A local shelter for women experiencing violence and abuse is trying to fill a service gap, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mission Services’ Inasmuch House has launched an online and text crisis line.
Erin Griver, director of Inasmuch House, says: “We know that since the pandemic started, incidents of violence against women have increased in both numbers and severity.”
At the same time, Griver says, “calls to crisis lines across the country are down.”
She says that indicates “when women are home with their abusers, they have fewer opportunities to reach out and call our crisis line.”
She says the goal of the online and text crisis service is to help women connect with “the resources, the referrals, support and options that they need.”
Text Inasmuch is available 24/7 through the same trained crisis workers that answer their dedicated phone line.
Safe, encrypted technology ensures conversations are confidential and secure.
Griver says they plan to keep the service in place after the pandemic is over as “another way for women to get connected.”
Text Inasmuch: 289.212.6399
Chat online: http://www.mission-services.com/textinasmuch
24-hour crisis line: 905.529.8600
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