Our History
Safe Passage was founded in 1981 as a grassroots organization run by volunteers who wanted to create a safe place in the community for victims of domestic violence. Over the years, Safe Passage has continued to grow and expand, adding services and programs to meet the needs of all survivors who come through our doors.
In the early 1990s, offender intervention programming was added to services provided at Safe Passage, ensuring that the agency was not only focused on supporting survivors but on ending abuse at its source. In 2003, services expanded even further as Safe Passage combined its domestic violence services with programming as a rape crisis center, expanding programming to meet the needs of survivors of sexual assault and abuse.
These growing partnerships and developments have allowed Safe Passage to provide the broad range of services needed to address and prevent abuse and violence in our county and beyond.
Our Mission
To promote the right of all to nonviolent and abuse-free relationships through advocacy, intervention and prevention in DeKalb County.
Our Agency
Safe Passage is DeKalb County’s only Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Crisis Center. The vision at Safe Passage is a world without violence where all are safe. Together, we believe that future is possible.
Our Services
Safe Passage serves all survivor of sexual assault and domestic violence – These services are completely free, confidential, no matter your age, gender, or when the abuse occurred.
Safe Passage Today
From the very first day of our grassroots, volunteer-led beginning, Safe Passage has been committed to the mission of supporting survivors and their loved ones while actively working to prevent future violence. We recognize the complex and interconnected needs of survivors and work to provide or connect survivors with the services they need. Our free and confidential services are available to all who need them, regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, or when the abuse occurred. Everyone deserves to be safe! We currently provide the following services:
- 24/7 Crisis intervention (call: 815-756-5228/text: 815-393-1995)
- Emergency shelter
- Long-term transitional housing
- Case management
- Counseling
- Domestic violence and sexual assault counseling
- Child, teen, and adult counseling
- Individual, group, or family counseling
- Counseling for loved ones of abuse victims
- Legal Advocacy
- 24/7 Medical Advocacy
- Community prevention education
- K-12 and university education
- Community group education
- Professional Training
- Offender Intervention Services
- Partner Abuse Intervention Program (PAIP)
- Enhanced Anger Management
We’re able to provide these services because we are supported by an incredible staff, hardworking volunteers and interns, a network of compassionate community nonprofits, and our generous community. Together, we can support survivors and create a world without violence or abuse.