Page 10 - Mecklenburg_Medicine_March-2019
P. 10
Safe Alliance Launches Vital Hotline in Charlotte
Safe Alliance has launched the Greater Charlotte Hope Line to
improve the lives of families throughout Mecklenburg County. a public entity charged with protecting the community’s most vulnerable
The free, safe, confidential 24/7 hotline provides critical children. The service provides emotional support, education and guidance
resources for parent support, as well as victims and at-risk to parents struggling to navigate challenging parent/child relationships;
education about the dynamics and warning signs of interpersonal violence;
citizens of child abuse, neglect and sexual and domestic violence. and crisis counseling, safety planning and education to victims of sexual
Safe Alliance President and CEO Karen Parker explains, “Current assault or domestic violence, including guidance for victims seeking to keep
systems through which we respond to family violence are fragmented and their families safe.
overburdened. Our goal is to provide a streamlined solution to make it easier The Hope Line is staffed by advocates who under go 80 hours of cross-
for people to get the help they need — fast.” disciplinary training to assist in virtually any prevention and intervention
The U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect reports domestic scenario. This rigorous training includes motivational interviewing, child
violence is the single greatest precursor to child abuse and neglect in the development, child abuse/neglect, sexual assault, domestic violence and
country. “This is about family,” says Safe Alliance’s Deputy Chief Operating trauma components. Strong partnerships with organizations throughout
Officer Cori Goldstein. “A key piece of our new hotline is to provide families Mecklenburg County ensure people who call in receive the most relevant
with the information, resources and emotional support necessary to weather information and guidance possible.
life’s turbulent periods. The Hope Line will do just that.”
As with Safe Alliance best practices, confidentiality and safety are the top
Safe Alliance has a proven track record of offering a trauma- priorities of the program.
informed, victim-centered response to survivors of sexual assault and
domestic violence on current 24/7 hotlines. The addition of the Hope “Our goal is to change lives for the better,” says Parker. “When we say
Line — a collaborative community resource offering guidance to ‘Hope is Calling,’ we mean it.’”
parents — is a great asset to Safe Alliance’s existing services. The hotline
is a collective resource that provides trained staff who navigate any For more information, visit the Greater Charlotte Hope Line webpage.
parenting concern and continue to offer support for survivors of sexual Safe Alliance provides hope and healing to those impacted by
assault and domestic violence.
domestic violence and sexual assault. We accomplish this mission
The Greater Charlotte Hope Line represents a unique partnership between
Safe Alliance, the county’s only provider of domestic and sexual violence through a continuum of shelter, counseling, legal and advocacy services,
crisis services, and Mecklenburg County’s Department of Social Services,
and through education, prevention programs, and institutional advocacy
efforts. Safe Alliance has served Mecklenburg County, including Lake
Norman, for more than 100 years and currently reaches more than
13,000 individuals annually.
presents the SAVE THE DATE!
7th Annual April 9
Community Forum at
Free registration opening soon. 3646 Central Ave., Charlotte
Lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. For more information visit
10 | March 2019 • Mecklenburg Medicine www.medlinkofmecklenburg.org
