Laurel House will host “Breaking the Silence: When Healthcare Listens” on September 24 at The Belle at the Blue Bell Country Club. The breakfast fundraiser will feature Pennsylvania State Senator Maria Collett, RN, as keynote speaker and focus on how healthcare professionals can recognize domestic violence and connect patients with support, organizers say.
Healthcare and crisis-response programs
Laurel House created its Medical Advocacy Program in 2001 to help medical, dental, and OB-GYN professionals identify signs of abuse and connect patients with crisis services, according to the organization’s historical account: Laurel House. The agency also provides counseling, community outreach, shelter, transitional housing, legal advocacy, and crisis-response services, according to its program description.
The organization added its Domestic Abuse Response Team in 2005 through collaboration with local law enforcement. Laurel House says the team places advocates alongside officers at crime scenes around the clock, where they can offer safety planning, counseling, and emergency shelter options. The agency reports that its programs now support hundreds of individuals and families affected by domestic violence.
Why healthcare identification matters
According to the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s November 2024 report, which cites 2020 data from the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 37% of Pennsylvania women and 30% of Pennsylvania men reported experiencing physical violence, sexual violence or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetimes. The report, citing the 2019 National Crime Victimization Survey, also says that only 52% of domestic-violence victim-survivors reported the crime to police. That gap underscores why healthcare referrals can matter when abuse is not reported directly to law enforcement.
A survivor’s account
CBS Philadelphia reported that a survivor identified as Jill said Laurel House helped her and her children survive domestic abuse. The station reported that the family later pursued therapy and that her husband is in prison: CBS Philadelphia.
Organization and public support
Laurel House began in 1980 as a domestic violence shelter created by the Women’s Center of Montgomery County, according to the organization. The nonprofit says its name comes from Pennsylvania’s state flower and symbolizes victory for survivors seeking safety. Its work includes prevention education, community training, and collaboration intended to improve responses to domestic violence, according to its organizational information.
Laurel House operates a 24-hour hotline for people seeking help and accepts the text message “hope” at 85511, according to its hotline information.
