Crisis Support Hotline
Available 24 Hours a Day
Available 24 Hours a Day
Adults call:
Teens call:
Teens call:
1.877.503.1850
1.877.923.0700
1.877.923.0700
Service Spotlight: Domestic Violence Response Team
Following an incident of domestic violence, a survivor may feel unsure of where to turn or whether help is available. La Casa’s Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT), in partnership with the San Francisco Police Department, helps ensure that survivors can quickly access supportive and potentially life-saving services. After the SFPD has been called to an incident of domestic violence, La Casa’s trained advocates are able to reach out to the survivor and offer skilled domestic violence services—confidential, free of charge, multilingual, and entirely voluntary—which survivors accept over 70% of the time.
La Casa’s DVRT advocates, who work alongside inspectors in the Special Victims Unit of the SFPD at San Francisco’s Hall of Justice, reach out to survivors. Through this contact, they can inform her of the continuum of services available through La Casa, connect her with additional resources like Victim Services through the District Attorney’s office, and provide individualized support. While every case is different, victims often share with the advocates various fears following the police’s involvement, like fear of retaliation from their batterer, of the legal process, and of deportation if they are undocumented.
“We try to give them as much information as possible to let them know that there is help, there are resources out there, and they are not alone. Working with different people, you get to know their individual stories and the different ways of helping someone, and you learn from each person. You never know what to expect, because we don’t turn anyone away.” -Lucia Ray-Guillen, DVRT AdvocateAdvocates talk with survivors to help provide comfort and shed light on daunting processes—like the steps a survivor can take to file a restraining order, or what it might be like if she is asked to testify against her batterer in court. In particular, for undocumented survivors the fear of deportation can be paramount and impede her desire to take action against her batterer. La Casa’s advocates provide information and reassurance related to the protections a survivor can expect within San Francisco, as a Sanctuary City, and as a victim of domestic violence—including the U-Visa, available to undocumented victims of domestic violence who choose to cooperate with law enforcement. The reassurance that Immigration isn’t going to come after a survivor because she reported domestic violence, and that she should feel safe to report in the future, can be helpful and empowering.
La Casa’s DVRT advocates are located at San Francisco’s Hall of Justice, at 850 Bryant Street in Room 500, although they at times also meet with survivors at their homes or in the hospital following an incident. DVRT support can be accessed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year through La Casa’s Crisis Line at 1-877-503-1850.
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