Service Overview
VOA-GNY operates safe, free domestic violence shelters in confidential locations throughout NYC where survivors and their families can heal and receive the support services they need to regain their independence.
Individuals and families can be received at any of our domestic violence shelters 24/7 by calling our helpline at 1-855-643-RISE (7473) or starting a chat with us here. If it’s an emergency, please dial 911.
What We Do
We provide safe, anonymous housing for individuals and their children experiencing domestic violence and offer a range of comprehensive services including counseling, job training, housing assistance, childcare, and educational support for children. Our staff take a trauma informed approach, which includes realizing the deep impact of trauma, recognizing the signs and symptoms and responding by integrating knowledge about trauma into practice, and making efforts to not re-traumatize.
Our goal is to help survivors gain the long-term skills and support they need to meet everyday challenges and remain safe after leaving the shelter.
Why It Matters
One out of every three women and one out of four men have experienced violence at the hands of an intimate partner in their lifetime. Domestic violence is also the leading cause of family homelessness in New York City.
Addressing Brain Injury
Each year, an estimated 10 million adults in the United States experience domestic or intimate partner violence and 74% of these events involve injuries to the head or neck. In 2022, VOA-GNY launched an initiative in partnership with Safe Living Space to screen individuals entering our domestic violence programs for possible brain injury and connect those who are showing symptoms to the appropriate medical care.
This first-of-its-kind program in the United States will improve how we support survivors including providing better access to health care, improving their ability to more successfully navigate court, child welfare, and other systems, and mitigating the long-term impacts of brain injury.
