Annual service numbers: Contacts to Haven’s support line reach record highs

Contacts to Haven’s support line – calls, texts, and webchats – reached record highs this past year, surpassing even the number of contacts Haven answered during the pandemic. 

Survivors sent Haven 148 percent more texts and webchats than the year before; survivor calls to our 24-hour support line were up 57 percent.

Haven’s annual service numbers, released every August at the end of our July-to-July fiscal year, also show more survivors using the broader range of support available to them as they decide what comes next.

More survivors accessed free counseling this past year, and in particular Haven’s weekly support group. 

In recent months, we’ve seen significantly more Haven participants exit our emergency shelter into permanent, stable housing, thanks to referrals into local partner-run programs. (Learn more here about the results of the Regional Housing Coalition’s work together in Bozeman, and about Haven’s role.) 

And we’re working with survivors in our Supportive Transitions program, where they have up to 18 months to find work, get on lists for local housing, save up for expensive deposits, and stabilize their lives for what comes next. 

We can’t know exactly what’s driving the increase in contacts. More ways to reach Haven — including text and webchat — have made it easier for survivors to connect with an advocate. At the same time, local crime data suggests that domestic violence itself is increasing in Gallatin County. Gallatin County’s rate of domestic violence-related crimes has risen 43 percent over the past decade, even after accounting for population growth. 

Whatever is behind the increase, more survivors are reaching Haven — and they’re finding more options when they do. 

With more survivors reaching Haven than ever before, your support means they can talk with an advocate, explore their options, and find the kind of support that works for them. Thank you for being part of our work.