The staff are incredibly rude and racist. They would fix the white residents TVs/PCs while telling the black people “I have to email someone.” They would place all the white ladies in certain rooms. I got here in August. You are told to tell the front desk you’re leaving. I did that and she rolled her eyes at me as if I was inconveniencing her. My first time going out the backyard I got locked out because the ringer doesn’t work. As I asked the lady how I was supposed to get back in, in the future she walked off and ignored me. My time there was hell. I was placed in room 7 which was the only room with no window. As someone with severe depression and anxiety this was hard for me especially because of the COVID restrictions (we had to stay in our rooms to eat and for entertainment if the weather was bad). The case manager R, needs to be fired because she is a megalomaniac narcissist without basic level empathy. Upon meeting her she made it seem like I should grovel to her and I was special to be offered housing “congratulations we decided to offer you housing”...all DV shelters offer housing (I’ve been in 3). All I wanted was a way to work and put my kid in daycare. She fought me the entire time. She never offered resources like CCAP (which my 2nd DV shelter offered immediately). She would spout off her speech about COVID and at was that). She wanted me to find a job first before they would help..but I can schedule interviews without daycare set up...she actually yelled at me over the phone about it. (All I wanted was childcare help as I had been watching my 2yr old all day for 2 years without one day off). However, when another lady asked about childcare she was offered it right away. How do I know? You can hear every conversation from my bedroom wall. She was completely unprofessional and would eat White Castle and other fast food infront of my face during our meetings. She would even skip meetings and not tell me. How do I know? Because the girl she drove to her new home told me R was driving her. Why wouldn’t r tell me she wouldn’t make the meeting? She even told me at a certain point we didn’t even need to meet anymore... In October I had gotten so depressed I could barely leave the bed. I was sleep deprived because my daughter was cutting molars (R knew and was emailed all of this). One day A, another person that worked there told me we couldn’t put a blanket on the door to cover the light and have privacy (I can’t count how many times staff has never knocked and opened my door while I’m breastfeeding/ naked with my daughter). Ok fine I took it off. I had it up because it was 80 degrees at night and no one could sleep in our hall. I asked her why considering the office next to me has it’s door window covered all the time..”it’s COVID policy, no one lives in there, it’s a fire hazard.” I said it hot as F in these rooms, it’s also a fire hazard to have me in a room with no window so that doesn’t make sense. And closed my door. She lied and accused me of slamming the door in her face and cursing her out. She’s a pathological liar and I’ve caught her in multiple lies. So r, decides to kick me out of the shelter for that and for “not following the goals.” Another lie. I had taken a psychological assessment in front of R, and had to set up meetings with Sertoma. They asked me my preferred contact method and I said “zoom meetings because I can’t speak or hear on the phone with my daughter distracting me.” I end up not answering the phone calls (I had 3 different phones and was getting robo/weird calls on one of them) & (I wasn’t expecting) from Sertoma and R used that as an excuse to kick me out of the shelter on 10/20 during Domestic violence month with 3 days notice. E, (who wouldnt fax required papers) another lady that worked there accused me of doing nothing but sitting instead of looking for another shelter. I called over 50, and it was almost impossible to get another shelter because I was already in one and Crisis Center lied and put down that I “wasn’t following goals” on my paperwork.
During my stay I have witnessed numerous women leave this place with no help. The case manager doesn’t seem to know what she’s doing. All of the things the website says the crisis center has to offer are false and clients are not being told about those services. I am constantly met with dead ends they have literally no resources or interest in helping victims. I have received more help from other clients then I have from the organization. Some of the call center staff is extremely rude, their attitudes are piss poor, they make you feel like you are a burden. They say things like women put themselves in these situations and clients at the shelter are playing victim. This place is a sink hole if you are not able/ willing to get up everyday and do absolutely everything for your self (finding resources, learning how to apply for benefits, finding childcare) etc. you will not have any help. If I could have commented without giving a star I would have.
Review from Guidestar
Last year around this time, I left my very abusive husband. Luckily, my parents were able to take in me and my three children. I desperately needed others to relate to and support during that difficult time. I attended a support group at this agency once a week. It was such a relief to talk to other women in my situation. I had been isolated for so long. The staff was very nice, and informative. They let me know the services that were available to me. I am living a more peaceful life today and I attribute that to all the people who helped me along the way.
I was married for ten years to a man who treated me horribly. I blamed myself for the condition of our marriage and for his abusive behavior. I thought I was doing something to make him angry. When I tried to talk to him about his behavior, he would tell me I needed to learn to react to him differently - that there was nothing wrong with him, it was all my fault. I was very confused, hurt, frustrated and angry when I first came to the Crisis Center for counseling. That was three years ago. The Crisis Center taught me about the dynamics of domestic violence. They provided emotional support and helped me develop a safety plan of action. They helped me uncover the truth about what was really going on in my marriage. They helped me find me. I am free of the abusive situation that I lived in and I am learning how not to get into the same situation again. I am sure that God led me to the Crisis Center, because I prayed for help for many years.