Sadly, nonprofit group sees greater need for services

Kimberley McGee

Friday, April 27, 2001 | 4:16 a.m.

When abuse enters a home, hope sometimes leaves.

SAFE House Inc. attempts to offer strength during the transition from victim to survivor.

The local nonprofit organization at 18 Sunset Drive, Suite G-70, in Henderson provides emergency shelter, services and support for victims of domestic violence who may feel they have run out of options.

Karen Marconi, executive director of SAFE House, said the organization provides 30 percent more services for families than last year.

The demand is here, she said, and the center is just keeping up.

"When women know resources are available, they call," Marconi said.

More than 3,000 locals turned to the organization for assistance last year.

SAFE House, an acronym for Stop Abuse in the Family Environment, has grown to include a host of services:

A 24-hour hotline for abuse counseling, (702) 564-3227.

An emergency domestic-violence shelter for women and their children.

Legal and medical referrals.

Substance abuse programs.

Counseling and advocacy service for families as well as convicted abusers.

"We try to be there for everyone," Marconi said.

That includes the person who is creating the pain.

"We are usually dealing with an abuser, someone with a problem," Marconi said. "It's not a problem in the family, it's a problem with the person who is exerting control in a violent way."

Signs that abuse could be at hand are the exhibition of obsessive behavior, stalking, minimizing contacts with friends and uncontrollable jealousy.

The center is cognizant that violence happens outside the home, and attempts to address that within the community. An educational campaign addressing violence in teen dating was launched by SAFE House in February.

"We were responding to information we had regarding instances of domestic violence with teenagers," Marconi said.

The center recently reported that by a teen girl's sophomore year of high school, 59 percent have experienced physical abuse, 28 percent are emotionally scarred from sexual abuse from a dating encounter and 40 percent admit to some form of emotional or physical abuse from a casual date.

The center canvassed the community with fliers for its hotline and talked to students at area high schools.

"They (teens) were well aware of it," Marconi said. "The real target age is middle school. There are many young children that are involved in these activities at a young age."

Pat Thacker, children's advocacy coordinator for Clark County Family and Youth Services, said the county provides grant funding to the shelter for a much-needed children's therapist.

"Through the shelter, education, counseling for battered women and their children, (SAFE House) has provided a lot of support to the community," Thacker said. "We need them."

One of the organization's newer programs is the Family to Family Connection. The Henderson SAFE House offers free support to mothers and fathers who aren't quite sure what to do with their new bundle of joy.

Jackie Hunsaker, a registered nurse at St. Rose Dominican Hospital, said she sees numerous new mothers during her maternity ward rounds. To ease their fears, Hunsaker informs them of services available, including SAFE House, where she is a volunteer.

"They usually come to us after about six weeks," Hunsaker said. "Then they just keep coming back."

Szilvia Balazs was told about SAFE House by Hunsaker in the hospital in May after the birth of her first child, Ayrton James Day.

When Balazs began breast-feeding her son, she had questions and some first-time difficulties common with new mothers.

Balazs came to SAFE House for advice and to use the extensive library of child-rearing books.

Now mother and son come every week.

"He can socialize with other kids his age and we can meet people," Balazs said. "It's a good support system."

Jon Zander and his wife, Katherine, also bring their 1-year-old daughter, Natassia, to the center.

"This is our first baby and neither one of us were experts," Zander said. "It's an excellent resource to tap into people who are going through the same thing."