History

In 1994 a group of concerned citizens in Davis County, UT took action to address the disturbing trend of violence against women they’d noticed in their community. They formed the Davis Citizens’ Coalition Against Violence and the grassroots movement became a 501(c)3 organization and raised the funds to build the Domestic Violence Shelter in Davis County now known as Safe Harbor Crisis Center.

Safe Harbor Crisis Center opened its doors in 1997 and served more than 300 adults and children in the first year of operation.

Since its inception, Safe Harbor has become a beacon in the community to families in crisis. Services have expanded from providing emergency shelter for domestic violence survivors to include safe housing, outreach, sexual assault services, protective order assistance, and many other essential services to help survivors achieve a life free of violence.

Safe Harbor Crisis Center is the first and ONLY domestic violence and rape crisis center in Davis County, UT. Safe Harbor’s services are provided by a trained professional staff, both paid and volunteer, many of whom are licensed social workers and bilingual. All services are free and confidential.

1997

Safe Harbor’s emergency shelter opens and serves 300 adults and children in the first year.

2001

$300,000 shelter expansion.

2002

Outreach Program launches to provide safety planning, advocacy, education, connection to resources, and support groups while survivors remain in the community.

2003

$1.3 million Transitional Housing facility undertaken, which offers subsidized housing for 24-months with intensive supportive services. In 2016, Safe Harbor received Office on Violence Against Women funding to continue this program.

2003

Sexual Assault and Rape Crisis Program, which created the Davis County Sexual Assault Response Team to coordinate interdisciplinary response to sexual assault and rape in the community.

2003

Children’s Advocates join the team to provide play therapy, parenting classes, assessment, and children’s psychoeducational classes to overcome the trauma of violence.

2005

Initiated our Diversity Program, which offers bilingual, culturally competent services to underserved multicultural individuals experiencing domestic violence. In 2016, we expanded this program to include an additional full-time staff member.

2006

Safe Harbor became home to the Protective Order program offering adult and child protective orders and stalking injunctions. This program was expanded in 2016 to employ two full time Protective Order advocates.

2011

Safe Harbor and Woods Cross Police Department partnered to implement the Lethality Assessment Protocol (LAP), an evidence-based assessment protocol proven to save lives, improve prosecution rates and decrease domestic violence related homicides in over 30 states. In 2014, Safe Harbor served as one of the four pilot sites for broader implementation of the Lethality Assessment Protocol with three police departments. As of 2018, twelve law enforcement partners are involved.

2014

Initiated Economic Empowerment services.

2014

Began Prevention Education services to raise awareness and effect primary prevention activities. Through the efforts in this program a community prevention coalition, Community Allied Resources to End Sexual Violence (CARES) Coalition, launched in 2015. In 2016, this program expanded to incorporate primary domestic violence prevention activities.

2016

Initiated a therapy program providing trauma-informed mental health services.

2017

Opened first Outreach Center in Davis County; revamped program model to services approach to increase trauma-informed care.

2018

Launched the Davis Forensic Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner’s Program.