Services & Support
Staff provide services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to survivors of domestic violence, intimate partner violence, child abuse, and sexual violence. Embrace is also a resource for survivors’ families, friends and partners who want to learn more about providing support.
You have a right to an interpreter at no cost to you! Interpreters are available 24/7 for all Embrace advocacy services.
Personal Advocacy & Crisis Counseling
Staff provide advocacy and counseling services that empower survivors with information and options to reduce barriers to safety, make informed decisions, and identify and meet their own goals. Embrace creates a safe place where survivors can feel, share, and be heard without being judged. Services are tailored to each person promoting self-awareness and an understanding of the impact of trauma. Transportation and childcare assistance may be available for survivors receiving services.
24-Hour Helpline
Embrace’s helpline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. You can call or text 715-532-6976 for free and confidential support. If you would like to remain anonymous, you do not have to give your name. We are here to listen, provide emotional support, talk about your options, and let you know about the resources available to you. We can also provide confidential support via Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat.
Legal Advocacy & Accompaniment
Assistance filing restraining orders, preparation for court hearings and support during the hearing are some of the legal advocacy services provided to support victims of violence. Embrace also provides 24 hour accompaniment advocacy to law enforcement and prosecution interviews, child forensic interviews, and we work with you to help you understand your rights when navigating the civil and criminal court systems. You can go to Embrace’s On-Call Victim Advocates web page to learn how to request an in-person advocate to respond to you no matter what time it is.
Family Court (Divorce, Custody, Placement): If you are filing a divorce as a result of domestic or sexual violence, advocates can provide access to a printer and fax forms. You can visit Embrace’s Fact Sheet web page to learn more about child custody and placement.
Courtroom Support: Advocates can explain the legal process and what to expect at court proceedings. An advocate can attend proceedings to serve as a barrier between you and the abusive partner and can act as your service representative during court proceedings. A service representative is an advocate who is allowed to accompany a victim during court proceedings. Embrace advocates are not attorneys and therefore cannot offer any direct legal advice or representation.
Restraining Orders: An advocate can provide a basic overview of the steps to file a petition for a temporary restraining order, and can also prepare you for what to expect in court. Upon your request, an advocate can accompany you to court proceedings and act as your service representative. You can visit Embrace’s Fact Sheet web page to learn more about how to file a restraining order.
Crime Victims’ Compensation: An advocate can offer information and applications for Wisconsin’s program to assist victims with certain crime-related expenses.
No Contact and Restraining Order Dropping Course: If you want to drop a No Contact Order or a Restraining Order between you and another person, an advocate can help you understand your rights and how dropping an order will affect you, plan for your safety, and file the required paperwork with the court.
Legal Assistance to Victims Program: An advocate can do an initial screening and refer you to Indianhead Community Action Agency’s LAV Program for free legal representation.
Judicare: Judicare is Wisconsin’s low-income legal assistance program which can provide legal representation for eligible residents. Applications for Judicare assistance are available here or from an Embrace advocate. If you qualify for assistance, Embrace can provide you with a list of attorneys who accept Judicare. If you do not qualify, an advocate can help you search for lawyers in your area.
*Embrace advocates are not attorneys and therefore cannot offer any direct legal advice or representation.
24/7 Medical Advocacy & Accompaniment
Advocates are available to accompany survivors in the healthcare setting and give 24-hour support through a medical exam after an incident. Advocates are there for emotional support and non-judgmental options counseling that help to protect a survivor’s legal rights and safety. You can go to Embrace’s On-Call Victim Advocates web page to learn how to request an in-person advocate to respond to you no matter what time it is.
Community Referrals & Systems Advocacy
Embrace offers up-to-date information on services provided by other agencies. Staff advocate with local agencies to ensure a survivor’s voice and needs are heard. Embrace coordinates county-specific collaborative response groups, offers education, and encourages partnering agencies to take a trauma-informed approach that centers survivors who have experienced the greatest rates of harm. Staff engage our community members and advocate that the harm a survivor experienced be repaired to the greatest extent possible. Embrace seeks to change what an institution and communities do that worsens or fails to improve the situation survivors face.
Support Groups
Embrace advocates facilitate regular interactive meetings and events for survivors who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence. These meetings help survivors realize they are not alone and offer an encouraging and non-judgmental environment to build connections to support healing. Family, friends, partners and other support people are welcome to attend too. The groups are completely confidential, respectful, and supportive community for all survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
Support Groups include Yoga in the Park during the summer and Seeking Safety, an evidence-based program held individually or in groups to help people understand and heal from co-occurring trauma and substance abuse. Groups are also available with survivors in local jails.
Community Outreach & Prevention Education
Embrace staff are available to present on a wide range of topics related to domestic and sexual violence to businesses, organizations, school classes, and other community groups.
Prevention Education – training for preschool, grades K – 12, and college students offered at a developmentally appropriate level
Community Awareness – information tabling and outreach activities at community events
In-Service Training – training for professionals, community agencies, faith groups, and other community groups on responding to survivors and connecting them to resources
Youth Programming
Tailored safety planning, crisis counseling, and prevention education are available to all youth impacted by domestic or sexual violence. Embrace also offers Connected Kids, a violence prevention and resiliency building program to help strengthen and support families by promoting healthy parent-child interactions.
On-site Counseling – advocacy-based counseling, emotional support, and education on resources and options for students in local schools.
Student Groups are available in local schools focused on healthy relationships, self-esteem, positive coping mechanisms, and effective communication.
Safe Shelter
Safe housing and individualized case management services are available. The emergency shelter located on Lindoo Avenue in Ladysmith has a separate room and bathroom that gives survivors, regardless of their gender identity, the space and time they need to heal. Shelter space is accessible for people with disabilities and is pet friendly. Weekly support groups are available for shelter.
