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Legislative session is in full swing here in the Mountain State, and we are honored this month to bring you the story of Celena Roby Henry in celebration of her story of survival and the positive change she made for survivors in West Virginia. Public policy can often be confusing or even disheartening, and it can be daunting for both survivors and advocates to try and communicate needs to lawmakers. Join us as we talk to Celena about her journey of empowerment and what she sees as emerging needs for people experiencing domestic violence in our communities. Branches Domestic Violence Shelter h ..read more

Domestic Violence services are not often thought of in the realm of "homeless service providers," but it's actually one of the most important things we do, given fleeing abuse is federally-recognized as a leading cause for people to experience homelessness. In this episode, we're highlighting our place within the local homeless service collaborative, The Cabell-Wayne Continuum of Care, as we speak with Brittany Ochoa, the Executive Director of Harmony House and the C-W CoC. Join us as we talk barriers to services, the Housing First model, and how our work together strengthens the community. F ..read more

It's officially spooky season! Here at Branches, we're united in our love for Halloween but somewhat divided on how spooky culture makes us feel. For some, it's a wondrous, magical time of our favorite decorations and nostalgic movies, while, for others, it can be just one more way the world seems scary. What do you think? Join us for a conversation about how to prioritize self-care during spooky season, whether that's diving head first into the holiday or changing up your emotional safety plan for yourself and the survivors in your life. Available wherever you stream your podcasts or at branc ..read more

On a new episode of Root for Each Other, our advocates Sara and Emily are discussing the recent sentencing of convicted rapist, Danny Masterson, and the implications of both character reference letters of support submitted by famous friends of the actor and the powerful Victim Impact Statement read by his former partner at sentencing. As always, this is a difficult topic, so please take care of yourself as you listen and know that you can reach us for support 24/7 at 304.529.2382 and our local partner sexual assault agency, CONTACT Rape Crisis Center at 866.399.7273. Branches Domestic Violenc ..read more

Join us for a look back at our Summertime Advocate Roundtable about BOUNDARIES: What are they? Are they always healthy? Are they a mass conspiracy created by the Wellness Industrial Complex...?  Seriously, though, promoting healthy relationships is what we do best, besides, perhaps, having opinions. Check out our opinions on this topic and more on this episode of Root for Each Other: A Branches Podcast ..read more

Welcome back listeners! We're so honored to have our friend and colleague, Ripley Varela from the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence joining us for this episode to talk about the complex needs of non-cisgender survivors.   We cover everything from unique barriers they can face, to how trans-erasure can leave domestic violence victims without resources and services.  If you'd like to learn more about this topic, we're also offering a FREE virtual training coming up on June 28th at 10am, co-presented by Ripley and Branches advocate, Sara Blevins O'Toole.  Register ..read more

There's nothing our advocates love more than getting to sit behind this mic and share powerful stories from advocates doing incredible work across the state.  Don't miss our latest Root for Each Other episode, out later this week, featuring the incredible Ashley Williams from the Upper Ohio Valley Sexual Assault Help Center.  Ashley is both poignant and inspiring as she shares her experiences working with sexual assault victims and advocating for survivors of color.  We are so thankful for her taking the time to share with us, and the opportunity to share the episode with you ..read more

In this episode, advocates, Shannon and Sara sit down with advocate, Christina Meade from Contact Rape Crisis Center to discuss the parallel between domestic violence services and sexual assault services.   In this episode, we found out that services can look very different---but still,  it is clear that the experience of trauma informs all of the work that we do.   ..read more

Advocates, Shannon & Sara, have an in depth conversation with the Cabell County Quick Response Team (QRT) about the intersections of domestic violence and substance use disorder. The QRT has been a revolutionary evidence-based strategy for combatting substance use disorder in the Cabell County community--we take a few moments to talk about what really makes a difference in affecting healing and how our two fields overlap. This episode is part of a unique collection of VAWA supported content.   ..read more