You Are Not Alone: Where to Turn in Las Vegas with Issues of Domestic Abuse While Pregnant
You Are Not Alone: Where to Turn in Las Vegas with Issues of Domestic Abuse While Pregnant
You never expected to find yourself in this situation. Navigating your way out of an abusive relationship would be hard enough as it is, but now you find yourself struggling with domestic abuse while pregnant and you have an unborn child to think about as well. Just by taking this step, you need to know that you’re doing the right thing for both yourself and your baby. Seeking out information and the resources you need is not easy and you should be proud that you made it to this first milestone. You are not alone in this fight. There are several agencies and social programs in Las Vegas designed to help with exactly this situation.
The First Steps
Let’s begin with the basics. The best first step for you would be to get in touch with the National Domestic Violence Hotline. You can either call them or text “LOVEIS” to 1-866-9474 if you find yourself in need of immediate assistance. Both contact methods will connect you with advocates who are available to provide assistance to victims of domestic violence 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. All communication is kept confidential and offers you the security of anonymity if you do not wish to reveal your name. They will work with you and guarantee that you never have to feel as if you are facing this on your own.
Free Shelters
If you are looking for locations in the Las Vegas area in terms of free and safe housing shelters for victims of domestic abuse and their children, The Shade Tree Agency Emergency Shelter for Women and Children may be a good fit for you. This shelter is located in North Las Vegas and they provide safe and free housing for women and children who are abuse survivors for up to 90 days. During your stay, you will be assigned a case manager who will provide you with alternative resources, services and clothing if necessary. They are open 24 hours a day 7 days a week and accept walk-ins. You never have to feel stuck in your abusive living situation. With the proximity of this shelter, a safe place for you and your unborn baby is never far away.
Another confidential housing option in Clark County is The SAFE House Emergency Services Shelter. Located in Henderson, the SAFE house provides you with a place to lay your head and complete confidentiality. This shelter offers services aimed to protect and assist you. Here, you will be given access to education and a child development center, which can help to make a plan for yourself and your unborn baby. If you want to place your baby for adoption, ask them how to get in touch with us. All of this will ensure that you and your baby get the chance to live your best lives.
Family Services
If you are struggling to find help with domestic abuse while pregnant in terms of family development and services, there are several options at the ready in Clark County. One outlet available to you is The East Valley Family Services Family Resource Center. This is a family counseling center focused around helping you become as prepared as possible for the arrival of your baby, even after surviving a battle with domestic violence. Here, they are dedicated to providing you with food, employment resources, application assistance for most state welfare benefits, bus pass assistance and many other essential tools. After cutting ties with your abuser, this is an amazing place to gain knowledge and support to aid in your journey through pregnancy, and ensure the safety and wellbeing of both yourself and your baby. Currently, they are not accepting walk-ins at this counseling center due to the coronavirus crisis; however, you can reach them at (702)631-7098 and receive the necessary information regarding next steps.
Another counseling service to consider is Family and Child Treatment of Southern Nevada (FACT). This center is located in Las Vegas and they focus on survivors of physical, emotional or verbal forms of domestic violence. FACT provides free therapy sessions for both primary and secondary victims of domestic violence. These sessions, in turn, focus on providing you with the coping skills needed to help you in the healing process. Their therapeutic techniques will help you to manage the suffering you have experienced and prevent any residual trauma from being passed on to your unborn baby.
Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your child is to work on healing your own emotional wounds and these free sessions are a perfect first step in the right direction. Some of their therapy services include: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), psychodynamic therapy, person-centered therapy and various forms of art therapy all working together to help survivors cope and live a happy and healthy life free of their abuser.
Where to Turn in Las Vegas with Issues of Domestic Abuse while Pregnant
The resources mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what’s available to help survivors like you. Just by taking this first step and obtaining information on all of your options, your strength is evident. Doing what is best for yourself and your baby is the most important thing right now and, although it can feel lonely at times, always remember that you are never alone. There are people out there who want to help you, and now that you know where to turn in the Las Vegas area you hold all of the power.
Adoption Choices of Nevada in Las Vegas has been providing adoption and surrogacy services across Nevada since 2012. For information specific to Las Vegas, please visit our sister site Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Las Vegas. For information specific to Reno, please visit our sister site Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Reno. You can also call us to speak to someone now. Contact Us 24/7: CALL OR TEXT 702-474-4673
Meet the Author: Katie Dee is a resident of Long Island, New York and member of the 2020 graduating class of State University of New York (SUNY) at Oneonta. She completed her bachelor’s degree in English, dedicating a year to family studies.
Katie has hands-on classroom experience in the field of writing, editing and child and family studies. Her experience, in both the writing field and that of family studies, gives her a unique perspective in her pieces centered around the field of adoption.