Call Our 24/7 Crisis Line: 613-234-5181
Unsafe at Home Ottawa
Unsafe at Home Ottawa’s hours of operation have changed.
As of January 2, 2024, our hours of operation are:
Monday: 2 PM – 9 PM
Tuesday: 2 PM – 9 PM
Wednesday: 9 AM – 9 PM
Thursday: 2 PM – 9 PM
Friday: 2 PM – 9 PM
Saturday: 9 AM – 9 PM
Sunday: 9 AM – 9 PM
If you’re in crisis and need help now, try calling the Assaulted Women’s 24hr Helpline at 1-866-863-0511.
For emergencies, please call 911.
How it Works
You can chat online with us or text us. We’re here for you. Our trained personnel will give you support, information, resources and safety planning ideas.
There are two ways to reach us:
Chat Online Now
This is the safest way to talk to us. You’ll need a device with wifi or an internet connection to use the chat service.
Click the chat online now button if you need us. A chat window will open, and we’ll connect you to our trained personnel.
You can end the conversation at any time. Once it’s done, your chat history will be erased.
When you connect with us, the first few messages you receive from us will be automated. These will give you more information about the service and our confidentiality policy.
What You Should Know
Unsafe at Home Ottawa is designed to keep you safe. However, nothing is 100% secure. When you chat online with us or text us, please make sure you’re using a device or computer that’s safe.
Some tips to stay safe online:
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Use private browsing / incognito mode when using our chat function
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Use a password on your phone or device
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Clear your browser history after your chat
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Delete your text history after texting us
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Don’t take screenshots
If you think someone else could have installed spyware onto the device you’re using, you may not want to use this service.
Stay Safe and Cope
Spending a lot of time in the home with your abuser can create a rise in intimate partner or family violence and domestic abuse. This might mean verbal abuse, emotional abuse, or physical or sexual violence. So how can you stay safe at home or cope with your situation?
Here are some helpful resources:
Safety planning during COVID-19 (Sanctuary for Families)
How to use mindfulness to cope with trauma (Stop Domestic Violence)
How to practice being mindful (verywellmind)
Domestic Abusers Can Control Your Devices. Here’s How to Fight Back (New York Times)
About
Unsafe at Home Ottawa (UAHO) is a vital, secure text and online chat service for women and gender diverse people experiencing and abuse or are concerned that someone they know is experiencing abuse.
We can help you with:
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Talking about how you’re feeling
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Creating a safety plan to reduce your risk of harm
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Getting you the services you need for support
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Coping with your situation
Who We Are
Unsafe at Home Ottawa launched in April 2020 to offer those living with abuse or violence during the COVID-19 pandemic a safe space to reach out for help. This community-based initiative is staffed by experienced, bilingual personnel. We are committed to treating women and members of 2SLGBTQ+ communities with compassion and respect for their dignity, privacy and diversity at all times.
Our Partners:
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Eastern Ottawa Resource Centre
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Interval House of Ottawa
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Ottawa Victim Services
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Western Ottawa Resource Centre
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Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women
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Crime Prevention Ottawa
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Lanark Country Victim Services
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Kind Space for offering support for LGBTQ2S+ communities
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Immigrant Women Services Ottawa for providing translation services in 70 different languages.
Special thanks to:
Ottawa Police Service and all partners for promoting Unsafe at Home Ottawa
If your organization wants to launch a similar safe text+chat in your community, please email info@octevaw-cocvff.ca for information and resources.
Our Donors
The Unsafe at Home Ottawa project has been running since April 14th 2020 and has since supported many survivors of violence against women and gender-based violence. The work we do would not be possible without the generous contributions of our donors.
We would like to acknowledge the following:
United Way East Ontario
City of Ottawa
Ottawa Community Foundation
Donner Canadian Foundation
Crime Prevention Ottawa
Canadian Women’s Foundation
and other generous donors
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