For people experiencing abuse, reaching out can feel impossibly scary. HAWC strives to make this uncomfortable process as safe and seamless as possible at every turn. For this reason, we partner with Massachusetts’ North Shore Medical Center to provide an on-call hospital advocate who can help create an environment where abuse victims can feel empowered to ask for support.
This free, confidential service is available for abused women, children, men, non-binary people, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, older adults, undocumented people, non-English-speaking individuals, and healthcare professionals needing assistance. With professionals trained to recognize and understand the physical and silent signs of abuse, Crossroads can provide patients with links to mental and legal services, safety plans, trauma treatment, and medical documentation for future legal advocacy.
Crossroads is available to anyone experiencing any type of abuse. You do not need to have any visible injuries to receive Crossroads’ services. There are three ways to access Crossroads’ services or be connected to HAWC’s on-call domestic violence advocate:
- Share your story At a doctor’s visit or upon a visit to the North Shore Medical Center’s emergency room.
- Visit the Crossroads Office At North Shore Medical Center.
- Call HAWC’s 24-Hour Hotline At any time of the day or week for a referral: 800-547-1649.