By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
If you are not safe at home, you can still leave during a stay-at-home order.
This is the message that Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services is trying to communicate to survivors of domestic violence.
Jennifer Hecker, Options executive director, said the number of calls to Options has dramatically increased in the last week.
Hecker was unable to give specific numbers as their data input has been a slower with people working from home.
Two people are manning the hotline at all times, and Hecker has had to serve as back up to handle the call volume.
"I think the cases are more in-depth and complicated than what we are normally seeing," she said. "We are trying to work around all the issues with COVID and how to get them support."
Shelter full
The Options shelter is currently full, and the agency has been temporarily referring survivors to hotels. That has even been a challenge in some rural areas, as some hotels are closed. Some survivors could not be sheltered in their home counties for this reason.
Options covers an 18-county area from Russell County north to the Nebraska border and west to the Colorado border.
Any survivor who has been exposed to COVID-19 can't be placed in the Options shelter. They have to be placed in a hotel and are required to quarantine for at least 14 days.
Struggle to find funding, extra supplies
"If that happens with a number of people," Hecker said. "We may run out of funding to continue to provide that support. We hope that doesn't happen. We are working on some fundraising, but that is a challenge now too."
Options has applied for funds through the Small Business Administration, as well as for local grants.
The shelter has also struggled to find hand sanitizer and some cleaning supplies. Options ordered products, but the orders will not be filled for a month. Mary Kay is donating hand sanitizer to domestic violence programs, including Options.
Volunteers have also made facemasks for volunteers and families who are in the shelter.
"The community is coming to the aid of the survivors who we are working with," Hecker said. "We have had some supporters in the community provide some additional funding."
Some of those funds will be used for overflow housing in hotels.
Options is still needing donations of hand sanitizer, masks and cleaning products. Those donations can be left inside the first set of doors at the Options office in Hays at 2716 Plaza.
Quarantine speeds the cycle of violence
The tension in abusive relationships can be heightened when families are under the added stress of the quarantine, Hecker said. An abuser who normally might be at work all day is home, Hecker said, which can speed up the cycle of violence.
There could be the added stresses of teaching and caring for children full time, as well as financial stresses if someone in the family has been laid off or furloughed, she said.
When abusers are not leaving the home for work, that gives no respite to the survivor. It also does not give the survivor the opportunity to reach out to support resources, such as Options, Hecker said.
Options is writing a grant to develop a digital texting system. This would allow someone to download an app on their phone that would allow them to text directly with an Options advocate. Survivors could also contact Options through a secure email.
The abuser may also use the fear about the coronavirus to further manipulate the survivor and other family members.
"There are just so many more stressors on top of the fear of 'What happens if we get it? How do we keep our family safe?' There are so many more stressors that can contribute to that violence," Hecker said.
Accessing resources more difficult
Accessing some resources has been more difficult for survivors, Hecker said.
Although many district court functions have been suspended at this time, courts are still processing protection from abuse and protection from stalking orders.
Nurses are also still providing sexual assault exams.
"Unfortunately, violence and abuse don't stop during times like this," Hecker said. "They tend to ramp up."
Transportation has been difficult to find. In Hays, the ACCESS public transportation bus is no longer running. Options is working with volunteers, in some cases, to provide transportation.
The Options support groups and classes are continuing through conference calls.
"I think those are things survivors are going to need now more than ever," Hecker said. "Isolation is something that many victims of domestic violence experience. Now we have an added layer of isolation on top of what was already happening."
Classes, support groups and any assistance can be accessed through the Options's 24-hour support line at 1-800-794-4624.
'What You Were Wearing' Exhibit goes online
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and Options usually presents its "What Were You Wearing" exhibition, which is a display of clothing survivors were wearing when they were sexually assaulted.
That exhibition has been moved online and can be seen on the Options Facebook page.
Cover photo by Volkan Olmez on Unsplash