Domestic Violence Services reopens after regrouping
When Cathleen Augustine gives presentations on domestic violence she starts out by asking the group how many of them have been touched by abuse. Nearly every hand goes up.
While each individual may not have been a victim of domestic violence, they may have known someone who was, Augustine said, and that’s why Domestic Violence Services of Fayette County is so important.
The agency, which closed for two weeks so that the staff could regroup, has reopened and will serve clients that much better, Augustine said Friday. During that time, the staff underwent extensive training and the shelter that houses abused women, and sometimes their children, was refurbished.
Augustine said agency employees underwent the training to better serve clients and stand ready to do so.
“We’re going to be more supportive than ever working with the domestic violence victims. We’ve really overhauled everything,” said Augustine, the community education coordinator.
Employees focus on empowering and women-centered advocacy, and many know what it’s like to walk in the role of the abused, Augustine said.
“Most of us are survivors of domestic violence and we don’t hide that fact. We’ve been there, we got out of our situations and we understand it,” she said.
The board is comprised of well-qualified people, and a group of excellent volunteers help keep the shelter running smoothly, Augustine said.
Among the things Domestic Violence Services offers are the 24-hour hotline, emergency shelter, legal advocacy, support groups, counseling and relocation assistance.
Augustine said the staff and volunteers understand that the point at which people their domestic situations leave is different.
Augustine said it’s not unusual for women to leave their abuser and go back several times before finally resolving to stay out of the situation. Charming and romantic gestures win them back, only for them to realize that it was a manipulation, she said.
Although some people regard domestic violence as a family problem, Augustine said it’s more prevalent than many realize – and knows no social or economic boundaries. The shelter has fielded calls or taken in women from all walks of life, including professionals.
“By the nature of abuse, it’s embarrassing. People think there’s something wrong with them. There’s not. There’s something wrong with the batterer,” Augustine said. “It’s not a marital problem. It’s an abuse problem. It’s all about power and control and it’s directed at the woman.”
While some men may enter anger management in an attempt to woo the woman back, Augustine said that domestic violence is rooted in power and control, not anger. Augustine explained that abusive men don’t go into work and hit their boss or pick fights, something that would be rooted in anger.
Instead, they exercise dominance over their spouse or girlfriend by being the one in charge at home, Augustine indicated.
At the shelter, women are treated as highly capable and empowered to make changes in their lives, she said.
While some abuse, characterized by physical wounds, is more apparent, Augustine said it’s often the emotional abuse that’s the most difficult to understand. She said women sometimes don’t realize that it is the words being said to them that are slowly stripping away their sense of self.
“They know they’re unhappy, they know something’s not right, but the abuser puts her so off kilter that she doubts herself,” Augustine said.
A support group for abused women is held at the shelter from noon until 2 p.m. every Wednesday. The location of the shelter is confidential. To join the group, call the shelter at 724-437-2530.
Staff or volunteers man a 24-hour hotline at 724-439-9500.
They also offer court accompaniment to get protective orders against abusers and have a program for women who need cell phones for emergency purposes.
“Call us,” Augustine urged. “You don’t have to tell us your name. But each time we make contact with somebody, that’s a little step closer to them leaving or seeking help. It empowers them more and more.”