For domestic violence victims, coronavirus orders mean isolation with their abusers

Widespread closures to slow the spread of the coronavirus are already having sweeping implications for Californians. Lost wages and added financial stress. Schools closed and the unexpected task of child care and homeschooling.

But for people already isolated in violent or abusive relationships, stay-at-home orders are isolating them even more.

“Victims of domestic violence are already quite isolated from their family and friends and then you add a quarantine and your basically trapped in a house with your abuser 24/7, who may even use this virus against them as a means of power and control over them,” said Joyce Bilyeu, director of client services at the Sacramento Regional Family Justice Center.

Domestic violence service providers across the county are still providing services during this unprecedented closure, with the county’s Family Justice Center, My Sister’s House, and WEAVE offering counseling and crisis services. But providers recognize it is now likely more difficult for victims to reach out for help when their abuser is home indefinitely.

Providers who spoke with The Sacramento Bee said they’re still seeing normal rates of service utilization, but are preparing for that to change.

“We consider ourselves an essential service,” said Faith Whitmore, executive director of the Sacramento Regional Family Justice Center.

“Our intention is to stay open and do whatever we have to do to make that happen.”

“But we are concerned,” said Bilyeu of the Family Justice Center. “People are going to be experiencing more challenges with children at home, less work, and it might be more difficult to get healthcare for survivors of domestic violence with the hospitals potentially getting overwhelmed.”

Help remains available

While some staff are working remotely, most are still on site at the Family Justice Center helping the steady stream of clients coming through their doors.

Whitmore and Bilyeu said they’ve been busy since California entered a state of emergency, and have seen a higher number of homeless women coming in for help.

“If we can play that small role in terms of saving someone’s life then we want to be here for them,” Whitmore said.

Counseling, safety planning, and legal help are still available at the Family Justice Center.

Services are also available at My Sister’s House, which specializes in helping Asian and pacific islander populations. Their headquarters on Freeport Boulevard look slightly different as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. There are fewer staff in the office, with some telecommuting. And tables are spaced further away to allow for social distancing.

But staff are still hard at work contacting survivors over the phone to continue case management and safety planning.

“It was easy decision to make because we really feel that survivors are going to be at peril, especially the longer it takes,” said Nilda Guanzon Valmores, executive director of My Sister’s House.

Staff at My Sister’s House aren’t turning anyone away, Valmores said.

WEAVE, the county’s largest domestic violence provider, has closed its Midtown Services Center and transitioned to offering many of their services over the telephone, including case management, counseling and its sexual assault response team.

But its emergency shelter and transitional housing remain open, as well as their 24-hour support and information line, which is the first point of contact for someone looking for help.

Calls getting through

Even with their abusers at home, making it harder to call, victims are reaching out.

According to My Sister’s House, its crisis hotline has seen a 17 percent increase in calls during the first half of March compared to a year ago, which was an “unusually high increase”, Valmores said.

A majority of the callers are residents of Sacramento and Yolo counties, she said, and many are asking about shelter availability. Because the shelters are full, staff will walk the clients through safety planning to minimize risks, refer them to other shelters or coach them on calling law enforcement.

“They have to call the 24/7 crisis line and hopefully plan for the future, so when they can escape the isolation period they can get that help,” Valmores said.

At San Francisco-based Asian Women’s Shelter, calls to the crisis line almost doubled per day, from three to six calls requiring urgent assistance, said executive director Orchid Pusey.

Pusey said the shelter has had to deal with situations where people have been physically assaulted and require hospital care, or don’t know how to approach their children’s health issues while facing stress and violence.

“Some (clients) have explicitly said their parents will take them in,” Pusey said. But many are hesitant as their parents are elderly — the demographics more susceptible to COVID-19 infection — and do not want to add to the population density of their parents’ households. Other clients tend to have no support systems, she said.

Other stressors in the home

Julie Bornhoeft, WEAVE’s chief strategy and sustainability officer, said the added stress of quarantine can contribute to other stressors such as alcohol abuse in the home. The presence of weapons such as firearms can also add another layer of volatility to a domestic violence situation.

Gun sales are surging in many states, especially in those most affected by the coronavirus over fears of social unraveling, the Los Angeles Times reported.

But that poses a particularly difficult dynamic for domestic violence victims, who are at greater risk for death if their abuser has access to a gun, Bornhoeft said.

“We’re all living under a stress level that is not normal and there are families that are really fragile,” she said.

“I think the most important advice is if it feels dangerous, if you’re in a home and its escalating, they need to call 911,” Bornhoeft said.

How to get help

▪ Capital region residents in crisis, or concerned of a loved one’s situation, can call the following 24-hour help lines: WEAVE, 916-920-2952; Family Justice Center, 916-875-HOPE; My Sister’s House, 916-428-3271.

▪ The National Domestic Violence Hotline provides confidential assistance to anyone affected by domestic violence through a live chat and a free 24-hour hotline: 800-799-7233.

▪ The National Sexual Assault Hotline provides confidential assistance to anyone affected by sexual assault through a live chat and a free 24-hour hotline: 800-656-4673.

▪ The ChildHelp National Child Abuse Hotline provides confidential assistance to anyone affected by child abuse through a live chat and a free 24-hour hotline: Call or text HELP to 800-422-4453.

▪ The National Human Trafficking Hotline provides confidential assistance to anyone affected by human trafficking through a live chat and a free 24-hour hotline: 888-373-7888 or text HELP to 233733.

▪ The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides confidential assistance to anyone in crisis and their loved ones through a live chat and free 24-hour hotline: 800-273-8255. WellSpace Health operates the Sacramento region’s 24-hour hotline: 916-368-3111 or text HOPE to 916-668-4226.

This story was originally published March 23, 2020 at 5:00 AM.