If you need their services, do NOT be afraid. The people who work there are compassionate, knowledgeable, and extremely caring.

My interactions with the staff were disheartening. I've walked away for the second time in 3 years feeling less confident on my long term outcome, rather than empowered and hopeful. I will most likely go for counseling elsewhere as I did the first time. Please consider our other local organizations before resigning to being made to feel this is your only option. Advice given was triggering, contradictory & borderline insulting. I am upset to say the least.

I'm going to say I noticed negative reviews are by men and no woman is speaking for herself on experience of long term use of this organization. I am going to explain my experience now that I have healed enough to know their advice is manipulation into making you feel you can trust them yet keep a cycle of abuse. I got married in 2004 yet dated my abuser for longer. In fact , years later without the help of this group, I saw that my abuser had been grooming and stalking since I was in High School. He was a military recruiter in Central high now known as Erie high. I was blind and already raised in a heavy abusive house hold so one can say I was prepped for this. To sum up a very long story, on the worst night of my life I was hurt badly to the point of being in the er. Police laughed and called it a rough fun night so nothihg happened due to the fact we were married. It was hardly that. I called safe net in tears. They sounded kind and let me in. I spoke to counselors and was warned how dangerous my spouse was. YES I knew that. So they suggested I leave. Sadly they failed to let me kmow of any programs, that there was a shelter. It lead me to issues and being young with no support system from isolation, of course I moved out and was doomed to fail. Safe net told me to file for divorce...seems my ex also filed for divorce and I asked the safe net lawyer if I can read it. She told me it was not necessary as the divorce filing is the same terms be it me or him. To just sign. I trusted her. They are safe net after all ..right? WRONG. It seems his divorce papers had clauses in which I lose my things to him and all my assets. It also had a clause stating I couldn't move if it caused him an inconvenience. This means even if i moved down the road!!! He could file a complaint. I thought this organization was to help us. Not trap. Flag warning 2. I joined the support group. I shall not name names but these ladies all had been abused and the message was pretty much ...we are all still trapped with our abusers but let's have fun and accept this! Let's poke the bull! I wondered why am I the only one sane here. Why are you ladies telling me if he takes my children I will learn to be ok with this 10 years later. Well guess what...it's 2023...since 2008 and I'm still worried for my children's lives and hate safe net even more. No..it doesn't get better. We see our children abused, tormented, they see you cry and hurt and treated badly. The abuse will continue with them. This isn't the answer. Another negative I hated them for. Flag 3. I left for years and returned again. Like a fool hoping they would help me. I was dating someone new which I honestly shouldn't have but with 0 support and learning on my own, I was stupid. I needed help and guidance. I still do!! I told them about issues with the same ex who still wouldn't leave us alone and all i got was Apologies and only /then/ learned about the shelters. Where was this offer in the beginning? If I took that , it would have saved me years of pain. I was furious..but tried to give them a chance. I took counsel again and once again felt ...something ain't right. They again make it sound like we must accept our fate. So I left and began looking online. Let me tell you ohio and ny have better systems! Google ..educate yourselves, ladies. I am still in my abuse and he is still at it. I cry every night. But I am determined to beat this. Even if I feel so tired and it's so dark. I feel we have to come together and find a better way then "run away from him but accept he will be in your life because your kids need a father figure." No they don't need this. And neither do you.