OUR MISSION
Our mission is to provide emergency shelter and supportive services to victims of domestic violence. Domestic violence victims are frightened for themselves and their children. It is often difficult for them to leave or stay and maintain safety for many reasons including that they are often blamed for their own victimization. It is vital to the safety of our community that victims are provided effective services and those who use harm in relationships are held accountable.
Domestic violence is a societal problem that results in disruption and trauma in the lives of individual victims. Our vision is a community where families are safe in their own home. We seek to create a safer community through quality services.
We know that our clients deserve adequate housing, resources, other supports and information to choose healthy and safe alternatives and reduce the violence in their lives. We believe collaborating with others in the community will provide the strongest trauma-informed services to our clients Our work is focused on achieving racial equity, gender equality, and welcome for all members of our community.
Our vision, simply put, is: Safe and peaceful families, safe and peaceful communities.
About Us
We provide a full range of services for victims of domestic violence. If you need help, or someone you know needs help, please call us. We have staff on site twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.
We were founded in 1976 and opened the doors of the shelter in 1978. We have an experienced, committed and empathetic staff. All staff have an initial forty hours of training and years of additional experience and on-going training on domestic violence, Most of the direct service staff have been certified as Domestic Violence Professionals.
Every family has different needs based on their experiences of trauma, their resources and how long they were trapped by abuse. Every time we meet with a victim of domestic violence, we start with a blank slate and build supports and services around the needs of the victim and their family. We help them problem-solve, get needed services from Oasis and other agencies, and address the barriers that kept them trapped in an abusive relationship. With this help, victims are able to reduce the violence in their lives and/or establish peaceful homes.
Contact Us
Help is available 24/7. All services are free of charge & completely confidential.
Counseling for Adults & Children
We are committed to breaking the cycle of abuse.
At Oasis Women’s Center, we understand the trauma that is experienced by individuals and families who are not safe in their own homes. Although being a victim of domestic violence is in no way a mental illness, still this kind of intimate trauma leaves many difficult and complicated issues in its wake. Symptoms range from restlessness and difficulty focusing all the way up to suicidal thoughts. We assist victims in putting their experiences into a healthier context, supporting their positive steps toward recovery, and finding the support they need to live lives free from violence. We have individual domestic violence counseling for adults and children and more intensive therapy for adults and children.
Illinois Domestic Violence Act Advocacy
Together we make all the difference
Domestic violence creates complicated issues of safety, housing, and custody. Sometimes these issues can only be resolved safely through the court system. We have advocates available to assist with Orders of Protection for the counties of Madison, Macoupin, Jersey, Calhoun and Southern Greene counties. We are available any time to assist with Orders of Protection, and explaining your rights as a victim of a crime. If you need an order from the court to be safe, please call us for help. We will help you get an Order of Protection.
EMERGENCY SHELTER
We are committed to breaking the cycle of abuse.
For some families, there is just no safe place to go when they flee domestic violence. We operate an emergency, short term shelter for families who are not safe to stay at home. Emergency shelter can be for a night or two if the person who hurt you is arrested and you are able to secure possession of your home, and longer for families who have to start over with new housing. We offer a full range of supportive services at the shelter including help with employment, housing search, and advocacy.
