When domestic violence happens in the Virgin Islands, the whole family often
faces a host of challenges: The victim may struggle to navigate the legal system or to find a safe place to stay, while the perpetrator may need psychological or substance-abuse treatment. Other family members might also need counselling.
Though this situation is unfortunate, at least residents can rely on Family Support Network to provide — or point to — such services, the non-profit organisation’s two staffers say.
What started out as a few individuals working from a church in 1989 has grown over the years into an agency that provides counselling, financial assistance, legal aid, education and outreach in its mission to eradicate domestic violence in the territory.
The major hurdle, says FSN director and counsellor Chonda Jeffers, is having such a small staff.
See the April 26, 2012 edition for full coverage.