About Us

HomeSafe was founded in 1983. In just under 40 years serving our community we have helped over 30,000 survivors of domestic violence. While we see the vast impact that domestic violence has on lives we have also seen adaptation in the face of adversity, strength to do what seems impossible, and resilience to take steps into new lives free from violence. We offer the only free and confidential services for domestic violence in our service area including a wide range of supportive and healing services to survivors aimed at building safety, healing, and hope.

Safety

We help survivors secure safer and more stable conditions. Through trauma-informed, evidence-based, culturally-sensitive, survivor-directed services we aim to meet the immediate needs of domestic violence victims. We povide crisis intervention through our 24-hour helpline, walk-in services, emergency shelter, and by facilitating survivors’ meaningful access to relevant resources to meet needs. We offer a wide array of advocacy services (counseling, transportation, court accompaniment, etc.) and provide direct assistance in the form of provisions of goods and services (example food, household items, etc.).

Safety Planning

Creating a safety plan is integral to maintaining a client’s safety and security. Safety planning is identifying safety concerns that exist, and problem solving to remove or reduce the risk of harm. Having a safety plan allows clients to react quickly during high stress dangerous situations as a plan of action has already been created. Some common components of a safety plan are hanging locks, obtaining mace or pepper spray, obtaining a restraining order, creating an overnight bag that can be taken at a moment’s notice, and creating plans to stay with friends or family in cases of emergency. Advocates are available in person and over the phone to assist clients with safety planning.

Legal Advocacy

Obtaining a protective order can be an important part of creating a safety plan. While our legal advocates are unable to give legal advice, we can answer basic questions regarding the protective order process and offer assistance completing paperwork associated with protective orders including the initial petition, modifications, renewals, and dismissals. Throughout this process our legal advocate is available to accompany clients to any court appearances associated with the protective order as well as divorce, custody and criminal hearings.

Healing

We believe that building connection is an integral part of healing from trauma. Our healing programs help survivors build social, cultural, and spiritual connections. We facilitate connections between victims of domestic violence as well as connectedness to people and communities. We host a wide range of social connection workshops and groups highlighting shared interests.

Nurturing Parent-Child Interactions

We also believe in fostering nurturing parent-child interactions as a road to healing. Our programs provide what adult survivors need to establish environments that sustain and strengthen their relationship and healthy interactions with their child(ren). We offer and provide groups and workshops on the dynamics of parenting impacted by domestic violence, individualized parenting supports for survivors, and opportunities for parent and child survivors to have fun together.

Hope

Our programs support resilience and a growth mindset. Our aim is to strengthen and promote survivor skills in navigating healing and increasing hope. We increase survivors’ awareness of their strength, potentials, and resourcefulness through
psycho-educational support groups on the dynamics of intimate partner violence and its impact and through culturally-specific individualized support plans for survivors. Utilizing tools such as the values and actions character strength survey helps us develop a “success” plan that utilizes and/ or builds on those strengths.

We also strengthen and promote survivor skills in understanding and expressing their emotions. Offer and provide support groups and workshops with a focus on the self, such as “Love Yourself.” All services we offer aim to strengthen and promote survivors’ understanding of and skills in emotional and behavioral regulation, proactive planning, and problem-solving.