If you are experiencing domestic abuse, help is available. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233.
Since the pandemic, Indianapolis has seen a significant increase in cases of domestic violence. These organizations are working to remedy that.
“The more we can get in the community, the more victims who are still in it feel safer and feel ready to say something about what they’re going through,” Danyette Smith, director of domestic violence prevention over Indy Champions, told the Recorder. “Overall, the ultimate goal was to prevent domestic violence here in the city of Indianapolis.”
Indy Champions
First launched 2022, Indy Champions, a survivor-led domestic violence program powered by the Indy Public Safety Foundation and Office of Public Health and Safety, works to fill in the gaps left by other DV shelters and agencies, Smith said.
Indy Champions offers a variety of services and resources for victims and services, each of which falls under four main components: victim and survivor, busting barriers, first responders and community, Smith said.
The victim and survivor component of Indy Champions covers everything from intake coordinators to a 24-hour hotline, assistance getting protection orders and streamlining to shelters. Through “Busting Barriers,” the organization can handle issues that might make someone stay in an abusive relationship or make them go back — such as assistance with bills or moving into a new apartment or home.
“When I built this program, I literally failed to not miss a thing,” Smith said. “So, if we get a victim who calls us and they literally look back with nothing but the clothes on their back, we supply them with those basic essentials.”
Indy Champions works directly with IMPD officers, under the first responder’s component, holds monthly meetings with detectives and goes on ride-alongs with officers through IPART (Intimate Partner Abuse Response Team).
The community component focuses on “boots on the ground,” Smith said, and does outreach in the ten Indianapolis zip codes where domestic violence calls are the highest.
But Smith said Indy Champions cannot take all the credit because they do not do any of this work alone. The organization partners with a handful of other local agencies around the city to provide victims and survivors with all the help and support they need.
READ MORE: Crazy ain’t cute: Teen boys affected by domestic violence
Brightwood Community Center
Located in the heart of Martindale-Brightwood, the Brightwood Community Center offers victims and survivors of DV with a more holistic approach to care and offers services such as healing circles, where both men and women are offered a space to talk openly about their experiences and feelings.
“46218 was deemed the number one zip code in our city for calls to IMPD regarding domestic violence disputes,” Shonna Majors, executive director of the Brightwood Community Center, said. “Since the center is in 46218, what better neighborhood and area to bring the services to then the one that has the highest call rates?”
Majors said the center’s offerings quickly morphed into advocacy work—which includes assistance like helping victims file protective orders, fill out resumes and job applications, transportation assistance and help moving into a new place.
The Brightwood Community Center also has advocates who work with survivors at Coburn Place Safe Haven and go into jails to provide services. Majors said they partner with Dress for Success to help prepare survivors for job interviews and provide hygiene products and a food pantry when needed.
Additionally, the center offers a lot of community education surrounding domestic violence, where community members can learn about DV and how to get out of it and how to support a loved one who is going through it, as well as a program designed for teens—specifically young men.
“It’s important for them to understand about domestic violence because men are being abused as well, right?” Majors said. “We want to make sure that our men understand the abuse, that they see if they are the abuser in themselves, how to start working on that, to break that, as well as being advocates themselves.”
Coburn Place Safe Haven
Coburn Place Safe Haven is a transitional housing service that offers case management services, support groups and children’s services and partners with local organizations, such as Indy Champions for placement and the Brightwood Community Center, to provide exclusive healing circles for residents.
The organization provides fully furnished, on-site housing, where survivors may stay nine to 12 months rent- and utility-free to save funds toward permanent housing. Coburn Place also has a community-based housing option, where survivors may stay up to 12 months, only paying 30% of their income in rent or utilizing rent-assistance.
Firefly Children & Family Alliance
Firefly Children & Family Alliance, a nonprofit focused on building stronger families and communities in Indianapolis, formed out of a merger between Families First and the Children’s Bureau three years ago.
The organization is built around survivor advocacy and works to provide survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking and stalking help with safety planning and mental health support, Aaron McBride, vice president of outpatient and survivor advocacy services, told the Recorder.
“We make sure to start things with safety planning because safety and security is the utmost priority for our team,” McBride said. “But sometimes that might mean that the individual isn’t ready or prepared to leave the situation. So, we work with the individual based on their goals.”
Firefly also takes a preventative approach to child abuse and neglect — whether that be through mental health support for youth and parents, partnering with community organizations or taking on informal case management services. They also have a 24-hour respite facility that is open to anyone in the community and able to take in children on a temporary basis, McBride said.
“We’re able to take that child, place them in our respite facility for maybe a week or two weeks depending on the needs,” McBride said, “while the adults or the parents in that situation are then able to work outside of that without distraction from their kids and try to secure housing.”
Firefly recently partnered with Marian University, Butler University and IUPUI to speak with college students about how to identify healthy relationships versus domestic violence and how to get out.
The nonprofit is also the only rape crisis center in the city and has trained staff and volunteers that provide aid to victims in local hospitals during all hours of the day, holidays and weekends, McBride said.
The Julian Center and the Salvation Army
The Julian Center is one of two main shelters in Indianapolis that accepts victims and survivors of domestic violence, Smith said. Founded in 1975, The Julian Center aids victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse by offering a safe place to stay and heal in addition to personal care items, showers and laundry facilities, a playroom and outdoor playground for children, and more.
Shelter rooms are reserved for adult or family living, and, according to the official website, adult rooms can accommodate up to four single women while family rooms can be used for up to two small families.
Ruth Lilly Women and Children’s Shelter is a 24-hour shelter through the Salvation Army where victims and survivors can go or be referred to for additional support services, temporary placement and food and clothing.
“I was you, I understand,” Smith said. “I didn’t make the call, but you can call us. As survivors of domestic violence, we not only meet you where you are, but we’re going to walk that journey and allow you to persevere and lead yourself but be that backbone for you.”
Contact staff writer Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848 or chloegm@indyrecorder.com. Follow her on Twitter @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe graduated with a degree in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and her previous work includes freelancing for Indy Maven, Assistant Arts & Life Editor for The Lantern, and editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Chloe enjoys covering all things arts and culture — from local music, visual art, dance, theater and film, as well as minority-owned businesses. In her free time, Chloe enjoys reading, cooking and keeping her plants alive.
