cALL TO sAFETY
Michelle Hy
“Ending domestic and sexual violence by providing confidential support services and education to empower our community.”
Call to Safety began in 1973 as the Portland Women's Crisis Line, when a group of women realized resources for survivors of domestic and sexual violence were severely lacking. The organization became one of the first five sexual assault crisis lines in the United States. The organization underwent a name change in May 2016 to better reflect the wide range of services they provide and the populations they serve: they offer resources outside of Portland; all gender identities can be served on the line; and they do more than just answer calls. Call to Safety is the call line for a number of organizations in Oregon, including SARC, Eugene's Womenspace, and Bradley Angle.
What they do
Call to Safety operates a 24/7 crisis line for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, people experiencing houselessness, and sex workers, among other populations. They can connect callers to a variety of resources, including housing vouchers, shelters, transportation, and culturally specific groups and services. Advocates can be dispatched to assist survivors in emergency situations at hospitals to create a trauma-informed experience. Call to Safety also provides follow-up advocacy to survivors whose needs cannot be met with just one or two calls and they also hold support groups.
In addition, Call to Safety also does community education and outreach to further grow a culture of compassion and combat rape culture.
In addition, Call to Safety also does community education and outreach to further grow a culture of compassion and combat rape culture.
Community Impact
- 33,406 crisis line calls
- 19,923 calls answered
- 13,483 calls returned (from voicemails)
- 2,021 calls on behalf of partner agencies
- Bradley Angle, Monika’s House, Raphael House, Volunteers of America, Womenspace, YWCA of Portland
- 71 in-person responses for immediate medical advocacy (“hot calls”)
- 2,713 direct service volunteer hours
- 2015 - 1st full year serving Multnomah County as primary crisis line
Direct Support AdvocateAs a volunteer, I participated in the 50-hour Basic Advocacy Training required of everyone who works on the line to learn about phone conduct, cover relevant social issues, and learn about the many resources available to people who call the line.
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On the line, I work first and foremost to help callers feel as safe as I can through listening to their story and their needs. The line needs to be a safe space for callers and we emphasize that people can call back anytime for support. More often than not, there are many needs to be met, but only a limited amount of time and resources. Domestic/sexual violence shelters are almost always full and motel and transportation funds are limited. Therefore it is important to prioritize caller's needs based on what can be realistically accomplished - while always being upfront and honest about the availability of resources.
As an advocate, I am not there to save callers. My duty is to reinforce that all callers are autonomous individuals who are their own experts on what is best for them. We seek to empower people to make their own choices by providing information and resources as best we can without telling people what they have to do or not to.
As an advocate, I am not there to save callers. My duty is to reinforce that all callers are autonomous individuals who are their own experts on what is best for them. We seek to empower people to make their own choices by providing information and resources as best we can without telling people what they have to do or not to.
eac-_call_to_safety.pptx |