Cooper Center Partners
Oberlin Community Services is grateful to have partner nonprofits and businesses share the Cooper Community Resource Center. Our goal has been to create a “one-stop shop” resource hub where a wide variety of needs can be met under one roof, saving clients the time, cost, and hassle of traveling all over Lorain County to access services. Partners in this endeavor include:
Providing Oberlin With Efficiency Responsibly
POWER helps Oberlin Municipal Light and Power System customers upgrade their homes, making living spaces more energy-efficient. Weatherization and utility improvements lower both long-term energy usage and bills, and make homes more comfortable for the people who live there. POWER’s work also aims to reduce pollution and carbon dioxide emissions in line with the city of Oberlin’s Climate Action Plan.
Greg Jones, Energy Advocate
On request, Greg will provide free home inspections for residents who are customers of Oberlin Municipal Light and Power Service, performing a walkthrough energy assessment. Based on immediately visible needs, he’ll schedule a free audit with a certified energy specialist contractor. Greg will work with homeowners to identify and schedule projects that can often be completed with POWER financial assistance.
Stephanee Koscho, Program Administrator
Stephanee makes sure POWER’s many day-to-day administrative duties are covered, including grant-writing, bookkeeping, records, correspondence, event organization, newsletter development.
Colors+ Counseling
The culturally competent clinicians of Colors+ Counseling provide a range of mental health services, resources, and education. They are trained to treat both adults and youth for individual counseling, family counseling, and all types of relationships including monogamous, non-monogamous, and polyamorous. In addition to traditional talk therapy, Colors+ clinicians offer art therapy, music therapy, and EMDR to treat a wide range of issues that are unique to each person.
Lital Ruderman, LPCCS
Lital (they/them) is a licensed professional clinical counselor with the supervisor designation and a doctorate in cognitive psychology and a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. As a lifelong scholar and a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, they’re passionate about decreasing the stigma around mental health concerns and providing a safe and empowering space for clients to explore their identity and their authentic self.
Brylee Jones, LISW
Brylee specializes in treatment with the LGTBQIA+ population, trauma, anxiety, depression, sports/performance anxiety, and chronic illness. She uses an empathetic, anti-oppressive, client-centered approach to support clients toward their own identified goals. As a member of the queer community, her goal is to create a safe and affirming space for people of all sexualities, relationship types, and gender identities.
Januzzi Counseling
A team of clinicians that offers services covering a broad range of needs focused on individually designed assessment, intervention, therapy, and treatment plans for all ages. Counselors focus on building connections across various settings such as home, school, and community.
Joseph Januzzi, LICSW
Joe is a dual licensed clinician who specializes in working with children ages 4-18, with experience addressing anxiety, depression, mood disorders, ADHD, learning disabilities, bipolar disorder, autism, and more. In addition to individual counseling, Januzzi offers parent support services, family counseling, and behavior support services and intervention planning for home and school.
Working with a Purpose
Working with a Purpose helps employers with recruitment, employee training and development, performance management, and offers support with compliance and regulations. It also helps job-seekers with career coaching, resume writing, interview preparation, and skills development, all designed to enhance marketability and confidence.
Chad Grude, Chief Partnership Officer
Home Instead
Home Instead specializes in care for older adults and their families, sending professionals who help seniors accomplish activities of daily living, such as bathing, doing laundry, and meal preparation. One-on-one attention helps older adults maintain their independence and dignity as they age in place at home. It also offers vital companionship to prevent loneliness and isolation.
John Burkley, Director of Client Relations and Strategic Development
John began his career assisting the aging population in the long-term care arena and found his passion in memory care. He managed an in-home, community-based memory care program, then expanded his role to memory care manager overseeing the operations of an assisted living memory care residence. In 2021, John returned to community-based care and oversaw the operations of meals-on-wheels, transportation, and Lifeline emergency response for a social service agency.
Stina Kiefer, HR Recruitment
Stina joined Home Instead as part of the HR recruitment team, bringing a fresh perspective and dedication to connecting with top talent. She graduated in May 2024 from Ohio Wesleyan University with a degree in business and a concentration in marketing. Before joining Home Instead, Stina gained valuable experience in a nursing home, where she contributed to the administrative team in various roles.
Riveon and Let’s Get Real, Inc.
Riveon (formerly The Nord Center and The LCADA Way) offers comprehensive behavioral health services, bringing mental health and addiction treatment together under one umbrella in Lorain, Erie and Cuyahoga counties and surrounding communities. Let’s Get Real, Inc. provides information, education, and resource assistance to families and loved ones in their journey from addiction to recovery. It assists in finding detox and treatment, providing a family group and group for children impacted by substance abuse, as well as other sober support groups.
Riveon and Let’s Get Real, Inc. share an office as partners in the Rural Response Network. This consortium works to reduce overdoses and overdose deaths and strengthen and expand the capacity of Oberlin, Wellington, and surrounding rural townships to engage high-risk populations and provide substance use/opioid use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery support services.
Shannon Perry, Riveon Prevention Specialist
Shannon provides education, screening, referral, and harm reduction resources to people of all ages and backgrounds. Her goal is to provide direct access to mental health care to rural residents, with hopes of eventually having Riveon offer education groups and workshops at the Cooper Center. From immediate support to ongoing counseling and social assistance, Riveon ensures continuous, compassionate care every step of the way.
Amanda Roman. Let’s Get Real Certified Peer Support Specialist
Amanda guides people to sobriety, connecting clients with detox and treatment options. A certified peer recovery supporter (or recovery coach) is a person with significant lived experience who has overcome issues with chemical dependency, substance abuse, and/or mental illness. Amanda draws on this lived experience, giving her a unique perspective and expertise to help others.
Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
Legal Aid's mission is to secure justice, equity, and access to opportunity for and with people who have low incomes through passionate legal representation and advocacy for systemic change. At the Cooper Center, its attorneys hold a free brief advice clinic on the second Tuesday of each month from 1:30-4 p.m. using the second floor conference room and cubicles. Legal Aid attorneys meet with Lorain County residents by appointment to discuss civil issues such as divorce, custody, property disputes, employment disputes, contracts, landlord-tenant claims, small claims, and personal injury.
Jennifer Kinsley Smith, Esq.
Previously a supervising attorney in Legal Aid’s Health & Opportunity Practice Group, Jennifer recently transitioned to the role of managing attorney for Lorain County. She is working to increase Legal Aid’s partnerships with community partners, courts, and bar associations in Lorain County while also continuing her work with the Health & Opportunity Practice Group.