Mission
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Mon-Fri
Hotline 24/7
Phone Number: (540) 434-0295
Address:
129 Franklin St.
Harrisonburg, VA 22801
Email: FirstStepVA@gmail.com
First Step: A Response to Domestic Violence empowers individuals through support, advocacy, and education. We are committed to the elimination of domestic violence in our community.
With the vision of helping survivors break the cycle of violence in their lives, First Step is dedicated to providing:
A 24/hour crisis hotline
Planning for safety
Shelter
Support group
Court accompaniment/legal advocacy
Financial empowerment
Children’s support and advocacy
Referrals
Services
Hotline and Crisis Intervention Services
First Step is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Shelter
We offer shelter to all persons fleeing from domestic violence situations regardless of gender. We also accept homeless women and children depending on space.
Support Group
Our support group meets every Monday from 5:00- 6:00. We welcome members of the community to come and participate in our support group.
Legal Advocacy
Many victims find going through the legal process to be a frightening and overwhelming experience. While we are not attorneys and can’t offer legal counsel, First Step’s Victim Advocate can go with you to offer moral support and help to create a safe space around you as you go through the process from getting a Protective Order through the entire court process.
Case Management Services
We offer case management services to assist our clients as they transition into an abuse free life.
Rapid Re-Housing
Assistance locating housing and short-term rental assistance when funding is available.
Children’s Services and Referrals
We offer referrals for counseling for both children and adults who have been victimized.
Family Services
Teen Dating Violence Information
Community Outreach and Engagement
Training opportunities are available for community professionals, civic organizations, and agencies on topics related to domestic and dating violence as well as services provided by First Step. To request training, please email us at firststepva@gmail.com. We greatly appreciate at least four week notice for any presentations.
Who we primarily serve
Mainly serve women and children in the Harrisonburg/Rockingham community who may have been impacted by domestic violence.
Activities
First Step offers community service projects
Teen Information
Teen Dating Violence Information
Relationships should have a foundation of equal love and respect, when that foundation is breached individuals my be subject to dating violence, which creates an abusive relationship. Women ages 16 to 24 are most likely to be involved in abusive relationships and a victim of dating violence. Women and men of any age can experience violence in a relationship, including girls and boys under 16.
Dating violence is defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors used to control a person in a relationship. Dating Violence can lead to abusive relationships, which is when one person does not respect the other person’s rights and wishes in that relationship.
What is considered abuse?
Emotional abuse
Verbal abuse
Physical abuse
Sexual abuse
Jealousy, control and isolation
Threats and intimidation
Destruction of personal property
Red Flags of an Unhealthy Relationship:
Blows up at little things
Wants to isolate you from friends and family
Blames others for their own faults
Uses or abuses drugs/alcohol
Has a history of family violence
Is cruel to animals
Has a fascination with weapons
Thinks it is acceptable to solve conflicts with violence
Has strong gender stereotypes (men are…, women are…)
Treats partners like property
Cannot express emotions verbally, acts out instead
Has difficulty with authority figures
5 Key Parts of a Healthy Relationship:
Self-esteem – Having a positive outlook on self is important to balancing the feelings and needs of one’s friends and partners.
Communication – Good communication involves sharing feelings and ideas, as well as being a good listener.
Agreements – Agreeing to be respectful, honest, and accountable helps build and maintain trust in relationships.
Connections – Maintaining other relationships outside of the one with your partner is important for keeping a healthy relationship.
Balance – Having a balance between give and take, without one person having more power or control of the other.
All Teen Dating Violence information was retrieved from The National Center for Victims of Crime and The Virginia Teen Dating Violence Prevention Task Force.
Unique Information
All of our services are free and confidential.
They are available to anyone regardless of economic status or ability, immigration status, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs and/or ethnicity.
First Step: A Response to Domestic Violence dedicates services to providing emergency shelter and support to individuals and families in crisis because of domestic violence, dating violence, or family violence. First Step’s services are client driven, trauma informed, empowering, and safety oriented to meet the needs of individuals and their children.
First Step’s services include a 24-Hour Crisis Hotline, Emergency Shelter, Individualized Safety Planning, Voluntary Case Management, Advocacy, Support Group, and Court Accompaniment.
All services at First Step are available in English and Spanish.
First Step also accesses a language line and interpreting services for additional languages.