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Services

Sojourn Shelter & Services — Domestic Violence Support in Central Illinois. We provide free and confidential emergency shelter, crisis counseling, legal advocacy, and community education for survivors of domestic violence in Sangamon, Christian, Logan, Menard and Montgomery counties.

24-hour Hotline

217-726-5200

With a team of compassionate professionals, we offer support and guidance to help individuals break free from abusive situations and rebuild their lives.

Our hotline provides crisis management, emergency shelter requests, referrals and information.

This hotline is always monitored by a staff member.

Emergency Shelter

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Safe haven for those in need.

Sojourn's shelter is a secure emergency shelter for adult and child survivors of domestic violence who are fleeing a violent situation. In addition to offering a healing environment to recover from trauma and address any obstacles to safety, we are a safe place to stay. We offer food, bedding, clothing and other essentials at no charge to clients.

If you are at risk of being homeless due to domestic violence, we assist in helping to find safe and affordable housing.

Individual counseling and educational group services are also provided.

Court Advocacy

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Guidance through court processes.

All services are free.

Our Court Advocates provide emotional and informational support for survivors of domestic violence as they engage in the civil or criminal court system to widen clients’ possible choices and provide the support necessary to promote safety. This allows each individual the right to determine the course of her or his own life.

These services include, but are not limited to, matters involving criminal charges against the batterer, matters involving criminal charges against the survivor, obtaining and enforcing personal orders of protection, pursuing divorce and child custody issues and other matters.

Court Advocates can assist with filing paperwork for protective orders, accompanying survivors to court proceedings and connecting survivors with other community resources.

Children's Program

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Safety and care for children.

Children’s individual counseling and educational group services are focused on violence prevention education, safety-planning and safe self-expression.

Parental support services are also provided to help parents understand the effects of domestic violence on their children.

Law Enforcement Follow-Up

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Complete support you can count on.

In conjunction with the Springfield Police Department and other local police departments, follow-up services are provided within 48 hours to survivors involved in a domestic violence incident where law enforcement is involved.

Non-residential Services

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Learning is a process.

Individual and group counseling services are provided to adult and child survivors of domestic violence in-person or by Zoom in Sangamon, Menard, Logan, Christian and Montgomery counties.

Even if you are not in shelter, these services are available at no charge.

Prevention and Education

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Resources for Teachers Seeking Healthy Relationship Speakers.

Spreading awareness, changing the future.

Sojourn provides comprehensive, trauma-informed domestic violence prevention education in Christian, Logan, Menard, Montgomery, and Sangamon counties in Illinois.

We're available for schools- from middle to junior high to high schoolers, our Healthy Relationships programs offer insight into what relationships should look like. The importance of knowing boundaries and who you are can play a vital role in setting the stage for good dating and relationship experiences.

We are also available for any organization, law-enforcement agency, office, civic group or school and we can present to any age group with appropriate materials. Education can create awareness of issues and how to confront violence and minimize it's impact on our communities.

Simply call to set a time and place and put us on your calendar!

DVCLP

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Help and advocacy for families.

The DVCLP is an innovative and collaborative program between Sojourn Shelter & Services and our central region DCFS.

This is the first and only of its kind in the area. The program began in 2019 in the Chicago area, and over the last year they saw a 34% decrease in children going into care where domestic violence was involved.

Our DVCLA (Domestic Violence Co-Located Advocate) can consult with DCFS on cases that involve domestic violence, work directly with the families experiencing domestic violence and link all members of the family to services.

Our DVCLA provides training, can attend court hearings, family team meetings, case review meetings, and provide ongoing support to families and DCFS. The objective of the DVCLA is to be the liaison between the surviving parent and DCFS and/or agencies, advocating for children to stay with their surviving parent with the ultimate goal of lessening the number of children going into foster care if at all possible.