What is HomeSafe?

We are a non-profit organization providing free confidential services to survivors of Domestic Violence.  We serve women, children and men who live in Sumner, Wilson, Robertson and Trousdale counties. 

What Does HomeSafe Do?

We provide free, confidential support to survivors of domestic violence, their families and the community. 

HomeSafe operates four 24-hour Helplines.  Advocates are ready to answer your call and provide emergency help; give information on emergency housing, medical care and legal choices or just talk. 

We provide peer counseling for adults and children.  This will let you talk about the abuse, get information about your legal options, housing, public assistance, schools and employment..  We also advocate for survivors with the police, courts and social service agencies.
HomeSafe also operates three emergency shelters for women and children.

What Services Do We Provide For Men?

We provide comprehensive services for male survivors.

What If Someone Doesn’t Speak English?

Our Embrace Program works with interpreters and our Spanish speaking advocate helps survivors whose primary language is not English.

---

HER STORY AND DESCRIPTION

HomeSafe is a domestic violence shelter program serving Sumner, Wilson, Robertson and Trousdale Counties in Tennessee. 

The mission of HomeSafe is to work to end domestic violence by
providing a safe place for survivors and their children, by helping
survivors explore and develop alternatives to living in violent homes,
and by working to change the systems and institutions that condone
and support violence.

Originally known as the Sumner County Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the program began when several individuals recognized that no services existed for battered women and their children.   The program was incorporated in Tennessee in 1983 and dedicated volunteers began facilitating weekly support groups and survivors of domestic violence could for the first time access local services.

The program celebrated its 25th Anniversary during 2008.  Over 37,000 women, children and men have been provided services in the first 25 years of existence. 

The program began with only a part-time Director in October of 1985.  She immediately began working 80 – 100 hours a week to establish the first 24 hour crisis hotline, develop a safe home network and provide critical direct services for battered women.   In June 1986, another grant allowed the Director to move to a full-time position and a full-time Legal Advocate was hired to help survivors who entered the court systems through the filing of Orders of Protection and Criminal Assault Warrants.  In addition to providing direct services, several major issues had to also be addressed.  One was the education of the community to the existence of domestic violence and the effects on individuals experiencing violence.  Another major effort was to assist with the coordination of the courts, police and other social service agencies to better facilitate services for battered women.

The first HomeSafe shelter opened in April of 1987 in a rental house in Gallatin.  The shelter was moved and eventually purchased through a grant from The Memorial Foundation.  In 1990, HomeSafe wrote and received grant money through the State of Tennessee and purchased property in Lebanon and Springfield to serve residents of Wilson and Robertson County. 

With expansion into the other counties, the program adopted its nickname of HomeSafe as its legal name.  Finally in 1993, the program legally adopted the name HomeSafe of Sumner, Wilson and Robertson Counties - Inc.  With the operation of three shelters, HomeSafe is one of the largest domestic violence shelter programs in the State of Tennessee.  

With the operation of three (3) shelter facilities, the program can provide shelter for up to 32 women and children per night.   Male survivors are assisted with hotel / motel accommodations if needed.

In 2006, the program also purchased property in Gallatin to serve as the Sumner County Counseling Center, Central Administrative Offices and needed storage for all counties.

A voluntary Board of Directors governs the program and has representatives from all counties served by the program.   The program is an active member of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and is committed to changing the social systems that continue to tolerate abuse in the lives of women and children.

The following components make up the HomeSafe program:

• Four (4) 24-Hour Helplines: The core of our services are the four 24-Hour Helplines.  Helplines are answered by staff and trained volunteers and provide survivors with information, referrals, peer counseling and access to shelter and other services.  One of the Helplines specifically serves survivors with limited or no English skills.

• Emergency Shelters: Shelter can mean life or death to an individual who is experiencing violence from a family member.  HomeSafe operates emergency shelters in Gallatin, Lebanon and Springfield.  There are many women who have no safe place for them or their children to sleep or eat.  Shelter stay is short term.  The length of stay is determined by each individual woman's needs and resources.

• Counseling: Staff and volunteers provide peer and crisis counseling, information on the dynamics of domestic violence and possible options available to increase safety.  If an individual requests professional counseling, referrals are made to Psychologists or a Psychiatrist.

• Crisis Intervention:  Staff and volunteers provide intervention after office hours, at the point of crisis and provide emergency counseling, shelter, information and transportation to survivors.

• Support Groups: Weekly groups for women are an important part of the program.  Women are encouraged to participate in these groups - for it is through the sharing of their own experience, strength and hope that lives are changed.

• Referrals: Survivors have a wide variety of needs that can not be met by one agency. Therefore, HomeSafe personnel work with other agencies to avoid gaps in services.

• Legal Advocacy: Staff can provide court accompaniment, legal advocacy, monitoring of court systems and interaction with the Criminal Justice System. Due to HomeSafe's efforts, there have been significant changes in the criminal Justice System toward survivors of domestic violence.

• Community Education & Prevention Programs: Staff and Volunteers provide presentations and trainings to schools, church, civic and community groups about the dynamics of domestic violence to help individuals recognize and avoid violent relationships. Work has begun in the middle and high schools with a “Healthy Relationship” program to help teens understand and avoid violent relationships.  Information is also given about the HomeSafe program and its financial, in-kind and volunteer needs.

• Follow-up Services: These services include personal and telephone contacts and on-going contact through the Support Groups.

• Children’s Program: The HomeSafe Children's Program provides services to specifically meet the needs of children who are residents of the shelters.  Services include counseling, needs assessments, referrals, support group, advocacy and recreational activities.  Our goal is to expand the Children’s Program to become as comprehensive as the services for adult survivors and to have regular prevention activities within the program’s service area.

• The “Embrace” Program:  This program was specifically designed to insure equal and quality services to all survivors of domestic violence considered underserved. The program has a bi-lingual advocate that provides services to Spanish speaking survivors and other languages with contracted translators.  The program is working to expand services to include other languages and issues such as physical and mental disabilities.

• Personal Needs:  Due to the economic abuse experienced by many survivors of domestic violence, the program also assists survivors with food, clothing, personal grooming items and household items as available.

HomeSafe and the services it provides continues to improve, grow and expand.  Until the day arrives when no adult or child has to fear violence from a family member, HomeSafe and the services it provides will continue to be necessary.  Many times, intervention is the difference between life and death.