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Date: Wednesday, Feb. 21, 1996 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Michael Kharfen (202) 401-9215
President Clinton today announced a new, nationwide, 24-hour toll-free domestic violence hotline. The voice number is 1-800-799-SAFE, and the TDD number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-787-3224.
The hotline will provide immediate crisis intervention assistance to those in need. Callers can receive counseling and be connected directly to help in their communities, including emergency services and shelters. Also, operators can offer information and referrals, counseling and assistance in reporting abuse to survivors of domestic violence, family members, neighbors, and the general public. Help is available to callers in Spanish and to other non-English speakers and the hearing impaired.
"The Clinton Administration is working to create a seamless system, so that no woman suffering from domestic violence falls through the cracks," said HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala. "Now, with this national hotline, every woman will have access to the help she needs, wherever and whenever she needs it."
Violence against women is an urgent criminal and public health problem with devastating consequences for women, children, and families. According to the Department of Justice, 29 percent of violence against women by a single offender is committed by an intimate -- a husband, ex-husband, boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend.
Funded under the Violence Against Women Act within the 1994 Crime Bill, the hotline will operate throughout the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The Texas Council on Family Violence in Austin, a leader and vital support to families in crisis for over 17 years, will staff and operate the hotline. The hotline is funded by three HHS agencies: Administration for Children and Families, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.