Safe Connect for Domestic Violence Victims

January 15, 2020  |  by Ted Craft

Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz announced a major upgrade to Connecticut's domestic violence hotline this week in Hartford. The system, Safe Connect, gives victims of domestic violence — and those seeking to help them — confidential assistance at no charge.

Safe Connect can be reached by:

Safe Connect provides information, safety planning, counseling, case management, and referrals to local organizations and community resources.

“In 2019, 11 women and three men in Connecticut were victims of intimate partner homicide and 14 people have been killed per year on average since 2000,” Lt. Governor Bysiewicz said. “We want to ensure that all victims of domestic violence know that we care about their well-being."

“Domestic violence on all levels continues to be a serious problem for law enforcement across Connecticut,” said Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) Commissioner James Rovella. “Adding Safe Connect provides another layer of protection that will help police in every community prevent further domestic violence."

According to a DESPP report, law enforcement agencies were called to nearly 17,000 incidents of family violence across Connecticut in 2018. Nearly 40,000 victims of domestic violence seek help each year in the state.

A Comprehensive Program

Safe Connect is an initiative by the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV) to streamline many existing access points for victims and survivors into a comprehensive platform, which is bilingual and bi-cultural.

Karen Jarmoc, CCADV's chief executive officer, said, "Recognizing that domestic violence can be incredibly isolating for its victims, we want to ensure that victims and survivors know that they do not have to go through this alone."

Ms. Jarmoc described Safe Connect as "Connecticut’s domestic violence resource hub," which provides advocates around the clock who can discuss immediate safety needs, identify resources that can help, connect survivors with a local domestic violence organization, "or just listen."

CCADV is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation with 18 member organizations, all of which provide critical support to victims of domestic violence. Their services are free of charge and available to everyone. CCADV is funded by federal, state, and private sources, and also receives support from several for-profit organizations and philanthropic foundations.

Photo, left to right: State Police Trooper First Class Christine Jeltema, Mary-Jane Foster of Interval House, Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, Karen Jarmoc of CCADV, Brian Foley of DESPP.

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