A domestic violence organization serving eight counties in central Kentucky will remain open after being thrown a lifeline.
SpringHaven in Elizabethtown was scheduled to close after its umbrella organization, ZeroV, announced the end of its partnership, effective July 1.
In a news release posted on social media, SpringHaven said it has a new agreement with Lexington-based Caritas Care Solutions, which provides services to those with behavioral health needs.
Springhaven Executive Director Leslie Hall said the new partnership will not only keep the shelter open but expand the services it provides.
“Trauma-informed therapy and counseling, psychiatric care, medication management. These are all things we were not doing before," Hall said. “For us, it was a save. Caritas Care Solutions saw something valuable about the organization.”
The new partnership means there will be multiple providers of domestic violence services in the Lincoln Trail Area Development District that includes the counties of Breckenridge, Hardin, Grayson, LaRue, Marion, Meade, Nelson, and Washington.
ZeroV has a contract with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to provide domestic violence programs in all of Kentucky’s 15 area development districts.
"There are other counties in Kentucky with independent shelters and non-residential programs serving survivors of domestic violence that are not state-designated nor ZeroV member programs, and SpringHaven would be an independent program like that in Hardin County," ZeroV spokeswoman Allison Brown said in a email to WKU Public Radio.
Until ZeroV has a new provider in place, it’s moving forward with a transition plan that continues services through its other member organizations in Bowling Green, Somerset, Lexington, and Louisville.
Under the temporary arrangement, the domestic violence crisis line will have a different phone number and be staffed by advocates at Lexington-based GreenHouse17. Anyone experiencing domestic violence in the Lincoln Trail Area Development District can reach a certified advocate by calling 1-877-949-0515. GreenHouse17 will support those with immediate safety needs, including emergency shelter.
Other ZeroV member programs will provide additional support services, including community referrals and case management.
Bethany House in Somerset will serve domestic violence survivors in Marion, Washington, and Nelson counties. The Center for Women and Families in Louisville will support residents of Meade and Breckinridge counties. Barren River Area Safe Space in Bowling Green will provide support to those living in Grayson, Hardin, and LaRue counties.
If you or someone you know has experienced intimate partner violence, call the the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 to be connected with a local advocate.
