FAQ

Shelter House is best known for our 24/7 domestic violence hotline (850-863-4777) and the confidential emergency shelter where victims, along with their children and pets, can stay for up to eight weeks.  Shelter House also has outreach offices in Fort Walton Beach, Crestview and DeFuniak Springs where survivors can meet with advocates for peer counseling, food pantry, support groups and referrals to other community resources. Shelter House advocates also attend court with participants to provide support and inform them of their legal rights. A small number of apartments are available to participants who apply to the transitional housing program. This federally funded program helps survivors move into an apartment where rent and deposits are initially covered with support reduced over time as the participant becomes more independent.

While domestic violence does include physical violence, that is not an all-inclusive definition. It is one partner’s consistent efforts to maintain power and control over the other. That might mean physical, sexual, emotional, psychological or financial abuse. Not all of these are prosecutable crimes under the law, but you can seek help from Shelter House for any of these types of abuse.

No, you do not. If you identify yourself as a victim of domestic violence by an intimate partner, contact us at 850-863-4777 to start receiving services.

No, you do not have to be a U.S. citizen. If you are in Okaloosa or Walton County and are a victim of intimate partner violence, you can call us at 850-863-4777 to find out about services. Shelter House has a bilingual English/Spanish advocate on staff and uses translation services for speakers of other languages.

Domestic violence does not mean just physical violence. It encompasses all sorts of controlling and abusive behaviors including verbal abuse, emotional manipulation, forced sexual activity or financial control. Domestic violence crosses all age, racial, ethnic, nation-orientation, sexual, gender preference, spiritual and socioeconomic boundaries.

Yes. Domestic violence can happen to anyone, regardless of gender, age, race, sexual orientation or socioeconomic level. Shelter House can and does assist male victims of domestic violence.

Witnessing domestic violence can have a profound, long-term impact on children. Shelter House has youth advocates in shelter and outreach who support the children of survivors. We also contract with a play therapist who works with children and the non-offending parent. Throughout the year, Shelter House will assist children with school supplies, tutoring materials and extracurricular activity expenses.

Yes. The Kind Heart Kennel is located on-site at our emergency shelter. Pets can be a tremendous source of comfort during stressful times and being able to keep their pets close by can help the people we serve as they begin their healing process. Residents in the shelter can keep pocket pets such as hamsters and gerbils in cages in their rooms, while dogs and cats have their own space that pet owners can access whenever they want to spend time with their pets.

The most important thing you can do is let your friend know you believe her or him and that you are there to listen and not judge. Never blame the victim or ask your friend why she/he hasn’t left yet. Do not try to make decisions for your friend or force her/him to take action. You can offer them the number for Shelter House’s 24/7 domestic violence hotline: 850-863-4777.

There are many reasons why domestic violence victims stay with their abusers. Some victims think the behavior will change. They might stay because they have children together. There is guilt over “failing” at the relationship and admitting it to friends and family. Many victims do not have the financial means to support themselves and their children. Fear of retaliation is also a very real concern. Leaving an abusive relationship is often the most dangerous time for victims. That is why we encourage victims to talk to an advocate and develop a safety plan if they are thinking about leaving.

Domestic violence happens everywhere. In a single year, Shelter House provides emergency shelter to more than 220 adults and children, houses more than 45 women and children in transitional housing apartments and provided services to nearly 400 adults and children through outreach. And there are so many more right here in our community who have not yet reached out to us.