Who We Are
Project HEAL, which stands for Help, Educate, Advocate and Listen, is a coordinated community approach to reducing sexual assault, dating or domestic violence, and stalking on college campuses in Springfield, Missouri. The goal of this project is to unite Missouri State University and Ozarks Technical Community College in the common pursuit of making school as safe as possible while providing support for those affected by violence.
What We Do
Our team strives to improve campus prevention, response and training through appropriate policy and procedure adoption, inter-departmental collaboration and by developing constructive dialogue opportunities for students, faculty and staff.
Project HEAL oversees an array of initiatives and services including:
· An Engaging Men coalition
· Peer-to-peer prevention education programs
· Promotion of underrepresented student groups
· Collaboration with local law enforcement and victim service agencies
· Trauma-informed advocacy, counseling and therapy
Our efforts have been strengthened by our partnerships within the community. We continue to build relationships with local leaders seeking to make a difference in the lives of students.
Our History
In the fall of 2017, Missouri State University and Ozarks Technical Community College were awarded a collaborative three-year Campus Program Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). This is the first time any college in Springfield, Missouri has been awarded the grant. Project HEAL applied for and received grant renewal in October of 2020. Out of 101 grant applications, OTC was 1 of 15 to receive three additional years of continuation funding.
Project HEAL at OTC Annual Report
Project HEAL at OTC updates a report every year to include aggregate data for the entirety of the grant. If you have questions, please contact Rachel Herron at herronr@otc.edu or 417-447-7859.