone and by mail. Anyone who has HIV/AIDS and is about to be released can contact the HIV/AIDS Program for referrals to local case managers, medical care, and other needed services following their release. The HIV/AIDS Program also works to ensure that anyone who tests positive for HIV while they are incarcerated is able to meet with an epidemiologist to coordinate their medical care during their incarceration.
Services for survivors after release include: Information and referrals for HIV testing sites, case management, medical care, housing assistance, and other services throughout the state via the HIV/AIDS hotline, by mail, and by phone.
Services for loved ones include: Information and referrals for HIV testing sites, support groups, and other needed services throughout the state via the HIV/AIDS Hotline, by mail, and by phone.
Fees: Free

The Rape and Abuse Crisis Center (RACC) of Fargo-Moorhead is a non-profit agency whose mission is to provide crisis intervention, advocacy, counseling, and education to all persons affected by sexual and domestic violence and to provide prevention programs to create a society free of personal abuse.

Service area: Cass and Traill Counties in North Dakota
Work with: Survivors of sexual assault and their family and friends
Services for survivors during incarceration include: Crisis intervention; information; and referrals via the 24-hour hotline.
Services for survivors after release include: All of the above and individual and group counseling.
Services for loved ones include: All of the above.
Fees: Free
Additional information: RACC will provide immediate crisis intervention to any survivor who contacts them. For survivors convicted of sex crimes, RACC will provide appropriate referrals for ongoing support services.

SAFE Shelter provides crisis and support services to adult and adolescent survivors of sexual assault.

Service area: Foster and Stutsman Counties, including the cities of Jamestown and Carrington
Work with: Adult and adolescent survivors of sexual assault and their loved ones
Services for survivors during incarceration include: Crisis intervention via the 24-hour hotline, by mail, and by email; hospital accompaniment during forensic exams; court accompaniment and legal advocacy for sexual assault cases; in-person services such as counseling at local jails and prisons; information; and referrals.
Services for survivors after release include: All of the above; individual counseling; support groups; information; and referrals.
Services for loved ones include: All of the above.
Fees: Free
Additional information: SAFE Shelter will provide immediate crisis intervention to any survivor who contacts them. For survivors convicted of sex crimes, SAFE Shelter will provide appropriate referrals for ongoing support services.

The Attorney General is the chief legal counsel and advisor to state government in North Dakota. He represents and defends the interests of the state and the people of North Dakota in civil and criminal actions. He may take legal action to protect the rights of North Dakotans, defend the actions of state officials, and ensure public order. Inmates who have been sexually assaulted in a North Dakota detention facility and want to appeal the grievance resolution within the facility can contact the Attorney General to report the assault and any concerns regarding the handling of investigations into such abuse at the address above.

Founded in 1952 as the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU-MN fights to protect the civil liberties of Minnesotans and North Dakotans through litigation, public education, and lobbying related to legislation that impacts civil liberties and civil rights.

The ACLU of North Dakota in coordination with the ACLU of Minnesota legal program assures that the Bill of Rights and the rights guaranteed by the Constitution are preserved for each new generation.

You can download the Legal Intake Form (link provided above) and mail it back to the ACLU of Minnesota to the address on the form or write to the ACLU of Minnesota directly for assistance. Please be patient as there may be some delay due to the overwhelming number of requests the ACLU receives.