Safety should never depend on someone's ability, yet for many people living with disabilities, barriers to safety, support, and independence remain a daily reality.

In this episode of Root for Each Other, Branches advocates Sara Blevins O'Toole, Kaitlyn Chapman, and Blue Davis explore the unique ways domestic violence can impact individuals with disabilities and the importance of creating services that are accessible, responsive, and centered on dignity.

Together, they discuss:

• Why people with disabilities experience higher rates of domestic violence.
• The unique forms of abuse survivors with disabilities may face, including coercive control through caregiving, finances, communication, and accessibility.
• How trauma-informed advocacy means adapting services—not expecting survivors to adapt to systems.
• Why Rapid Rehousing can be such a key tool in removing barriers for survivors with disabilities

Episode Notes

In this episode:

• Understanding the co-existence of disability and domestic violence.
• Recognizing barriers that can prevent survivors from seeking help.
• How Branches works to provide survivor-centered, accessible advocacy.
• Small changes that can make a big difference in creating safe communities.

Featured Guests

• Sara Blevins O'Toole, Director of Development, Branches
• Kaitlyn Chapman, Court Advocate, Branches
• Blue Davis, Rapid Rehousing II Navigator, Branches

Learn More
This episode is part of our Safety Across the Spectrum of Ability awareness series, highlighting the importance of ensuring that every survivor—regardless of ability—has access to safety, support, and opportunity.

Read the accompanying blog series on the Branches website to continue the conversation and learn how you can help build a more accessible and trauma-responsive community. Start here!

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, confidential help is available 24 hours a day through Branches. You do not have to face abuse alone. Call our hotline at 304-529-2382 to speak to an advocate.

In this episode, we sit down with Stephanie Hurley Collier, Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State, to discuss why trauma-responsive services matter across every sector — including mentoring programs serving vulnerable youth.

Stephanie shares how meaningful, professionally supported mentoring relationships can help children build confidence, resilience, and connection, especially when organizations intentionally create environments that recognize and respond to trauma. Together, we explore what it means to move beyond simply serving youth and toward truly understanding the experiences many children carry with them every day.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• What trauma-responsive care means in practice
• Why mentoring relationships can be life-changing for children facing adversity
• The importance of safe, supportive adult connections
• How organizations can integrate trauma-responsive principles into their services
• The role community members play in helping youth reach their full potential

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State is part of the nationwide Big Brothers Big Sisters network, creating and supporting one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.

Research and best practices in mentoring continue to show that trauma-responsive approaches help organizations better recognize the impact of trauma, respond appropriately, and reduce the risk of re-traumatization for children and families.

If you’d like to get involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State — whether by becoming a mentor, donating, or supporting their mission — you can learn more on their website.

You can also learn more about the organization’s mission and programs through their About page.

If you’re interested in learning more about or supporting the Building Trauma Responsive (BTR) Communities initiative through Branches Domestic Violence Shelter, you can find more information here: BTR Communities Initiative Information

You can also explore more about Branches’ ongoing trauma-responsive advocacy, community education, and podcast initiatives through their website.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and we were so excited to participate in Contact Crisis Center's SAAM Book Club reading Nobody's Girl, the posthumous memoir of Epstein survivor Virginia Roberts Giuffre. In our newest episode of Root for Each Other, CONTACT advocates Jo and Elijah join us to further discuss the book from an advocacy perspective. Join us as we explore this account and the overall impact of public perception on the realities faced by Human Trafficking survivors we see in our daily work.

What does it look like when a business community leads with compassion?

In our newest podcast episode, Megan Archer, President of the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce and Anna Adkins, with the Huntington Area Convention & Visitor's Bureau join us to talk about how Huntington is building trauma-responsive practices into local businesses and how that work is making a real difference.

We’re proud to feature this conversation as part of our effort to create resources that support understanding, healing, and connection whenever our listeners need them

In this episode, we’re joined by students from Marshall University’s W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications who spent the fall semester researching the state of trauma responsiveness in Huntington as part of our BTR (Building Trauma Responsive) Communities initiative. Together, we unpack what they discovered, where our community is making progress, and where gaps still exist. Most importantly, we explore what these findings can teach us — and how they can help shape a more trauma-informed future for Huntington.

Food insecurity is a major barrier to safety in that a survivor has to be assured they can feed their children if they leave. In this episode, our advocates discuss how it is more expensive than ever to provide groceries and how that both affects and directs advocacy services. Join us for a conversation about how the basic human needs of food and safety threaten the well-being of our neighborhoods.

Branches Domestic Violence Shelter has been providing services to victims of domestic violence in the Appalachian communities of Cabell, Lincoln, Mason, Putnam, and Wayne counties in West Virginia.

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Episode Summary:

In this episode, we’re sharing something close to our hearts — the upcoming BTR Communities Advocacy Summit, hosted by Branches Domestic Violence Shelter. This gathering is all about bringing people together to talk about how we can create safer, stronger communities for survivors of domestic violence.

We’ll explore what it really means to build “BTR Communities” and why your voice matters — whether you’re a business owner, a service provider, a neighborhood leader, or part of the faith community.

What You’ll Hear:

• What the BTR Communities Advocacy Summit is all about
• Why these conversations matter for all of us
• How businesses, service providers, neighborhoods, and faith leaders each have a role to play
• What to expect if you join us for the summit

Event Details:

• Event: BTR Communities Advocacy Summit
• Hosted by: Branches Domestic Violence Shelter
• Learn more: www.branchedvs.org
  
  
• Register here: https://forms.office.com/r/bVC6EH6dYS
  
  

Why You Should Be There:
This isn’t just another event — it’s a chance to come together, listen, and learn from one another. Each of us, in our different roles — whether through business, service, neighborhood, or faith — can make a difference for survivors and help shape communities that are safer for everyone.

Call to Action:
We’d love for you to be part of this important conversation.

• Learn more about Branches’ mission at www.branchedvs.org
  
  
• Save your spot for the summit by registering here: https://forms.office.com/r/bVC6EH6dYS

In this episode, Branches advocates Shannon and Sara unpack the growing TikTok conversation surrounding ELF Cosmetics’ latest ad campaign featuring a male comedian known for his history of domestic violence jokes. Together, they reflect on the outrage sparked by his inclusion in a campaign from a brand that has often positioned itself as a champion of women’s empowerment. This discussion explores how advertising choices shape culture, the harm caused when domestic violence is minimized for humor, and why companies may choose to risk their consumer base in this way. We also discuss what we, as advocates, survivors, and consumers, can do in response to the way domestic violence is presented in the media at large.