The MSCFV 24-hour hotline (1-800-927-4673), an important crisis service, is available to all domestic violence victims seeking crisis intervention, information and referral, emotional support, counseling and guidance. A trained Hotline Advocate answers the hotline 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. For victims whose primary language is not English, MSCFV hotline counselors have access to Spanish-speaking counselors, and translation technology for other languages. Technology to translate calls in over 40 languages.
Most hotline callers do go on to receive other services. For example, 86% received additional counseling, 88% received follow up services, and 38% had an advocate accompany them to court.
MSCFV advocates answered 513 hotline calls from victims in crisis in fiscal year 2020. During these calls, advocates often discuss Safety Planning, Community Resources, and Legal Rights & Options.
Topics discussed in hotline calls in FY2020
The majority of victims achieve positive outcomes in these calls, including a better understanding of the cycle of violence, a better understanding of their rights and options, and a readiness to take the next step in ending the violence.
Hotline call outcomes FY2020
With the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, MSCFV experienced a decline in new clients coming to the agency, compared to the previous year. For example, new program enrollments were down 46% in March 2020, 39% in April 2020, and 24% in May 2020.
With courts starting to reopen in June 2020, the number of hotline calls and clients increased significantly. Most notably, MSCFV received 38 lethality calls in June 2020, the highest experienced in a single month since the beginning of the program
