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Michigan Legal Resource Library · If you need protection or are a witness

Where to Get Help: Domestic Violence Hotlines and West Michigan Agencies

Last reviewed against current Michigan law ·37 sources cited

Key points

  • In an emergency, call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233 (text START to 88788); it describes its service as free, confidential and available 24/7.[1]
  • Michigan's statewide VOICES4 Hotline is 855-864-2374 for both calls and texts, and its advocates answer 24/7.[2][3]
  • VOICES4 staff can connect a caller directly to a local domestic violence program or shelter.[2]
  • A confidential communication with a counselor at a domestic violence crisis center cannot be used as evidence in a civil or criminal proceeding without the victim's prior written consent, except as the child protection law provides.[4][5]

If you are in danger right now, call 911. To reach an advocate at any hour, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.[1] In Michigan you can also call or text the statewide VOICES4 Hotline at 855-864-2374.[2][3]

This page lists the hotlines that answer around the clock and the domestic violence agencies that serve West Michigan, county by county. Every phone number below was taken from the organization's own website on 4 October 2026. Numbers and office locations change, so check the agency's site if a line does not connect.

The three numbers to know

  • 911 for any emergency.
  • National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (1-800-799-SAFE), or text START to 88788. The Hotline describes its service as free, confidential and available 24/7, with live chat at thehotline.org.[1]
  • Michigan VOICES4 Hotline: call or text 855-864-2374 (855-VOICES4). Advocates from the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence answer 24/7, and the line is free, confidential and anonymous.[2][3]

VOICES4 is a single statewide line for domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.[6] It is for anyone in Michigan who has experienced any of those at any point in life, anyone supporting or working with a survivor, and anyone looking for information about local services, and hotline staff can connect callers directly to local domestic violence programs and shelters.[2]

Brochures and websites printed in earlier years may show other numbers for the state hotline. The number above is the one shown on the State of Michigan's VOICES4 page and on the coalition's hotline page as of 4 October 2026.[2][3]

Text, chat, TTY and other ways to reach an advocate

ServiceHow to reach it
National hotline by textText START to 88788; message and data rates may apply.[1]
National hotline, Deaf and hard of hearingThe Deaf Hotline video phone, 855-812-1001.[1]
VOICES4 by textText 855-864-2374, the same number used for calls.[3]
VOICES4 by TTY517-381-8470.[3]
VOICES4 online chatThrough the coalition's website; because chat runs in a web browser, the coalition encourages clearing the browser history after each session.[3]
StrongHearts Native HelplineCall 1-844-762-8483, or text START to the same number; a 24/7 confidential and anonymous helpline for Native Americans and Alaska Natives, with online chat at strongheartshelpline.org.[7]

What a hotline advocate can and cannot do

Advocates at the national hotline provide support, crisis intervention, education about domestic violence, and referrals to community resources. The Hotline does not give direct financial help such as cash, hotel vouchers or transportation vouchers.[8] Several of the local agencies listed below describe emergency shelter, help with protection order paperwork or court accompaniment on their own websites; what each one offers differs, so ask when you call.[9][10]

Conversations with a counselor at a domestic violence crisis center have legal protection. Under MCL 600.2157a, a confidential communication made in connection with a consultation between a victim and a sexual assault or domestic violence counselor is not admissible in any civil or criminal proceeding without the victim's prior written consent, except as the child protection law provides.[4] A counselor, for this purpose, is a person employed by or volunteering at a sexual assault or domestic violence crisis center who gives advice, counseling or other assistance to victims and their families.[5]

West Michigan agencies by county

The agencies are grouped by the county where they are based or that they name as their service area. Use the crisis line when you need to talk to someone now; office lines and addresses are for business hours.

CountyAgencyCrisis lineWhat the agency says it offers
KentYWCA West Central Michigan, 25 Sheldon Ave SE, Grand Rapids(616) 454-9922, a 24-hour helplineEmergency shelter, crisis advocacy, legal assistance and other support services; office line (616) 459-4681.[9]
KentSafe Haven Ministries, Grand Rapids616-452-6664, call or text, 24/7Help by phone or text at any hour, plus online chat with an advocate.[11]
Ottawa and AlleganResilience: Advocates for Ending Violence1-800-848-5991 or 616-392-1970, a 24-hour help lineFree and confidential support, available 24/7, for domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.[12]
AlleganSylvia's Place269-673-8700, a 24/7 crisis lineDescribes itself as Allegan County's only domestic violence safe house.[13]
MuskegonEvery Woman's Place(231) 722-3333, a 24-hour crisis lineShelter, counseling and advocacy for people affected by domestic violence, sexual assault and sex trafficking.[14]
KalamazooYWCA Kalamazoo, 353 E. Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo269-385-3587, a 24-hour crisis hotlineGeneral contact line 269-345-5595.[15]
BarryGreen Gables Haven, Hastings269-945-4777, a 24-hour crisis and shelter lineShelter and services for up to 4 weeks, with access to the shelter 24 hours a day.[16]
Ionia and MontcalmRelief After Violent Encounter (RAVE)1-800-720-7233, a 24-hour crisis lineEmergency shelter that can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week; administrative office 1-616-527-3351.[17][18]
NewaygoWISE, Big Rapids(231) 796-6600 or 800-374-WISE, 24/7Serves Mecosta, Osceola and Newaygo counties.[19]
Van BurenDomestic Violence Coalition, 106 S. Niles St., Paw Paw269-655-9008Protection order assistance, court accompaniment, support groups and advocacy, free of charge; an advocacy agency, not a shelter.[10][20]
BerrienCaring Connection Empowerment Center(269) 925-9500, a 24-hour hotlineShelter for clients and their dependent children, legal advocacy, counseling and support groups, all free and confidential.[21]

Details worth knowing before you call

  • Ionia and Montcalm: RAVE's crisis line, 1-800-720-7233, is one digit group away from the national hotline's 1-800-799-7233. They are different services.[17][1]
  • Ottawa and Allegan: Resilience publishes a Spanish-language line, 1-866-728-2131 or 616-355-9755.[12]
  • Muskegon: Every Woman's Place has a text line, (231) 468-6060, and online chat, but only from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on weekdays. The 24-hour option is the phone line.[14]
  • Van Buren: the Domestic Violence Coalition has moved; its site gives 106 S. Niles St. in Paw Paw as the new address, and says its English and Spanish crisis lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.[10][20]
  • Berrien: the provider is now called Caring Connection. It was most recently known as The Avenue, and its Empowerment Center was formerly the Cora Lamping Center, so older referral sheets may use those names.[22][21]
  • Ionia and Montcalm: RAVE states that it welcomes and supports all survivors regardless of gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, immigration status and other characteristics.[18]

If your county is not listed

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services publishes a county-by-county directory of domestic violence, sexual assault and other victim service agencies; the Kent County page is one example of how each county's list is laid out.[23] The VOICES4 Hotline can also connect you to the program that serves your area.[2]

Help with a personal protection order

A personal protection order (PPO) is an order issued by the family division of the circuit court.[24] Several counties have someone whose job includes helping petitioners with the paperwork:

  • Kent: the Personal Protection Office, 180 Ottawa NW, Suite 3500, Grand Rapids, 616-632-5071, with walk-in hours Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.[25]
  • Kalamazoo: the circuit court's PPO Coordinator at the Judge Charles A. Pratt Justice Center interviews petitioners by appointment; call 269-385-6081.[26]
  • Muskegon: the county says the Legal Advocate at Every Woman's Place helps complete PPO paperwork when there is or has been a domestic relationship, with walk-in services from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm at 1221 W. Laketon Ave.[27]
  • Van Buren: Domestic Violence Coalition advocates help fill out and file PPO petitions and go to court hearings with clients.[20]

Anywhere in the state, Michigan Legal Help publishes free PPO toolkits, including one for filing a domestic relationship PPO.[28] The steps are in How to get a PPO in Michigan, and a working checklist is in Preparing a PPO petition.

Legal help with family and civil matters

Legal Aid of Western Michigan is a nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services to eligible clients in a 17-county service area.[29] Its listed family law cases include "Divorce for survivors of domestic violence."[30] It takes applications by phone, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to noon and 1 PM to 4:30 PM, at these numbers: Kent, Ionia, Montcalm and Newaygo, 616-774-0672; Ottawa and Allegan, 616-394-1380; Muskegon, 231-726-4887; Kalamazoo and Van Buren, 269-344-8113; Berrien, 269-983-6363.[31]

How abuse affects custody and divorce is covered in Domestic violence and child custody and Domestic violence and divorce.

Money, notification and address protection

Three state programs sit alongside the agencies above:

  • Crime Victim Compensation. The program may help pay out-of-pocket medical expenses, lost earnings, counseling and other expenses for people harmed as the direct result of a crime, and it is the payer of last resort.[32] Its victims-only toll-free line is 877-251-7373.[33]
  • MI-VINE. Michigan's automated notification service tells registered victims and other concerned citizens when a prisoner is released; the toll-free line is (800) 770-7657.[34]
  • Address Confidentiality Program. The Department of Attorney General gives eligible victims a substitute address to use in place of their real one, with free mail forwarding.[35]

All three are explained in Keeping your address confidential. Your rights in the criminal case itself are in Crime victim rights in Michigan domestic violence cases, and rights at home and at work are in Housing rights for victims and Workplace and financial protections.

Help for men, LGBTQ+ survivors and Native survivors

The hotlines are not limited by gender. Michigan's VOICES4 Hotline is for anyone in Michigan who has experienced domestic violence, sexual assault or human trafficking, and the national hotline states that domestic violence can affect anyone, including men.[2][36] Equality Michigan provides victim services for LGBTQ+ people throughout the state; its phone number is 313-537-7000.[37] The StrongHearts Native Helpline, 1-844-762-8483, serves Native Americans and Alaska Natives.[7] More on this is in Do the laws apply the same to men, women and same-sex couples?

If you are the person accused

The agencies on this page serve people who have been harmed. Programs, appointed counsel and referral services for people facing a charge or a PPO are listed separately in Resources for people accused.

Common questions

What number do I call for domestic violence help in Michigan?

In an emergency, call 911. To talk with an advocate, Michigan's VOICES4 Hotline is 855-864-2374 by call or text, and the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233.[2][3][1] Both describe their services as free and confidential, with advocates available 24/7.[3][1]

Can I text or chat instead of calling?

Yes. The national hotline takes texts when you send START to 88788 and offers live chat on its website.[1] VOICES4 takes texts at 855-864-2374 and offers online chat through the coalition's website, which suggests clearing your browser history after each chat session.[3] In Kent County, Safe Haven Ministries takes calls or texts at 616-452-6664.[11]

Is there a domestic violence shelter near me in West Michigan?

Several agencies in this region describe shelter on their own sites, including YWCA West Central Michigan in Grand Rapids, Every Woman's Place in Muskegon, Green Gables Haven in Hastings, RAVE for Ionia and Montcalm counties, and the Caring Connection Empowerment Center in Berrien County.[9][14][16][18][21] The VOICES4 Hotline can connect callers directly to local programs and shelters.[2]

Does it cost anything to use these services?

The national hotline and VOICES4 both describe their services as free.[1][3] Among local agencies, Resilience describes free and confidential support, the Domestic Violence Coalition in Paw Paw says its services are free of charge, and the Caring Connection Empowerment Center says all of its services are free of charge and confidential.[12][10][21]

Who can help me fill out a personal protection order petition?

It depends on the county. Kent County has a Personal Protection Office, Kalamazoo's circuit court has a PPO Coordinator who works by appointment, Muskegon County points petitioners to the Legal Advocate at Every Woman's Place, and the Domestic Violence Coalition helps with petitions in Van Buren County.[25][26][27][20] Michigan Legal Help also publishes free PPO toolkits.[28]

Sources

  1. National Domestic Violence Hotline, thehotline.org (home page) — National Domestic Violence Hotline
  2. State of Michigan, VOICES4 Hotline — Domestic Violence page — State of Michigan
  3. MCEDSV, Hotline page — mcedsv.org
  4. MCL 600.2157a(2) — Michigan Legislature
  5. MCL 600.2157a(1)(d), (f) — Michigan Legislature
  6. State of Michigan, VOICES4 Hotline — State of Michigan
  7. StrongHearts Native Helpline, strongheartshelpline.org — strongheartshelpline.org
  8. National Domestic Violence Hotline, thehotline.org — National Domestic Violence Hotline
  9. YWCA West Central Michigan, ywcawcmi.org — ywcawcmi.org
  10. DVC: The Domestic Violence Coalition, domesticviolencecoalition.org — domesticviolencecoalition.org
  11. Safe Haven Ministries, safehavenministries.org — safehavenministries.org
  12. Resilience: Advocates for Ending Violence, resiliencemi.org — resiliencemi.org
  13. Sylvia's Place, sylviasplace.com — sylviasplace.com
  14. Every Woman's Place, everywomansplace.org — everywomansplace.org
  15. YWCA Kalamazoo, ywcakalamazoo.org — ywcakalamazoo.org
  16. Green Gables Haven, greengableshaven.org — greengableshaven.org
  17. RAVE – Ionia/Montcalm, Inc., raveim.org (Contact Us) — raveim.org
  18. RAVE – Ionia/Montcalm, Inc., raveim.org — raveim.org
  19. WISE, wiseagainstviolence.org — wiseagainstviolence.org
  20. DVC: The Domestic Violence Coalition, Services page — domesticviolencecoalition.org
  21. Caring Connection, Empowerment Center page — caringconnectionmi.org
  22. Caring Connection, History page — caringconnectionmi.org
  23. MDHHS Division of Victim Services, DVS Resource Directory — Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
  24. MCL 600.2950(30)(d); MCL 600.2950a(31)(d) — Michigan Legislature
  25. Kent County, "Personal Protection Orders" — kentcountymi.gov
  26. Kalamazoo County, "Personal Protection Orders" page — kalcounty.gov
  27. Muskegon County, "Personal Protection Orders" — co.muskegon.mi.us
  28. Michigan Legal Help, "Personal Protection Orders" — Michigan Legal Help
  29. Legal Aid of Western Michigan, I Need Help — lawestmi.org
  30. Legal Aid of Western Michigan, Services (Family Law) — lawestmi.org
  31. Legal Aid of Western Michigan, I Need Help (Apply by Phone) — lawestmi.org
  32. MDHHS, Crime Victim Compensation; Frequently Asked Questions — Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
  33. MDHHS, Crime Victim Compensation — Applying for Compensation — Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
  34. Michigan Department of Corrections, "Victim Information Notification Everyday (MI-VINE)" — State of Michigan
  35. MCL 780.855(1); Michigan Department of Attorney General, ACP Applicants page — Michigan Department of Attorney General
  36. National Domestic Violence Hotline, "Men Can Be Victims of Abuse, Too" — National Domestic Violence Hotline
  37. Equality Michigan, equalitymi.org — equalitymi.org

This page is general legal information about Michigan law, published by the office of Attorney Shawn Haff. It is not legal advice and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws change and every case turns on its own facts — check the sources linked above and talk to a licensed Michigan attorney about your situation. If you are in danger, call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233.

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