Domestic Violence

The Department of Social Services offers services to women in the community who are feeling unsafe at home and need help. Our goal is to help create a violence-free community where survivors are supported and perpetrators are held accountable for their actions.

What is domestic violence?

Most often we think of physical violence—the hitting, kicking, punching, bruises, and broken bones—when we think about domestic violence, but domestic violence is so much more than just being physically harmed. Domestic violence includes emotional and sexual abuse, as well as threats, intimidation, isolation and manipulation.

While domestic violence does happen to men, it is overwhelmingly more common for women to be victims than men. According to the National Institute of Justice, 55.5% of Native American women will experience physical violence from an intimate partner at some point in their lives, compared to approximately 1 in 3 women overall.

Domestic violence isn’t about love, it is about control. Victims do not choose to be hurt; abusers choose to hurt their victims.

What services are available?

Services are available for adults as well as children who have witnessed domestic violence. For information on services for children, contact Samantha Hickok, Kids First Manager, at Samantha.Hickok@PokagonBand-nsn.gov.

While the Pokagon Band does not have a domestic violence shelter, Victim Services staff work closely with the DV shelters in the area and can provide contact information to these programs if you need of immediate, emergency housing. Other services include:

• Case management
• Safety planning
• Assistance filing Personal Protection Orders (PPOs)
• Court accompaniment
• Limited financial assistance
• Educational programming and outreach
• Cultural programming and assistance

Who is eligible for services?

Services are open to anyone, regardless of gender, who are presently experiencing or have previously experienced domestic violence and are:

• A Pokagon Band Tribal Citizen
• A Citizen of another Federally Recognized Tribe
• A parent of a Pokagon Band Tribal Citizen
• A current or former partner of a Pokagon Band Tribal Citizen

Are you looking for help?

You may also contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-SAFE (7233), for 24-hour support and assistance.

Domestic Shelters can give you contact information for DV shelters in your area, as well as information on safety planning, danger assessment, and other topics relating to domestic violence.

If you have a smartphone, there are several apps designed to keep DV survivors safe. Check out the My Plan App for help with safety planning, threat assessments, and information on shelters in your area.

Contact any of us for more assistance.