This week we've been reporting on the death of Ashley Forcum, a victim of domestic violence. It's no secret that domestic violence is an issue throughout our community.
Safe Embrace, a local non-profit that operates as the largest and most inclusive safe house in the Reno-Sparks area.
Safe Embrace tells us that a lot of times victims come into the office not fully realizing what kind of danger they might be in. So one of the first things the organization does is get an understanding of their relationship and assess their risk factors so that they can address the victim's safety accordingly.
"One of those high-risk factors is if the abuser has access to firearms because abuser's access to firearms is one of the leading causes of domestic violence fatalities. So first off determining the victim's situation and if they're currently living with the abuser because what we want to do is create a safety plan," said Michelle Brister, Safe Embrace program manager.
Brister says that it's very important to address that no victim's situation is the same.
She tells us that some victims come in looking for help, but feel they can't leave the relationship, so they'll meet the victim halfway and create a safety plan, whether in a relationship or not.
It's also important to address questions for people who don't understand the difficulties of leaving an abusive relationship.
"Why don't they just leave? Why can't they just leave the relationship? Because it's not as simple as breaking up, as leaving a relationship. There's a lot of emotional, psychological, and physical trauma that goes into domestic violence relationships," said Brister.
Safe Embrace offers a wide range of resources and programs to help victims stay safe and eventually leave those relationships.
Some of these resources they offer is crisis interventions, 30-to-90-day confidential emergency shelters, housing programs, legal advocacy to assist filing protection orders against the abusers, and of course, victims are always encouraged to reach out in-person, phone, or e-mail.
They have a 24-hour help line at 775-322-3466.
All contacts that reach out to the organization will remain confidential.
People can also call the National Domestic Violence hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
