Domestic violence experts say cases in Phoenix remain high
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - Domestic violence shelters are at full capacity, and organization leaders say they have been for a long time.
On Monday, an officer-involved shooting in Mesa started with a domestic violence call. About a week ago, a woman was murdered inside her salon in Avondale by her husband and co-owner of the salon, Jose Jesus Rodriguez. “It breaks our heart every single time because we are responders and are trying to get to people before it turns into a lethal situation,” said Myriah Mhoon, CEO of New Life Center.
Mhoon says beds at the domestic violence shelter have been at total capacity since before the pandemic. “We’re in a crisis, we’ve always been in a crisis. We’re definitely trending probably a little bit higher, but still very devastating rate that we always see every single year,” she said.
Another organization across the Valley is seeing a jump in counseling hours. “Really the biggest change that we’ve seen since the spring is we’ve seen the number of hours our mobile advocates are being called out into the community to help with things like safety planning, and order of protection has doubled,” said Steven Miller with Chrysalis.
He says it could be because of families’ stress, including inflation and evictions. “When we look at one of the biggest needs as a program perspective, transitional housing for years now has been one of our biggest needs. We operate units on both east and west side of the Valley, and those are constantly in demand,” Miller said.
Experts said in some cases, protective orders could sometimes make things worse, and each situation is different. Advocates can help you devise the right plan and walk you through the court process if you need help.
For more information on resources, click here for New Life Centers. Or, you click here for Chrysalis.
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