Instructor, Center for Applied Conflict Management

M.Ed., School Counseling, Kent State University, 1991

Ruth Simera is a part-time instructor for the Center for Applied Conflict Management, teaching Introduction to Conflict Management, Mediation, or Gender, Power and Conflict each semester. Ruth is an Ohio mediator and mediation trainer and works full time in the non-profit sector at Townhall II in Kent, as Planning & Development Director. As such, Ruth oversees Townhall II Conflict Management Services, Educational Services, Emergency Services and Human Resource & Operations Departments.

In the early 1990’s Ruth implemented a Victims of Crime Outreach & Advocacy Program through federal Victims of Crime Act funds. This programs continues today. In 1995, Ruth implemented the Family Crisis Mediation Program, followed by a Truancy Prevention through Mediation project in 2000, both of which were funded by the Office of Criminal Justice Services through the Ohio Attorney General's office. In 2003, Ruth authored a three-year grant on behalf of the Portage County Mental Health and Recovery Board for planning and evidence-based program implementation for substance abuse prevention in Portage County. That project ended in September 2006 with the majority of the programs continuing today, including Children In the Middle and After the Storm, divorce education programs for parents and children.

Ruth has also provided and supervised mediation services for domestic relations, at-risk and adjudicated youth, workplace, elderly care, community and school-based disputes. She has special training to provide mediation services for Abuse, Neglect and Dependency cases and Foreclosure Prevention. She has provided consultation and training to other Ohio counties on implementing crisis mediation and Truancy Prevention Through Mediation programs. In the past, the Townhall II Crisis Mediation Program was cited at the Ohio Intercourt Conference as one of the model programs in Ohio.

In 1997 Ruth became the first Red Cross, Disaster Services, Mental Health volunteer in Portage County. She provided disaster response services for ten years in this capacity, including many local outreach efforts, occasional regional or state efforts, and assignment to New York City in the immediate aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Center towers. Similarly, Ruth coordinated the Portage County Crisis Response Team for ten years, from 1992 – 2002, during which time she also served as a mental health practitioner for the Portage County Critical Incident Stress Management Team.

In the summer of 2007, Ruth wrote and received a short-term Delinquency Prevention grant from the Ohio Department of Youth Services to provide special outreach services to the youth and families of Windham, Ohio, which included activities to prevent school absenteeism, reward prosocial involvement by youth, enhance relationships between community members and local law enforcement, and provide outreach mediation to the community throughout the summer.

Ruth is currently Chair of the Portage County Family & Children First Council; member of the Bridges out of Poverty Steering Committee for Portage County; member of the Summit on Children Committee in Portage County; 1st Vice President of the Garrettsville Lions Club; and teacher of the adult class at the First Congregational Church of Freedom.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Office:   321 Bowman Hall, office G
Phone:  330-678-3006 (Townhall II) or 330-672-8906 during office hours
E-mail:  rsimera1@kent.edu; ruthsimera@hotmail.com