THE NEW YEAR WILL SEE The Cocoon continue with advances it made in 2023 in providing support to the survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse—and their children. Those advances go beyond its base in Bowling Green, and it is hoped to stem the tide of such abuse in the future.
Robin Guidera, The Cocoon’s director of development and communications, said the nonprofit in 2022 served 863 such survivors and their children. The final numbers for 2023 were not yet available, “but we were on track to serve more,” she said. “We have not seen a decrease in outreach for services over the last three years. With the holidays we used to see a little bit of a dip, but we really haven’t seen that since COVID. It’s been a steady stream of requests for services.”
She added, “We’ve seen an increase in the number of children who’ve been entering our shelter facility with a parent or guardian. Some were born while mom was staying in our shelter.” Guidera said The Cocoon accommodates children up to 18 with their parent or guardian. “The age range is all over the spectrum,” she said.
The Cocoon operates like this: Anyone who feels the need to escape an abusive relationship is to first phone the nonprofit at its 24/7 number: 419-373-1730, option number 2.
After an initial conversation and needs assessment, the caller can be put in touch with an advocate, who will start safety and goal planning with the caller, Guidera said.
“The steps would be their coming into our shelter, or if they have the means to get to an alternate place on their own, to be assigned one of our advocates who will provide as much or as little support as they need, when and how they need it,” she said.
“We can provide services as short or as long as the survivor needs the support,” Guidera said. “While we are not attorneys or psychologists, we provide the day-to-day support services and connections to the services that they need such as legal representation and mental health services to better ensure their longterm success.”
She added that The Cocoon is in a partnership with two different mental-healthcare organizations, one for children and the other for adults, and can provide services on site for those living in their shelter facility.
The Cocoon made positive strides in support last year, she said. “Our housing program took off,” she said happily. “We have an advocate dedicated to creating relationships with landlords and other providers for housing outside of our shelter. This has speeded up the process and helped ensure that survivors are obtaining safe and habitable living arrangements for themselves and their children.”
The nonprofit in 2023 also added a youth advocate “responsible for working with kids who either experience violence or witness violence. It’s a direct support system for the kids,” Guidera said. The advocate “plans activities so the kids can be kids and hopefully forget about what’s at home for at least a little while. There are one-on-one sessions. And the youth advocate works with the parent or guardian’s advocate to create a healing plan for the family as a whole.”
The youth advocate also builds relationships with local school officials. Guidera said sometimes traumatized children act out in school as they work through their trauma and those behaviors can be misunderstood. “The youth advocate works with school staff to understand their behaviors and work hand in hand with the school to help these kids be successful in school,” she said.
Another positive advance in 2023 will be launched this year. Last year The Cocoon received funding from a private donor for an in-house medical program. “I’m not aware of any other such facility that has this,” Guidera said.
Starting this year, there will be a physician dedicated to helping The Cocoon’s survivors “with medical services at no cost.” The services will include options for telehealth and non-emergency care services, and physicals for those who apply for jobs and for children who try out for their schools’ sports teams.
The hope is that when the survivors are no longer with The Cocoon, they can continue their relationship with the physician, who will provide care at a reduced cost. The physician also will have regular hours weekly at The Cocoon’s site.
Speaking of its site, that’s the focus of more good news for 2024. “We’re going to embark on the final part of the renovation of our building,” Guidera said. Construction is to begin February 1 and last for four to six months. Included will be the addition of private meeting spaces and updating of the entrance and restrooms to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
Guidera reflected on the nature of The Cocoon’s mission. “The need has continued to be strong. One thing we know, the number of instances of violence continues to be on the rise and the level of violence in those instances also continues to rise. There’s no way to pinpoint exactly why.”
She sees hope. “In 2023 we had some luck in getting into some school systems, talking with kids. We’re talking to kids at the junior high level and up about what healthy relationships look like and how to carry that through into their relationships.” The hope is that future generations will not revert to domestic violence or sexual abuse.
She concluded, “We would love to close our doors someday because domestic and sexual violence no longer exist.”
The Cocoon can be contacted at 419-373-1730 (option 2 connects with the 24-hour line) or thecocoon.org.
✲
