Legacy of Healing: Advocacy Center

Domestic violence and emotional abuse are behaviors used by one person in a relationship to gain control over the other. Partners may be married or not married; heterosexual, gay, or lesbian; living together, separated or dating. Violence can be criminal and includes physical assault (hitting, pushing, shoving, etc.), sexual abuse (unwanted or forced sexual activity), and stalking. Although emotional, psychological, spiritual and financial abuse are not considered criminal behaviors, they are forms of abuse and can lead to criminal violence.

It can happen all the time or once in a while. An important step to help yourself or someone you know in preventing or stopping violence is recognizing the warning signs.

• Name-calling or putdowns
• Keeping a partner from contacting friends or family
• Withholding money
• Stopping a partner from getting or keeping a job
• Actual or threatened harm
• Sexual assault
• Stalking
• Intimidation

• Victims can be of any age, sex, race, culture, religion, education, employment or marital status. Although both men and women can be abused, most victims are women.
• American Indian Women report nearly one in 3 have been raped, 1 in 5 state they have been stalked. Nearly half reported they have been physically assaulted in their lifetime.
• Children in homes where there is domestic violence are more likely to be abused and/or neglected. Most children in these homes know about the violence and are afraid to tell. Even if a child is not physically harmed, they may have emotional and behavior problems. Children are the silent victims.

In-person crisis intervention, emotional support and guidance contacts provided by the program’s staff or volunteer advocates. This type of emergency response may occur at the crisis scene or immediately after the crisis. Meeting the survivor at the hospital is also included.

The Transitional Housing Services include advocacy and direct assistance to homeless victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking and their children to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency. Transitional Housing Services are specifically designed for women who are out of their abusive relationship.

Support plans guide service delivery. Support plans serve various purposes depending upon individual needs. A support plan is informed by the survivor and must contain narrative information supporting the selection of goal(s) and objective(s). They should be strengths based and empower the survivor.

• Everyone has the right to a violence-free, safe and healthy life.
• Violence in intimate relationships is a chosen behavior to exert power and control over another.
• Violence can be a learned behavior. Through intervention and treatment, alternatives to abusive behavior also can be learned.
• Children from violent homes experience trauma, suffer psychologically, physically, emotionally and socially. We believe children that witness domestic violence are also primary victims of domestic violence.
• Early intervention, prevention education, domestic violence education, and community awareness can interrupt the inter-generational cycle of violence and reduce the social acceptance of domestic violence.
• Victims are traumatized, suffer from low self-esteem and have limited access to resources; all of which keep them trapped in violent relationships. With safety, counseling, and supportive services, survivors of domestic violence experience healing and empowerment, and decide for themselves to live free of violence.
• Every individual in our community must become more aware of how to prevent, intervene and be less tolerant of domestic violence. Our tribe must hold individuals responsible for their abusive behavior. Safe House strives to create a community where violence is not tolerated or hidden.