Mission: SAFE, Inc.'s mission is to ensure the safety and self-determination of domestic violence survivors in Washington, DC through emergency services, court advocacy and system reform.
Results: We worked hard this year to provide 24-hour in-person services to victims of domestic violence through our Response Line, and provided immediate crisis shelter to 320 families within an hour of a violent incident.
Target demographics: SAFE serves women, men and teens in the DC Metro Area. We work with any victim of domestic violence seeking our services entirely free of charge, but our clients are primarily single mothers living at or below the poverty line. Over sixty percent of the families we serve live East of the Anacostia River in DC, and 95% are women.
Direct beneficiaries per year: In 2010, SAFE helped 5,479 victims of domestic violence reach immediate safety and begin to rebuild their lives.
Geographic areas served: DC Metro Area
Programs: The On-Call Advocacy Program (OCAP) Response Line provides immediate crisis intervention services in person or via phone for domestic violence victims 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. OCAP Advocates are available to meet with a victim at a safe location to provide tangible resources, or speak with them on the phone. The Metropolitan Police Department requires officers to offer OCAP services to every domestic violence victim they speak with and to call our Response Line from the scene of domestic violence crime on the victim’s behalf. An OCAP Advocate can provide safety planning; legal information; immediate crisis shelter; help securing the victim’s home; emergency financial assistance for food, bus fare, and supplies for babies and children; access to the Emergency Temporary Protection Order (ETPO) process; and next-day follow-up from a SAFE Advocate.
SAFE's Court Advocacy Program he Court Advocacy Program (CAP) provides court-based advocacy services to between 20 and 30 victims every business day– over 4,000 clients each year. Advocates work with victims throughout their court case to ensure that the legal remedies they seek enhance their overall safety, and to provide resources, information and referrals as the survivor’s situation changes over time. CAP advocates can provide: information and education about how to petition for a Civil Protection Order; assistance drafting petitions for Temporary and Civil Protection Orders; general legal information; referral to a pro bono attorney; safety planning assistance; public benefits and social services referrals; emergency financial assistance; emergency cell phones; diapers, formula, and baby supplies; court accompaniment for victims; emotional support; and assistance with any other portion of the court or social services system.
SAFE is fantastic organization that is incredibly adaptable to the needs of the DC community. As the only organization in DC that serves domestic violence victims immediately, within an hour, to providing resources within the Court system, working with the police department, and providing immediate housing for up to 30 days - they are an invaluable community partner.
SAFE provides life-saving services for survivors of domestic violence, often within hours of an incident. I worked with SAFE in other capacities before I joined its Board, and I have always been impressed by the dedication of its staff, the breadth of its services, and the critical support it provides to survivors as they try to protect themselves and their children from additional violence. SAFE has also worked with the Court, the Police Department and other DC agencies to ensure that everyone has the resources and information they need to keep families safe from additional violence.
