Hotline statistics

The City of Chicago Domestic Violence Help Line functions as a clearinghouse for all domestic violence services throughout the metropolitan area. The Help Line operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, is toll-free, confidential and multi-lingual. Calls are answered by multi-lingual and multi-cultural Victim Information and Referral Advocates. Bilingual English/Spanish speaking advocates are scheduled for every shift. Access to the Language Line is also available for an additional 140 languages. A text telephone (TTY) is always available for hearing and speech impaired callers.

Victim Information and Referral Advocates (VIRAs) provide general information on domestic violence and identify options available to callers. During the course of the call VIRAs collect general descriptive information. Based on the callers needs, a direct three way telephone linkage or referral is made between the caller and appropriate community based service resource.

Study shows Help Line is effective in meeting the needs of diverse victims

Loyola University Chicago's Center for Urban Research and Learning (CURL) announced the results of its two-year evaluation on the Mayor's Office on Domestic Violence (MODV) Help Line on March 20, 2006 at a forum held on Loyola's Water Tower Campus.

The study titled, "From the Perspective of Diverse Users: An Evaluation of the City of Chicago Domestic Violence Help Line," was commissioned by MODV and examined user's perceptions of the Help Line, while assessing the effectiveness of operations in meeting the needs of diverse victims of domestic violence.

After reviewing a broad range of key Help Line users, CURL found that frequent users, including domestic violence victims, service providers, police officers and community residents, gave a very positive assessment of the Help Line. Victims consistently rated the overall usefulness of the Help Line highly, with 92% saying they would refer someone else to the resource.

Other key results from the study include:

Help Line coordination improved access to services for victims – Three-quarters of the police officers and 83% of the providers who had worked with domestic violence victims prior to the inception of the Help Line found it easier to give a referral to a domestic violence victim now than before Help Line.
Help Line increased victims' knowledge and helped them strategize and take action – Two-thirds of the victims reported increased knowledge and awareness, which included strategizing about how to take action and be safer and nearly 40% reported taking immediate action to address their situation.
Information on the Help Line is readily available – Eighty-two percent of community residents at DAC meetings reported seeing leaflets and billboards on domestic violence displayed and nearly three-quarters were aware of where to go to receive domestic violence services.
Challenges still remain on the horizon – Not unexpectedly, several challenges were identified in the domestic violence service provision system beyond the functions of the Help Line. Key challenges include:
1. when a domestic violence service exists, but cannot always meet demand;
2. when a service offered doesn't fit the particular needs of the victim;
3. when no services are available.

"Domestic violence has been and continues to be a growing problem in today's society," said Christine George, senior research fellow, CURL. "Those being battered and abused need a place to turn to when they are in need of help, and fortunately this study found that Chicago's Domestic Violence Help Line is providing these victims with an effective method that links them with local services that can help."

Beginning in 2004, the Mayor’s Office on Domestic Violence in collaboration with the Center for Urban Research and Learning at Loyola University conducted a two-year evaluation of the City of Chicago Domestic Violence Help Line. The evaluation was funded by the National Institute of Justice. The findings of the study were presented at a public forum that was held on March 20, 2006 at Loyola University. Many of our Network member programs graciously agreed to participate in the evaluation by sharing their experiences of the Help Line with the evaluators.

The three primary goals of the evaluation were to:

1. Assess the effectiveness of the Help Line’s operation in serving domestic violence victims from Chicago’s diverse populations;

2. Learn about the differing needs of diverse populations and their experiences utilizing the information, referrals, and linkages; and

3. Provide information to other municipalities interested in establishing such public-private programs, collaborations, and policies.

Interviews and surveys were conducted with multiple users of the Help Line to assess its usefulness.

Focus groups were conducted with the Help Line call takers, Victim Information and Referral Advocates (VIRA).
A survey was completed with 1,200 Chicago Police Department Patrol Officers.
A telephone interview was completed with 74 staff at Domestic Violence Service Provider Agencies.
A survey was completed with 357 members of the Police District Advisory Committees (DAC).
A telephone interview was completed with 399 domestic violence victim callers to the Help Line.

A variety of questions were developed to solicit information about any experiences with the Help Line, their overall assessment of the Help Line, assessment of specific features of the Help Line and assessment of referral process since the inception of the Help Line.

Overall, all users of the Help Line highly rated the usefulness of the Help Line. Additionally, victims and DAC members would refer others they knew who were experiencing domestic violence to the Help Line.
The confidentiality provided by the Help Line is highly valued by victims.
Victims and DAC did not think the Help Line is widely advertised.
The availability of a single phone number is highly valued by providers and the police. Additionally, providers highly value the translation services.
One third of victims said that they were hesitant prior to their call to the Help Line because they did not know what to expect, were afraid, embarrassed, didn’t want to be labeled a victim or didn’t know if what they experienced was domestic violence.

Victims received a variety of information, referrals and telephone links to domestic violence service providers. Victims were affected by the information in a variety of ways:

Most of the victims received the information or referrals that they were seeking and most attempted to contact the service provider they were referred to for services.
Most victims received increased knowledge or awareness from their call to the Help Line, commenting, “I now know what my options are”.
The Help Line affected just over half of victims emotionally. For example, the victim reported feeling better about themselves.
About one third reported additional action as a result of the Help Line call. For example, “I wanted an Order of Protection so I went and got it.”

A key feature of the success of the Help Line model and highly valued by domestic violence victims is their interaction with the VIRA. Three themes are identified in the victims’ comments of the importance of the VIRA interaction.

Strong Personal Connection. The VIRA is not an impersonal resource but an advocate, friend, ally and confidante.
Comfort and Support. Victims received and felt comfortable and supported by the VIRA.
Strategizing. The VIRA is a source of knowledge, helping the victim identify a plan.

The Help Line is built upon three components. This evaluation provides evidence of the existence and usefulness of each of those components.

1. Streamlined System

Providers and Police who had experience navigating the array of domestic violence service providers prior to the inception of the Help Line reported and improvement in the ease of making referrals with the Help Line.

The availability of a single phone number, staffed around the clock providing access to information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week is highly valued.

2. Empowerment Based

The victim’s interaction with the VIRA provided the victim with a strong sense of a personal connection, comfort and support and a strategizing function.

3. Outreach Model

Many of the victims learned about the Help Line from advertising and other community members.

Many of the DAC members were aware of the Help Line and how to access the Help Line.

In brief, the findings of this evaluation all point to the effectiveness of the Help Line is meeting the needs of diverse victims and as a model of service delivery, specifically, in providing the Help Line referral and linkage service as intended.

The full evaluation can be viewed at www.cityofchicago.org/domesticviolence.

Mayor Richard M. Daley created his Office on Domestic Violence in 1997 to ensure a coordinated and comprehensive community response to domestic violence. In 1998, MODV launched the Domestic Violence Help Line, a 24-hour toll free, confidential, multi-lingual telephone service that operates as a clearinghouse to domestic violence services in Chicago. For more information on the Mayor's Office on Domestic Violence, call (312) 747-9972 or visit www.cityofchicago.org/domesticviolence.