We know that home is not a safe place for everyone. Having to remain at home with an abuser can create a higher risk of abuse. Our Domestic and Sexual Violence staff continue to serve clients through our FREE 24-hour hotlines (domestic violence: 708-485-5254, sexual assault: 708-482-9600), court advocacy, shelter, and counseling. Tips for survivors are available in our YouTube video.
Outreach and advocacy staff are actively planning digital outreach. Stay tuned to our Facebook page to find out about new events as they open up.
Domestic Violence Services
Every minute, 20 people are abused by an intimate partner in the United States. Pillars Community Health offers comprehensive domestic violence services and resources to help you achieve safety and work toward independence. You don’t have to stay in an abusive relationship.
Domestic violence affects people of all ages, income levels, faiths, and education levels. Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive behavior that one person exercises over another to gain power and control. Signs of abusive behavior from an intimate partner include:
- Extreme jealousy and possessiveness
- Trying to control how you spend your time
- Isolating you from friends and family
- Hypercritical, blaming you for his/her problems and failures
- Verbal put-downs, threats, intimidation
- Stalking or harassing you with repeated calls, texts, or emails
- Controlling your money or ability to obtain/maintain employment
- Destroying your personal property or threatening/hurting your pets
- Physically hurting you in any way or threatening physical violence
- Intimate partner rape and other forms of sexual violence
Feeling unsafe as you read this?
The Domestic Violence Safety Exit (red button at bottom right) is designed to help you quickly exit this page if you are currently in danger. If your abuser is in the room, click the red button, or press your ESC key, at any time you feel unsafe. The button will automatically send you to Google.com.
Our Domestic Violence Services
Since 1979, we have worked to create a safe environment where domestic violence survivors are encouraged to learn about their options for change and empower themselves to make informed decisions about their future. Services are provided at NO COST and are available in English, Spanish, and Arabic. Services include:
- A confidential 24-hour domestic violence hotline, 708-485-5254
- A domestic violence shelter, Constance Morris House, a place for survivors to find refuge as they flee abusive relationships
- Crisis intervention
- Case management
- Individual, family, and group therapy
- Legal and medical advocacy
- Onsite health care and referrals for shelter residents including wellness exams, triage and treatment for acute illness, and prenatal care
- Links to ongoing support services such as emergency financial assistance, substance abuse counseling, and housing programs
- Community education and prevention, to drive a unified response to domestic violence
If you feel threatened, hurt, afraid, abused, or controlled, REACH OUT FOR HELP.
Pillars Community Health in the Community
We maintain several partnerships throughout the community to address domestic violence concerns, including area schools, colleges, and universities. In addition, we provide training (with CEs) to cosmetology professionals on domestic and sexual violence.
We offer domestic violence criminal justice and civil legal advocacy for victims/survivors who reside within the jurisdictions of the Fourth and Fifth Municipal Circuit Court Districts of Cook County. We began providing medical advocacy services in March 2018 and now have service agreements with our own Community Health Center as well as four area hospitals (Gottlieb, Loyola, AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center La Grange, and MacNeal).
Be an Advocate for Domestic Violence Survivors
Wear Purple
Show your support for victims and survivors each October (Domestic Violence Awareness Month) by wearing a purple ribbon. The purple ribbon conveys a powerful message that there is no place for domestic violence in homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, or schools.
Volunteer
Domestic violence volunteers may assist with our 24-hour hotline, provide crisis intervention, provide presentations to our children’s group, or assist with day-to-day tasks at Constance Morris House. All domestic violence volunteers must complete a 40-hour training. Learn more about volunteering.
Attend an Awareness Event
Stay tuned to our calendar to learn about awareness events and activities in the community.