New Safe House support group for grandparents

A new support group for grandparents raising children affected by domestic violence is being offered by the Safe House for Women, Safe House executive director Jessica Hill said.

�We had some existing clients who had reached out for family support, and we realized we had a growing number of people in our community who had found themselves in this situation,� Hill said. �We thought the specialized situation they�re in might benefit from having a group geared toward their needs.�

Licensed counselor Mary Ann Robertson will facilitate the group, and, she said, the need is definitely there.

Robertson said grandparents often are in a difficult position if their child is involved in a domestic violence situation.

Navigating the system can be difficult, especially if grandparents don�t have legal standing, she said.

�The group is for any grandparents struggling because they don�t get to see their grandkids regularly, because of an abusive situation,� Robertson said, and abuse can take a lot of different forms.

The abuser might be isolating the child and grandchildren from the grandparents, she said, or might be controlling the finances to the detriment of the victims.

Giving people support in difficult situations is important, Robertson said, because the physical, emotional and financial strain will all take a toll.

And if people aren�t native to the area, they might lack a support network, she added.

Topics generally will be driven by what the group members need, Robertson said, including how to navigate investigations by the Department of Family Services or understanding legal terms and situations.

The group will meet at noon Thursdays, and anyone interested in the group may call (573) 335-7745 for more information or to sign up.

For security reasons, the meeting location is not disclosed to non-participants, Hill said.

Other support groups offered by the Safe House include a group for male survivors of domestic violence, and groups for residential and nonresidential clients.

All Safe House support group meetings are free and confidential, Hill added.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630