Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center Inc.

Comprehensive legal services empower survivors in ways that other services cannot. Volunteer advocates and our staff attorney assist in the courts with a wide variety of legal matters such as divorce, custody, visitation, child support, housing and immigration. The Center’s volunteer court advocates are located at the Newburyport District Court, five days a week, to answer questions, explain the civil restraining order process, help file abuse prevention orders, and conduct safety planning.

Girls Incorporated of the Seacoast area is an affiliate of Girls Incorporated®, a national research, education and direct advocacy organization that inspires girls to be strong, smart, and bold.

The Girls Inc. national network includes research-based curricula delivered by trained professionals to equip girls to achieve academically; to lead healthy and physically active lives; to manage money; to navigate media messages; and to discover an interest in science, technology, engineering, art and math.

The Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center believes that girls are stronger, more confident and less likely to become victims of domestic violence when they are empowered through education. We currently offer Girls Inc. programs for girls in the following Massachusetts towns: Amesbury, Georgetown, Groveland, Ipswich, Merrimac, Newbury, Newburyport, Rowley, Salisbury and West Newbury.

Victims of domestic violence face a myriad of obstacles between the crisis-point and recovery. The Advocacy Program is holistic and covers a broad range of common needs. On a case-by-case basis, skilled advocates guide individuals along their distinct journeys, en route to end points of peace and self-sufficiency. Program activities include a 24-hour hotline, individualized casework (e.g. on matters such as education, transportation, financial planning, child care, immigration, etc.), support groups, wellness workshops, emergency and transitional housing, rental assistance, and more. Services are offered on an ongoing basis, including around the clock for those in crisis.

Homicide is the fifth leading cause of death for women aged 18 to 44. In 2015 alone, 3,519 women and girls were killed. Husbands, boyfriends and other intimate partners perpetrated more than half of these murders.

Research has shown that intimate partner domestic violence homicides are often predictable; and if they’re predictable, they’re preventable.

The Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center is a nationally recognized leader in the fight to end domestic violence homicides. In 2005, we launched the country’s first Domestic Violence High Risk Team (DVHRT) in our home town of Newburyport, MA. Since then, our research-based model has been recognized by the White House, academics, domestic violence advocates and law enforcement professionals across the country as an innovative, effective way to reduce the threat of harm to intended victims, family members and first responders.

More information at:
https://jeannegeigercrisiscenter.org/domestic-violence-homicide-prevention/

We know that patterns of abuse start early; we also know that early intervention can prevent future violence. To break the cycle of domestic violence before it affects the next generation, the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center offers innovative Youth Empowerment Services (YES) that use evidence-based and nationally recognized approaches to educate girls, boys and students who are gender non-conforming.

Prevention programs for young people have been shown to be an effective way to educate and stem violence. These interventions should remain consistent throughout a young person’s life to have truly long-lasting effects. The Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center brings a variety of empowering programs into local schools to help young people make healthy decisions that positively impact their lives.

We facilitate educational intervention for those who are—or have been—abusive in intimate relationships. Our main objective is the safety of the partners and ex-partners of the participants in our program. We also monitor participants’ behavior and collaborate with the courts, police and protective service agencies to hold abusers accountable for their actions. This is a court ordered, 40-week program that is paid for by the participant.