About Domestic Violence 

Serving:  Leslie, Knott, Letcher, Perry, Breathitt, Lee, Owsley and Wolfe Counties

The LKLP Domestic Violence Program provides a safe, temporary shelter for victims of domestic violence and their dependent children. It serves the counties of Leslie, Knott, Letcher, Perry, Owsley, Wolfe, Lee and Breathitt.

The Domestic Violence program provides both residential and non-residential services to victims of Spouse/Partner abuse and their dependent children.

Services provided for clients residing in the shelter is a temporary safe shelter as needed or determined on an individual basis. Longer stay can be allotted if it is necessary to keep victims safe or if they are seeking to re-locate and need additional time to find adequate housing.

The program serves mainly female victims and their dependent children. However, we are designed to serve male victims and their dependent children if the need occurs--and, it does occasionally!

Domestic Violence Residential Services 

• Free Food & Clothing
• Free Local Transportation to various human services agencies and court hearings.
• Free Couseling Services
• A Planned Daily Program for children in educational games and activities.
• A twenty-four (24) hour Crisis Hotline providing counseling, information and referrals by phone: 1-800-928-3131.
• Court Advocacy
• Agency Advocacy
• Personal Advocacy

If you want more information or have questions regarding our Residential Services we offer you may contact our Business Office at (606) 439-1552 or e-mail us at safehouse@lklp.net.

If you are experiencing a medical emergency call 911, or if you need immediate Domestic Violence assistance or you feel your life is a risk call our 24-Hour hotline: 1-800-928-3131.

Domestic Violence Non-Residential Services

Domestic Violence Program Highlights 

The LKLP Safe House Domestic Violence Program has provided residential services for one hundred three (103) women and one hundred thirteen (113) children in FY 2009/2010. Non-residential services have been provided for one thousand four hundred and two (1,402) women, fifty seven (57) men and one hundred thirteen (113) youth.

The program has maintained its high level of quality services provision this year in spite of budgetary restraints and increasingly difficult cases to work with. Housing has become a critical problem throughout the Kentucky River Area Development District. As a result, it has become necessary for victims to spend much longer periods of time in the LKLP Safe House shelter. In an effort to expedite housing accessibility, one staff person has been assigned to assist victims in applying for rental assistance vouchers through Kentucky Housing Corporation. She also assists individuals to locate housing that is or can be HUD approved. However, since no HUD vouchers have been available since October 2007, it has become increasingly more difficult to locate affordable, decent housing for victims.

The program has assisted five domestic violence victims train for employment and be hired locally. One received her Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) certification and has been hired at a nursing home. Another has just begun the CNA process. This year, two women began studying to obtain their GED. Four women have become employed and are learning to budget their money and start checking accounts. Staff has taught some of those women to write checks and balance their checkbooks. Two mothers have successfully completed parenting classes.

An alarming number of domestic violence victims are turning to drugs as a coping mechanism to deal with the violence in their lives. Sadly, this only adds to the problem. As a result, more children are being removed from the custody of parents leaving the domestic violence victims childless and more destitute. Services are much more difficult for these victims to access. Additionally, substance abuse often hinders victims from seeking safety and assistance at all, since many are unwilling to give up the drugs or fear losing their children and the legal ramifications of their substance abuse.

To assist victims with substance abuse problems, the LKLP Safe House program works collaboratively with the local mental health and substance abuse agency, Kentucky River Community Care, Inc (KRCC) and the University of Kentucky Targeted Assessment Placement team (TAP) and Operation (UNITE) Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment and Education. The Safe House collaborates with the Women’s Institute for Substance Abuse Welfare to Work Program to provide day treatment for women with issues relating to substance abuse, alcohol abuse and domestic violence. The Safe House also collaborates with the KRCC program, “Project ADDVANCE,” which assists women to transition into the work force. The LKLP Safe House also continues to be an active member of the local United Way Program.

Outreach and court advocacy have continued to be successful this year. The Outreach Victim Advocate located in Owsley County continues to provide court advocacy, education, domestic violence counseling, assessment and referral and some transportation to victims In Owsley, Lee, Wolfe and Breathitt Counties. Outreach and court advocacy services are provided on a weekly basis to Leslie, Perry, Letcher and Knott Counties by advocates who operate from the LKLP Safe House shelter base. An advocate visits the Letcher County CARES Transitional Apartment Complex after Letcher County Domestic Violence Court on Wednesday of each week to provide education and domestic violence counseling. In March 2010 advocates began conducting counseling groups for women inmates in Leslie, Lee, Letcher, and Perry county jails. An additional group now is being conducted in Knott County for female victims with substance abuse problems.

The LKLP Safe House shelter numbers have decreased some this year, but residents are staying much longer periods of time due mainly to the lack of housing in the region. This means that the shelter is as full and busy at any given time as it always has been and sometimes more so, due to the number of dependents with any given resident.

Due to budget constraints, the program has not been able to expand, but has maintained and provided high quality services to victims of domestic violence and their dependent children. This includes services specifically targeted to children including play therapy and safety training. The program staff continues to provide domestic violence education and professional training throughout the region. This year education and training have been provided in colleges, elementary, and high schools with some presentations aimed at youth eighteen and above who are the primary targets of violence. In addition, education and professional training have been provided to civic groups, social workers, medical and legal staff in the region.

The program staff is dedicated to making the LKLP Safe House Domestic Violence Program reach the highest level of services provision possible. The victims of domestic violence and their children take priority in the twenty four seven work days. We believe in our mission to assist domestic violence victims to live in a safe environment free from inter-personal violence!

Lois Valentine
Program Director