Peace River Center to improve domestic violence shelter, mental health services

BARTOW, Fla. - The need to provide domestic violence victims with housing to keep them safe is increasing in Central Florida. It's why Peace River Center, a non-profit in Bartow, is using millions in state funds to improve one of their shelters, along with their mental health services in Polk and Highlands counties. 

Peace River Center was granted $900,000 in state funds last week to purchase a new building to replace their domestic violence shelter in Sebring. FOX 13 can't show the actual building, because it's at a secret location to protect the victims, but it can currently house around 22 individuals.

The non-profit wants to have a more updated building, because they're outgrowing the one that was built in the 60s.

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"We're kind of land locked now," said Larry Williams, the CEO of the Peace River Center. "We don't have a big enough yard to support more individuals than we're able to cater to now, so we're looking for that expansion both on our footprint and our interior for our victims." 

Williams said their shelters, including the one in Lakeland, have been at capacity since the pandemic. The length of stay for their victims has also increased as the shelter is having more difficulty placing victims back into housing on their own.

"We do advocacy and education for the community, so all of this will be able to potentially be in this new building," said Williams. "It's vital in this community that we're able to provide the safety and security the citizens of Highlands County need." 

The center was also granted $425,000 for their Community Mobile Support Team, which is made up of six counselors. They follow up on 500 law enforcement Baker Acts a year in Polk County and provide them with necessary outpatient services and the Crisis Hotline number.

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"Our first-year recidivism on Baker Acts was cut by over 20%," said Williams. "Our second year, it was cut by over 14%."  

The program has proven successful, so Williams hopes it will continue to yield similar results.

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