For many Ohioans, the fight against domestic violence is a grim reality that plays out every day—sometimes in silence, sometimes in tragedy. But recent efforts from lawmakers, advocates, and public agencies signal a renewed push to break that silence and create a safer, more supportive environment for survivors across the state.
On November 4, 2025, Ohio State Representatives Dontavius Jarrells, a Democrat from Columbus, and Josh Williams, a Republican from Sylvania, introduced the bipartisan Break the Silence Act. Their goal? To establish consistent statewide standards for hospitals and urgent care centers when responding to domestic violence survivors. The bill, which is still awaiting a number and committee assignment, represents a rare moment of unity across the political aisle—one grounded in lived experience and urgent need.
Breaunna Nooks, a domestic violence survivor, shared her harrowing story at a recent press conference. "When the nurse quietly asked me, 'Do you feel safe at home?' he was sitting right there beside me, watching to see what I would say," Nooks recalled. "That day, I realized something—silence was built into the system." Her experience, where fear and intimidation followed her even into the exam room, prompted her to reach out to Rep. Jarrells with a simple yet profound question: what happens when a survivor doesn’t feel safe in the hospital?
That question, according to reporting from Ohio Capital Journal, became the spark for the Break the Silence Act. Rep. Jarrells described the bill as one that "builds a consistent statewide standard so every hospital and urgent care in Ohio knows how to respond when abuse walks through the door. It turns compassion into action through training, documentation and clear procedures that ensure no survivor is left unseen or unheard."
Maria York, policy director at the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, explained how the proposed law would work in practice. "The care team takes private time with a patient, interviewing them separately from other family or household members, asking safety-focused questions, and clearly documenting injuries," she said. If violence is disclosed or suspected, healthcare professionals would offer "supportive materials and make a warm referral to a local program that can help with safety planning and resources." This approach, York noted, aligns with national best practices recommended by Futures Without Violence, a leading advocacy group.
Crucially, the bill would also strengthen partnerships between hospitals and local domestic violence programs, enabling "warm handoffs"—a term used to describe smooth, supportive transitions from medical care to community-based support. "Strong partnerships with local domestic violence programs let care teams make warm handoffs, coordinate safety planning and support survivors beyond discharge," York added.
Amber Howell, a clinical supervisor at Nationwide Children’s Hospital Center for Family Safety and Healing, underscored the importance of the legislation. "The Break the Silence Act recognizes that disparity and takes meaningful steps towards building a consistent statewide standard of response," she said. "This legislation is grounded in the belief that safety should never depend on geography, training levels or institutional capacity."
The need for such measures is stark. According to a new report from the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, domestic violence fatalities surged between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. There were 157 intimate partner relationship fatalities in 108 cases—a grim tally that included 95 victims and 62 perpetrators, with 82 male and 75 female fatalities. Even more alarming, 84% of these fatalities involved gun violence: 144 people were shot, and only 12 survived. The report also revealed that 56% of the primary victims killed were people of color, highlighting deep racial disparities in who is most at risk.
Geographically, the crisis is widespread. Intimate partner violence fatalities occurred in 36 of Ohio’s 88 counties in 2025. Franklin County led with 33 fatalities, followed by Cuyahoga County with 20. Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein put the scale of the problem into perspective, noting that his office handles between 5,000 and 6,000 domestic violence cases each year. "The health care worker may be the victim’s first line of defense as a catalyst to change their lives for the better," Klein said.
Survivors’ experiences with the healthcare system are often inconsistent, a point driven home by Diana Williams, founder of the Ohio Women Against Domestic Violence Network. "At a neighborhood clinic, I was met with kindness and compassion, possibly because they felt sorry for me or maybe they could relate," Williams remembered. "At a hospital, I was met with confusion, with disbelief and no guidance on what to do next. That kind of inconsistency can cost lives."
While legislators work to standardize care, the state is also moving to shore up the broader safety net for survivors. On November 4, 2025, the Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS)—a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety—announced the opening of applications for federal grant money to support emergency shelters and services for domestic violence victims and their families. The funding, administered through the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) for fiscal year 2026, will help community organizations prevent family, dating, and domestic violence while providing immediate shelter and specialized services, including for children exposed to violence.
Community-based nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply for the grants, which will support the establishment, maintenance, and expansion of critical programs. Applications are due by December 11, 2025, at 5 p.m., and successful applicants will receive 12 months of funding to operate from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. To help potential applicants navigate the process, OCJS is offering a voluntary training webinar on November 12, 2025, at 10 a.m. OCJS, as the state’s lead justice planning office, administers millions of dollars in criminal justice funding each year and also evaluates programs, develops technology, and provides training for criminal justice professionals and communities.
Ohio’s efforts echo a broader national reckoning with the scope and cost of domestic violence. In California, for example, a recent statewide survey found that nearly two-thirds of residents have personal connections to domestic violence, and over 30% identify as survivors. The public health and economic impacts are staggering—a 2024 study estimated the yearly economic cost of domestic violence in California at $73.7 billion. Despite the scale of the problem, 84% of Californians support increased state investment in services for survivors, including mental health care, job protection, and cash assistance. Yet, as Debbie I. Chang, president and CEO of Blue Shield of California Foundation, wrote in a recent opinion piece, federal funding cuts and persistent issues with the Crime Victims Fund threaten the ability of service providers to meet survivors’ basic needs.
What’s clear is that multipronged supports—housing, job assistance, cash aid, and alternatives to jail for some who commit abuse—are effective in helping survivors break the cycle of violence. But advocates warn that nonprofits can’t do it alone: robust federal and state support is urgently needed to prevent domestic violence and ensure survivors get the help they need.
As Ohio lawmakers, public agencies, and community organizations mobilize, the message is unmistakable: silence is no longer an option. Through new legislation, expanded funding, and a growing commitment to consistent care, the state is taking meaningful steps to ensure that no survivor is left unseen, unheard, or unsupported.
