Welcome to Out of the Streets of Portland, a show focused on sharing the stories of people who are currently or formerly homeless in our community, and helping navigate the systems and services that the Joint Office of Homeless Services and its partners either have in place, or are developing, to help people move out of homelessness and back into stable, supportive housing.
On this episode of Out of the Streets of Portland, we bring you part two of a two part episode featuring the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault system of care funded and supported by the Joint Office of Homeless Services in Multnomah County.
This system serves Survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, as well as their children or other dependents.
On this episode, we speak with three staff members at Raphael House - Shaykeishya, Ashley and Rachel, who help survivors navigate the system to get the help and support they need. All three have been through the process of recovery from domestic violence and addiction themselves, and are now working at Raphael House in a program called Domestic Violence Recovery Mentors helping other people flee domestic violence situations.
The program is open to people of all genders who are fleeing an abusive relationship and experiencing an addiction - substance use disorder or another type of addiction.
Here are phone numbers people who think they may be in a domestic violence situation can call to get some help.
- Call to Safety - 503.235.5333 - a 24-hour staffed crisis line for people in the Portland metro area.
- En espanol - Línea de Crisis 503-232-4448. Es un Línea 24 horas para las sobrevivientes de violencia doméstica y/o asalto sexual.
- Gateway Center for Domestic Violence Services during regular business hours at 503-988-6400 to go through an assessment, which can then determine eligibility for Raphael House or other Joint Office funded programs in the Portland area.
- Domestic Violence Recovery Mentors. To find out more about this program, contact Shaykeishya at 503-593-3874 or shardin@raphaelhouse.com.
One of the key values of the Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault is self-determination for survivors. The work is grounded in a “survivor-centered” or “survivor led” service model; recognizing that survivors know best how to meet their own needs. This focus serves to prevent replication of power & control that might resemble that used by an abuser and is one of the most important values of the Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Continuum as a whole.
You can find more information, including how to get assistance with a restraining order, at the Multnomah County website - multco.us/dv.
A full list of shelters funded by the Joint Office of Homeless Services, including congregate, motel and alternative, village-style shelters can be found at johs.us/shelter.
'Out of the Streets of Portland' is produced by the Joint Office of Homeless Services, a Multnomah County department with funding from the County, the City of Portland, Metro, and the state and federal governments to house, shelter, and provide street outreach, navigation, employment assistance, assistance obtaining social security income, and case management to people experiencing homelessness in our community.
Please subscribe to our podcast to get notified every time a new episode is posted. You can find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts by searching for ‘Out of the Streets of Portland’. And you can find this podcast, along with a ton of information, data and reports, at our website johs.us.
- KBOO