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MCEDSV

A Message From The Survivor Law Clinic

Greetings,

We want to share the best wishes of all of us at the Survivor Law Clinic and the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic & Sexual Violence.  The world feels a bit turned upside down for many of us right now, and we wanted to assure you that our team has mobilized to work remotely so that we are able to continue serving you. We can’t imagine all of the different stressors that you may be facing right now, but we would like to try to be part of any solutions that may help.

Are my lawyer and trauma advocates still available to me?

Yes. Please continue to communicate with us, and if you receive any legal notice, please contact us:

  • Elinor Jordan, Attorney and Senior Program Manager (517-898-5907)
  • Brittni Kellom, Trauma Advocate (517-643-1344)
  • Heath Lowry, Staff Attorney (517-281-0824)
  • Ray Kort, Staff Attorney (517-281-0454)

Like many of you, Clinic staff may be juggling family care and other pressing needs, so please allow 24 hours for staff to respond to you, and if there is something urgent, please be sure to call or text a second staff member to ensure that we are alerted as soon as possible.  Please contact Elinor Jordan if you have any concerns. If you would like support outside of business hours, then please contact our hotline at 855-864-2374

What is happening in my case?

Many courts limiting their operations, which may stretch out the already long processes you are facing.  Cases where the offender is incarcerated are likely to continue, but those cases where the offender is not incarcerated will likely be paused for some time.  We are prepared to work with you to try to make sure that your voice is heard around any decisions that will delay the process further, and to let you know some of the possible impacts as they apply to your specific case. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about how we expect the social isolation process to impact your case.  We will be sure to alert you about changes that we hear about in your case scheduling as soon as we learn about them.  Agencies and schools are also going to be delayed in reaching decisions, so feel free to connect with us to try to assess what that will mean for your needs.

What should I do if I feel unsafe?

We all know that the systems designed to respond in unsafe situations are stretched thinly right now, with many virus-associated tasks to perform.  We are still able to support you if a personal protection order would enhance your safety, and to strategize with you around other ways to be safe.  If you feel like you are in immediate danger, please continue to use 9-1-1. If you would like support outside of business hours, then please contact our hotline at 855-864-2374

Are shelters still available if I am unsafe in my home?

Yes. If you are not safe where you are staying, most shelters are still operating.  Please call our hotline if you need information about what shelters may be available to you: 855-864-2374.  This is also a 24-7 resource if you need added supports locating food, transportation, or other services.

What may be helpful to cope with the anxiety this situation is causing?

It is perfectly normal to experience added anxiety to an already challenging journey during this time. Different tactics will work for different people to help them through times like this. While Brittni is available to work with you to come up with a personalized plan, we wanted to share a few fun and relevant activities that you can integrate into your life fairly easily:

One of the best things we can do is to “belly breathe” Elmo can help with that :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mZbzDOpylA

We all know it is incredibly important to wash our hands, so here is a meditation that can help you make use of that time to bring peace into your handwashing routine:

https://scrubsmag.com/hand-washing-meditation/

Here are some tips from the Centers for Disease Control:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/managing-stress-anxiety.html

It can also be calming to “get out” any way that you can. Simply stepping outside and observing nature in any way it is accessible will likely be calming for many people, if that is a safe option.  If you cannot actually “get out” perhaps one of these links with virtual opportunities to attend concerts or visit zoos will be calming:

Concerts available virtually: https://www.npr.org/2020/03/17/816504058/a-list-of-live-virtual-concerts-to-watch-during-the-coronavirus-shutdown

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/us/coronavirus-zoos-webcams.html

Please do what is best for you, and know that we are continuing with you on this journey. As always, we are grateful for the privilege to serve you.

Wishing you peace,

The Survivor Law Clinic Team