Services for violence victims expands to include whole county

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More help is on the way for victims of domestic violence.

The Otto Bremer Foundation awarded $100,000 for two years of funding for Someplace Safe of Douglas County, which offers domestic violence advocacy services.

With two years of financial support from the Otto Bremer Foundation, Someplace Safe will add additional full-time domestic violence advocates to reach all victims in Douglas County outside the Alexandria community.

Douglas County outreach services began in March of 2007 with a staff of 3.5 positions. Because of the need for more services, the staff will be at 6.8 positions by October of 2008.

Someplace Safe Douglas County offers free and confidential services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and general crimes.

The services include a 24-hour crisis line, shelter and safe housing, assistance with legal, medical and other systems, assistance with protection orders, court support, and whatever may be needed to provide safety and support for survivors.

Someplace Safe also provides school, community and professional trainings and internship and volunteer opportunities.

Services are available to residents residing in and around Douglas County by calling (320) 762-1995.

Someplace Safe’s entire service area encompasses Big Stone, Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Traverse and Wilkin counties.

The Otto Bremer Foundation is a charitable trust that authorizes grants to nonprofit organizations in Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin. The mission of the Otto Bremer Foundation is to assist people in achieving full economic, civic and social participation in and for the betterment of their communities.

History of Someplace Safe

In 1979, based in Fergus Falls, Region IV Council on Domestic Violence was incorporated to serve nine counties – Clay, Grant, Pope, Stevens, Traverse, Wilkin, Otter Tail, Becker and Douglas.

The regional Battered Women’s Crisis Shelter opened in Fergus Falls. In 1990, satellite outreach offices were opened to provide advocacy services in Pope, Stevens, Traverse and Wilkin counties.

In 1992 the Otter Tail County Intervention Program was established. Safe Exchange opened in Fergus Falls in 1993 to provide children a safe, neutral environment to have visits or exchanges with parents.

In 1994, the Community Advocacy Program opened in Fergus Falls, allowing non-sheltered victims to access domestic violence advocacy services. Intervention projects began in Wilkin, Traverse and Grant counties in 1996.

A Community Advocacy Program was opened in Grant County that same year.

The “800” number was added in 1996 to provide 24-hour crisis advocacy services for the nine counties served by Region IV Council on Domestic Violence.

In 1998, Region IV on Domestic Violence began to offer domestic violence community advocacy in Perham and Big Stone counties. Stevens County Safe Exchange was established in 1998.

In 2001, the Grant County office closed. Stevens County contracted to provide sexual assault services in 2001.

In 2004, Region IV Council on Domestic Violence changed its name to Someplace Safe to reflect the additional programs.

In 2004, funding reallocations caused the loss of intervention programs for Wilkin and Traverse counties.

In 2004, an intervention office was re-opened in Grant County. Sexual assault services for Pope County also began that year.

Otter Tail County began offering sexual assault and general crime advocacy services in 2005.

In 2006, Someplace Safe opened a Parenting Time Center in Perham and began providing interim service in Douglas County.

In 2007, transitional housing and advocacy services began in Parkers Prairie in a home that was donated to Someplace Safe. Additionally, Parenting Time Centers opened in Big Stone and Pope counties.

Also in 2007, the Douglas County offices of Someplace Safe were opened in Alexandria providing general crime, sexual assault, and domestic violence advocacy.

Tags: help, victims, of, domestic, violence, someplace, safe, douglas, county