You’ll Find A Safe Haven Just Around The Corner

Domestic violence is a grim reality in our community, spanning every demographic, socioeconomic and ethnic group.

“There has been an increase in the number of arrests in Spokane directly linked to domestic violence,” says Carolyn Morrison, director of Alternatives to Domestic Violence, a program of the YWCA. “It is happening. And 85 percent of these cases take place in the presence of kids.”

Domestic violence is a learned behavior, says Morrison, and perpetrators are usually those who have grown up witnessing domestic violence in their homes since childhood.

This intergenerational chain of violence can be broken. Several local organizations offer help through education, support groups and shelter services.

Alternatives to Domestic Violence provides a comprehensive program to help victims of domestic violence: a 24-hour hotline (326-CALL or 327-9534), confidential safe shelter, individual counseling, referral services, legal advocacy, and several support groups.

Support groups for female victims of abuse are held Mondays (6-8 p.m.), Wednesdays (9:30-11:30 a.m.), and Fridays (1-3 p.m.). Thursdays, beginning March 7, 5-6:30 p.m., a support group is available for teenagers experiencing violence at home or through dating.

All support groups are free and held at the Spokane YWCA, 829 W. Broadway. For more information, call 326-1190, ext. 139.

The Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery, 1004 E. Eighth, helps families who cannot properly care for children because of a crisis they are facing.

Whether domestic violence, alcohol abuse, homelessness or medical emergencies, the Crisis Nursery will intercede, taking in children from birth to 6 years of age and providing for their care up to 72 hours.

During that time, the crisis nursery also offers counseling, family support classes and social service referrals. Call 535-3155.

Spokane Sexual Assault Center, a program of Lutheran Social Services of Washington and Idaho, offers a 24-hour hotline (624-RAPE) for victims of sexual assault. (Idaho residents may call collect in emergency situations.)

Trained advocates provide sexual assault counseling and treatment programs for men, women and children. Support groups are also available for parents of children who have been sexually assaulted.

Spokane Sexual Assault Center is located at 7 S. Howard in Spokane. For more information, call 747-8224.

Spokane Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention center (SCAN) offers help to families in Spokane County having difficulty with parenting. SCAN works both to prevent child abuse and to support the parent who is coming out of a domestic violence situation.

SCAN provides in-home counseling to help parents develop better parenting skills and form strong support systems of their own. All services are free and confidential; call 458-7445.

Parenting support for North Idaho residents is available through Idaho Child Abuse and Education (I-CARE).

Clients referred to I-CARE are usually at risk for child abuse and are matched with volunteer parent aides who spend at least four hours a week in the client’s home offering support through examples of positive parenting.

Volunteer parent aides agree to an extensive training program and make a two-year commitment to the partnership. For more information on I-CARE, call Melissa at (208) 666-2996.

For videos, books and brochures on warning signs of domestic violence, contact the Spokane County Domestic Violence Consortium, 525 E. Mission, 487-6783. Although not a service provider, the Consortium maintains a resource library available to the public.

, DataTimes MEMO: The Family Track is a weekly column of notes and information for families. Send items to Lynn Gibson, Features Department, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210-1615, or fax (509) 459-5098.