In 1987, SafeHouse Center established a first response team
in order to provide support immediately following a domestic
violence assault. All Washtenaw County law enforcement agencies
contact the SafeHouse On-Call team after receiving a report
of domestic violence.
SafeHouse staff or volunteers then travel to the survivor’s
location to offer support and information and to help her
to plan for her safety. The On-Call contact is often the first
time that a survivor learns of SafeHouse and of the options
and services that are available to help her. This is often
the first time that she has been able to talk with someone
about her situation without being blamed for the violence
or judged for staying with her assailant. The strength of
this program is that we go to the survivor, therefore, she
does not have to identify herself as a domestic violence survivor
or request services from us first. Response from survivors
to the On-Call Team is almost entirely positive.
The On-Call Program consists of the On-Call Coordinator who
trains and supervises the program with a pool of 35-40 volunteers.
On weekdays, during business hours, the On-Call Coordinator
and Legal Advocates respond to pages from police departments.
Volunteers, working in pairs, cover all evening, weekend and
holiday shifts.
The On-Call Coordinator is always available
to the On-Call Team by pager to answer questions, consult on
particular cases, and advocate in emergency situations. |
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