Helen
Helen is a 31-year-old woman with two teenage sons, and a nine-year-old daughter who has physical and intellectual disabilities. Helen and her husband had been living in public housing for three years when Department of Housing staff referred her to the Staying Home Leaving Violence (SHLV) program.
Helen’s husband had physically assaulted her, and the police charged him. The court also issued an AVO, which included the condition that he was prohibited from returning to the house.
Staying Home Leaving Violence (SHLV) talked to Helen about whether staying in her home was a safe option for her and her children, and they assessed the risks. Even though there was a history of physical, emotional and financial abuse, it was very important for Helen to stay in her home so she could be near her daughter’s doctors and her local school.
She also wanted to be close to her family and other support services. The SHLV program staff supported Helen during the court proceedings and visited her at home to help develop a safety plan for emergencies.
They discussed strategies to help her be safer at home, and installed an alarm, a screen door and a sensor light. They also helped her to work out some of her financial difficulties, helped her find legal advice, and arranged counselling for her sons.
After six months with the program, Helen said, “Staying Home Leaving Violence has helped me to realise that I am not the one who has to get up and run, that I can stay in my home with my children and feel safe. I have become a stronger person, and I can pay rent and bills on my own. I have realised that I don’t have to put up with violence, and that I deserve better in my life, and my children do as well.”