MSU's domestic violence program expands through new grant

<p><a href="https://safeplace.msu.edu">MSU Safe Place</a> provides advocacy, shelter, counseling, support groups, safety planning, information, and referrals to survivors of violence and their minor children. All support services are free and confidential. Additionally, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MSUSafePlace">MSU Safe Place</a> works to increase awareness about relationship violence and stalking through community education and outreach efforts.</p><p>Annually, the program shelters, approximately 35 to 50 adults and children and provides counseling and advocacy services to many more students, staff, and faculty who experience relationship violence and stalking. <a href="https://twitter.com/MSUSafePlace">Michigan State University Safe Place</a> was recently awarded additional federal funding under the Victims of Crime Act to expand its staff and services for MSU students, employees, community members and their families.</p><p>The grant is for just over $250,000 over one year and has allowed Safe Place to hire three new full-time staff - a full-time counselor, an additional advocate, and a full-time volunteer coordinator. Former MSU first lady Joanne McPherson saw a need for this first-of-its-kind university-based domestic violence shelter and support facility in 1994. More than two decades later, Safe Place will have a greater impact on the community through this grant. </p><p>“We have been providing stalking and domestic violence support on campus since 1994 with between three and four full time staff,” says Erica Schmittdiel, a licensed master social worker and MSU Safe Place advocacy coordinator. “We've been happy to be able to provide that support, but there is a lot of need out there unfortunately. On a campus of this size, we do see a lot of stalking and relationship violence. So having three additional staff will help us to increase our outreach so that more individuals who work or go to school here at MSU are aware of our services. That's been a barrier that we've had with being a smaller s