Wonderful staff. Clean and organized. A great cause to break the cycle of domestic violence.

Response to The Retreat’s Reply I am responding to the owner’s comment because it misrepresents what actually occurred. I reached out to The Retreat because I was in crisis. I have been experiencing coercive control for over 11 months. the same form of abuse currently being addressed on the New York State Senate floor. That is why I contacted your organization. I was the phone with your advocate Alex , who then offloaded the labor onto me, instructing me to write a chronological account of my abuse; it was 7-9 pages in PDF format and signed. I was required to relive and document my trauma in detail myself rather than being supported through that process by an advocate. After submitting that document, and getting no response until I sent several emails stating I can’t be a survivor and my own case worker, I spent another hour on the phone with your office manager, Katrina, who stated she had not read the document at all. She also stated that she did not believe the advocate had read it either. No advocacy, safety planning, or concrete support was offered. At no point did I meet with anyone face-to-face or via video. All contact occurred through repeated emails after extensive disclosure. Being asked to document abuse in detail only to have that information not reviewed and no services provided; is not trauma-informed care. It is extraction. Your response states that services are prioritized for those “already in crisis.” I was and still am in crisis. That is why I reached out. Capacity issues do not justify requiring survivors to perform unpaid emotional and administrative labor, only to be dismissed afterward. This experience reflects a pattern that non-white survivors consistently encounter when seeking help from domestic violence organizations. My lived experience with The Retreat and Long Island Domestic Violence matches the data; Non-white survivors are asked to give more, explain more, document more and receive less. If we are allowed access at all, we receive breadcrumbs, not the full level of care that white survivors receive. I am stating this clearly: Funds earmarked for underserved populations are not reaching us in practice. The level of advocacy, follow-through, and care is not equitable. To non-white survivors reading this: if you have experienced similar treatment; extensive disclosure with no support, no follow-up, and no advocacy file a complaint with the state and federal government. These organizations serve the public and must be held accountable. To donors: if you are donating to domestic violence organizations under the belief that non-white and underserved survivors are receiving equitable care, we are not. Silencing these realities or softening language to make institutions comfortable is exactly why these patterns continue. Naming harm is not the problem. The harm is.

So thankful for the retreat and there advocates! They helped me find an attorney and they were there every step of the way. Special thanks to Gabby!