Domestic Violence Services

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Personal Safety is a fundamental right for all human beings. When someone threatens the safety of another person, it violates not only our basic values, but law and order in our society, too. For those being hurt by a family member in their own home, personal safety becomes nearly impossible to protect. Without safety in the home, where can a person turn? Thankfully, Arbor Development's Domestic Violence Services are there to support survivors of domestic violence who courageously seek safety for themselves - and often their children - in the face of huge challenges.

Building Independence - Domestic Violence Services
A program of Arbor Development, Domestic Violence Services serves over 500 victims of domestic violence each year. DV Services include:

• A 24-hour crisis hotline
  1-800-286-3407 If you are in immediate physical danger, call 9-1-1 and get the police. When not in immediate danger, call the hotline to start the process of becoming safe from domestic violence and rebuilding your life.
   
• Support groups
  Suffering violence at the hands of a loved one is as damaging to the spirit as it is to the body. It is not uncommon for victims to blame themselves, even though the problem is not their fault. In support groups, victims learn about the cycle of violence and ways to break that cycle. They discover they are not alone in what they are feeling and they learn how to see the best in themselves and to take care of themselves emotionally. And, they gain the strength to help their children begin to heal, too.
   
• The Net Shelter & Domestic Abuse Program
  Sometimes, the only route to safety from domestic violence is to live somewhere else. The Net Shelter & Domestic Abuse Program provides a secure, temporary shelter where victims and their children can safely stay, participate in support groups and work on securing safe living conditions permanently.
  
  At times, achieving permanent safety can mean no longer having contact with the abuser at all, and the victim must find a new place to live. For those situations, The Net offers transitional housing to victims and helps them get started in a new home. Plus, we help people sort out details like finances, jobs and child care so they can successfully rebuild their lives.
   
• Legal advocacy for crime victims
  Becoming safe from any kind of violence can involve a number of daunting and confusing legal processes. DV Services Crime Victim Advocates guide victims through the actions necessary to press charges when appropriate, be compensated for losses and create a safe living environment for themselves (and their children if applicable). Advocates spend time counseling victims, accompanying them to court, filing forms on their behalf and referring them to other service providers.