Macon Magazine

I S THERE SUCH A THING as "loving too much?" Yes. Definitely yes. Crisis Line & Safe House of Central Georgia (CL-SH) sees proof every day and has since 1978 when it opened its doors, merging with the Salvation Army Safe House in 2005. Solicitor-General Rebecca Grist is a Crisis Line founder and board member whose office prosecutes all misdemeanor cases in Macon-Bibb County in State and Municipal Court — of which, nearly 1,000 annually are domestic violence. "When I started prosecuting domestic violence cases in 1997, there was no secretly located licensed shelter in Bibb or Houston counties. at was a travesty. Now, with the level of service CL-SH provides to victims, it's much easier to engage them in the court process and in their long-term recovery," Grist said. According to Executive Director DeAlvah "Dee" Simms, Crisis Line & Safe House provides a comprehensive array of essential services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. She calls CL-SH a one-stop shop — her vision since taking the reins in 2009. e need is proven. In 2019 alone, the Crisis Line hotline fielded 2,207 calls — an average of 183 calls a month, more than 42 a week and 6 a day — a 3.2 percent increase over 2018, with projections higher for 2020 given the continuing fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Pandemic aside, the shelter typically operates at 85 percent to 90 percent of capacity. More than 56 percent of hotline calls are for domestic violence, increasingly called "intimate partner violence," a broader definition more precisely capturing contemporary realities. Today, many intimate couples aren't married, don't live together or have a formal or ongoing relationship. By law, an intimate partner is a spouse or former spouse; a person who shares a child with the victim; or a person who cohabits, or has cohabited, with the victim. Crisis Line's staff prides itself on helping victims reclaim their lives. "We help women heal from trauma and gain the confidence and skills to function independently, which takes time," Simms said. "Until then, our advocates can speak for victims during the recovery process, and if needed, our in-house attorneys ensure they have a voice in court." DECEMBER/JANUARY 2021 | maconmagazine.com 33

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