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Safehouse provides a safe confidential shelter for victims of domestic violence and their children. Safehouse provides a 24-hour crisis hotline. During their stay, residents receive individual crisis counseling, support groups, case management, safety planning, emergency clothing and food, referrals to community resources, children’s services including assessment and appropriate referrals, and personal advocacy.
SafeHouse Board of Directors:
Capt. Kip Beacham, President
Patti Neveleff, Vice President
Eric Horst, Treasurer
Gwen Popaditch, Secretary
Robin Hug, Director
Donna Myers, Director
Paul Perkins, Director
Miguel de Arcos, Director
Executive Director, Jeanne Gold, 407-302-5220 ext. 225
VISION
A community of healthy, violence-free relationships and families. SafeHouse embraces collaboration and exchange, controversy and creativity, and at its core - change. SafeHouse values the diverse community we live in; bringing that diversity into the work of SafeHouse and implementing programs and policies which communicate respect for that diversity. SafeHouse of Seminole was established in 1995, growing out of the Seminole County Victims' Rights Coalition, Inc. Advocates, criminal justice agencies, and other organizations and individuals who shared the common goal of ending violence against the people and animals in Seminole County were at the forefront of making SafeHouse a reality. The mission of SafeHouse is to have a community of healthy, violence-free relationships and families in Seminole County by: • Developing, promoting and enhancing creative prevention and effective intervention initiatives which will reduce the amount of violence in intimate relationships. • Bringing people together - in coalitions and committees - to build healthy families in Seminole County. SafeHouse has an Executive Committee consisting of a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Why SafeHouse is Needed: We must work together systematically to address and prevent the overwhelming incidents of violence in our families. Statistics on the prevalence of domestic violence are staggering. Every year, 1,510,455 women and 834,732 men are victims of physical violence by an intimate. It means that every 37.8 seconds, somewhere in America a man is battered. Every 20.9 seconds, somewhere in America a woman is battered. Six children in every classroom witness domestic violence and four of these six children are direct victims of abuse and/or neglect. Studies show that child abuse occurs in 30-60 percent of family violence cases that involve families with children. It is estimated that 3.3 to 10 million children in the United States witness domestic violence in their home yearly. Domestic violence in same-gender/gender-variant couples is believed to be as prevalent and lethal as in heterosexual couples. Teen relationship violence is equally alarming, 1 in 5 female high school students reports being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner. Abused girls are significantly more likely to get involved in other risky behaviors. They are 4 to 6 times more likely to get pregnant and 8 to 9 times more likely to have tried to commit suicide. Studies estimate that between 70% and 85% of cases of abuse against disabled adults go unreported. Women with disabilities had a 40% greater risk of violence than women without disabilities. Violence often involves animals. It is estimated that 88 percent of pets living in households with domestic abuse are either abused or killed. Of all the women who enter shelters to escape abuse, 57 percent have had a pet killed by their abuser. The intent to present the aforementioned statistics is to highlight that domestic violence can happen to anyone and anywhere. Violence usually escalates over time, leading in some instances to homicide. Victims are often trapped by a number of economic, social, religious, cultural, and emotional barriers in relationships with partners who are usually expert at convincing a woman that "it will never happen again."
Fear is the number one trap. Victims are in the most danger when leaving the batterer.
Advocates at SafeHouse are working to respond to the crisis of domestic violence while working toward prevention, and we are committed to working together in an environment of reciprocity and mutual support to prevent all violence.
Prevention is important. SafeHouse advocates also share information about domestic violence - Providing educational and training programs to people who work with victims (police, doctors, teachers, and counselors) SafeHouse advocates also work with local, state and federal resources, organizations, and consumer-survivors to respond to the crisis of domestic violence while working toward the prevention of family violence. Safehouse Victim Services Advocates assist additional victims through domestic violence police reports. These Seminole County citizens are contacted and informed about Safehouse services. This outreach program provides support groups for adults and children, plus individual crisis counseling for those who do not reside in the shelter, with an emphasis on under-served populations including the elderly, non-English speaking victims, individuals in same sex relationships and persons with disabilities. In addition, Safehouse outreach advocates collaborate with other agencies to provide transitional housing for up to two years.
Further, Safehouse advocates strongly in the community for early intervention and prevention of domestic violence. Seminars, training and continuing education classes are provided to satisfy certification requirements for law enforcement, health care and other professionals needing contact hours in the area of domestic violence. Educational speeches and programs are also presented throughout the year. Additionally, Seminole County middle and high school students participate in discussion groups facilitated by Safehouse advocates. The students discuss gender stereotypes, self-identity and dating relationships. Following the education, they are involved in projects to help teach others about dating violence. Elementary school students are taught a four-part curriculum including: feelings, abuse and gender/racial stereotypes; conflict resolution; safety planning and what to do when abuse is happening at home.
Also, Safehouse legal advocacy is implemented through the Safehouse Court Advocacy Program. Major goals of the program are to provide a supportive and positive first contact with the court system and to assist clients in completing the lengthy and complex injunction petition. The advocates provide crisis intervention, counseling, safety planning, and information and referrals for legal assistance and other community resources.
Last year, Safehouse reached more than 40,000 people in the Seminole County community.
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