For domestic abuse victims, local group launches online chat resource
The InterAct counseling service Interact has been inundated with calls for help since the pandemic started, but some of their patients said they feared making calls around their abuser. So this week, the group launched a new chat function on their website.
Posted — UpdatedAbuse victims in the Triangle area can now use a new method to connect with counselors during the coronavirus lockdown.
“What we were seeing is that a lot of people didn’t feel like they could reach out to us over the phone because they were isolating with their abusive partner so it was hard to find space to make that phone call,” said Tasha Sullivan, director of domestic violence services for Interact.
The online chats are hosted by the same counselors who normally answer the group’s crisis lines, Sullivan said.
“People are very much isolated together which we understand is necessary in a public health crisis, but it’s not safe and easy for people who are experiencing domestic violence,” Sullivan said.
For now, the service is being offered on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., but the group hopes to eventually expand the service.
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