Rainbow House Domestic Abuse Services received a $25,000 grant from Provident Health, the largest to date from this new community foundation. The purpose of the Provident Health Foundation is to improve and sustain the health and well-being of the people who live in Marinette and Menominee.
This grant supports a new pilot program, an anonymous hotline for those who cause harm in their relationships. Currently, very few services exist, especially in rural areas, for family members who recognize their abusive behavior and want to learn how to de-escalate situations in a healthy way.
According to Courtney Olson, Director of Rainbow House, “The status-quo of domestic violence response is no longer working. Shelter for victims and incarceration for perpetrators has been the historical approach. During COVID, we’ve seen unimaginable escalation of domestic violence fatalities in our state, and across the nation. One only needs to recall the acts of Darrell Brooks, who drove through a parade route here in Wisconsin, killing six and injuring more than sixty, as he fled a domestic violence incident. We need new tools, new collaborations, new ways of proactively providing services.”
One of the central flaws of our current response is the placement of the accountability and action on the victim. It is the victim who must call for help, seek shelter, develop a safety plan, file a restraining order, and attend support group. The burden of safety and change is placed squarely on the victim’s already deflated shoulders. However, the one who causes harm actually possesses the power and control in the relationship. What if we could hold that individual responsible, offer resources, offer intervention, offer a voluntary help-line in the hopes of deterring violence?
The perception is that most abusers choose to behave the way that they do, and will not voluntarily elect to modify their behavior. However, models in England and Australia clearly demonstrate that when offered help, perpetrators of harm will voluntarily seek it. Through such a hotline, risk could be managed and violence de-escalated. Love is what makes domestic violence so complicated to deal with, and sometimes so deadly. But love can compel change. In this, domestic abuse is different from all other crime.
This grant from Provident Health will support the development and operation of this new hotline. Currently in the planning stages, the program will be rolled out later this year, as a collaboration between Rainbow House and partner agencies within the Wisconsin Batterer’s Treatment Provider’s Association and End Abuse WI.
The value this project would bring to Wisconsin is an alternative resource that would serve to de-escalate family violence and reduce the risk of harm. Already so far in 2022, we’ve seen over forty domestic violence fatalities statewide. 2021 was the highest on record, and 2022 is set to outpace it.
At Rainbow House, we believe no one deserves to be abused be it emotionally, physically, financially, or sexually. Our prime service is the safety and empowerment of all victims and their children. We will provide prevention, education, and information to communities, families, and schools.
Comments