Frequently Asked Questions

  • MAP services are available to any Ohio resident—whether they are seeking an abortion in Ohio or out of state—and to out-of-state residents who are seeking an abortion in Ohio. Abortion is legal in Ohio through 21 weeks from your last period. We invite anyone who needs additional support for their abortion—transportation, lodging, money to cover childcare or lost wages—is invited to apply. You will not be asked about your income, and your information is confidential. 

    Since Fall of 2022, over 45 volunteers have undergone extensive training on Reproductive Justice, Advocacy, and Civic Engagement;  Anti-Oppressive Client-Centered Care; and the logistics of our MAP services. Every client who contacts us will talk with a staff member or Practical Support Volunteer who has received nine hours of MAP training from Ohio Women’s Alliance and our partners.

  • When you reach out to request support, you will receive a response by the next business day. When you contact us, MAP staff or a trained Practical Support Volunteer will ask for some basic information about your needs. We can provide some referrals while you’re on the phone, and we will follow up with you as soon as possible about transportation, childcare stipends, or lodging support.

    OWA partners with Alboum Translation Services to offer virtual interpretation for clients who are non-English speakers.

  • Questions? Send us an email at map@ohiowomensalliance.org.

    Concerns? We are committed to providing high-quality, holistic, anti-oppressive support to anyone seeking abortion care in Ohio. If you have a concern about an experience you had with a MAP Staff Member or MAP Practical Support Volunteer, please click here to fill out our grievance form. You have the option to remain anonymous, or you can list your name so we can contact you about your concerns.

  • OWA is building a strong network of anti-oppressive, unbiased service providers across Ohio. If your organization would like to partner with OWA, please reach out to Director of Membership Myia Rucker at myia@ohiowomensalliance.org.

    Click here to let us know your satisfaction with MAP.

    Click here to order MAP materials to give to clients, leave in your clinic lobby, etc!

  • The Member Assistance Program is available to residents of Franklin County thanks to grants from Columbus City Council and Franklin County, and to Ohioans across the state thanks to the generosity of additional funders.

The History of the Member Assistance Program

The Member Assistance Program (MAP) was established by Ohio Women’s Alliance to provide robust wrap-around services to clients and volunteers – expanding our wellness and communal care efforts by centering historically marginalized communities. When OWA was founded in 2019, our co-founders established OWA’s strategic priorities and Pillars of Prosperity based on the needs and hopes they heard from women and gender nonconforming folx who participated in our state-wide listening tour. During the tour, it became clear that communal care needed to be central in our programming to achieve true Reproductive Justice in Ohio. As we fight to restore and expand our reproductive rights, we prioritize and care for one another to ensure we have the resources and support to keep fighting.

When Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022 in the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, over people across Ohio signed up to support their peers as MAP volunteers. The launch of MAP is the start of a revolutionary journey to provide robust wrap-around services to clients and volunteers. While our current priority is to provide direct support and services to those seeking abortion healthcare, eventually MAP will grow into a full mutual support system designed for our Reproductive Justice Cooperative members to invest in each other and our community.

MAP Practical Support Volunteers will support fellow Ohioans in need of abortion healthcare by providing childcare, transportation, and support via our OWA warm line, while also engaging in advocacy for Reproductive Justice in Ohio.

MAP volunteers will have a variety of responsibilities ranging from staffing a warm line or transporting people seeking abortion care to their appointments. All practical support volunteers will participate in approximately 10 hours of training in the following areas: Intro to Ohio Women’s Alliance; Reproductive Justice; Advocacy & Civic Engagement; and providing anti-oppressive, values-aligned support to clients. Volunteers will also be trained in the specific areas in which they will provide support.