LGBTQ Services at Elizabeth Freeman Center

Hope, help, and healing for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer people surviving domestic and sexual violence in Berkshire County and the surrounding areas.

You are not alone.  LGBTQ+ people experience domestic and sexual violence as often as straight and cisgender people do, but it’s not talked about as much.   EFC offers specialized, affirming services to LGBTQ+ people experiencing or healing from abuse or assault.

LGBTQ services at Elizabeth Freeman Center

  • LGBTQ counselors
  • emergency shelter for people of all gender identities
  • help with housing, bills, finding affirming medical care*, and more 
  • help navigating systems that can be unsafe for, or uninformed about, LGBTQ communities
  • LGBTQ survivor support groups and events

How to reach us

In an emergency, if you are not safe, contact our emergency hotline for immediate assistance (866-401-2425) or call 911.

For non-urgent inquiries, an LGBTQ counselor can be reached at each of our locations during business hours:

  • Charlie at 413-499-2425 (Central County), ask for Charlie
  • Jamie at 413-663-7459 (North County), ask for Jamie

General services

All of Elizabeth Freeman Center’s services are free, confidential, and LGBTQ-welcoming.  Our other services include:

  • 24/7 toll-free Hotline – 1 (866) 401-2425
  • Emergency response to hospitals or police stations
  • Court advocates
  • Special services for immigrants and refugees
  • Pet foster care
  • Lots more

*Looking for affirming medical care?  

EFC’s LGBTQ team maintains a community-generated list of providers who have been known to work successfully with LGBTQ people in Berkshire County.  We add a provider to the list only if a community member has worked with them before or heard positive reports from other LGBTQ folks.  See our list of Berkshire County LGBTQ Health Resources here.

 

one person comforting another - LGBQT services at Elizabeth Freeman Center

Frequently Asked Questions about LGBTQ Services at Elizabeth Freeman Center

What if I am worried for a friend?

We serve friends and family of survivors, too!  Call us to find out how you can help your friend or if you would like information and support around your experience of their situation.

What happens if I call the Hotline (866-401-2425)?

If you call our Hotline 9-5, Monday-Friday, you will reach our receptionist.  If you need immediate assistance, ask to speak with a counselor.  You will be transferred to a counselor, who will listen and offer support and services.

If you do not need immediate assistance and would like to speak to one of our LGBTQ counselors, ask to leave a message for Jordan.  Jordan will either arrange a time to meet with you or connect you with our LGBTQ counselor in your area.

If you call our Hotline after-hours or on weekends, a counselor will answer and offer support and services immediately.

What do you mean by “violence”?hand in a stop position - LGBTQ services at Elizabeth Freeman Center

Violence happens in many ways and goes by many names.  It can be emotional, sexual, financial, physical, or about your identity.

We work with everyone who has been affected by or suffered from intimate partner violence, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual violence, sexual assault, rape, unwanted or nonconsensual sexual contact, stalking, abuse, domestic abuse, battering, unhealthy relationship, being hurt by the person or people you’re with, homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, or queerphobia.  (Have questions about whether you are experiencing any of these things?  Check out our page on Domestic Violence.)

LGBTQ services at Elizabeth Freeman Center are based on the belief that we all deserve to be safe – wherever we go, however we look, whoever we are.

I am worried my partner or ex will call you to try to keep tabs on me or make it harder for me to get support or help.

It is you – the survivor – who we care about.  drawing of a person looking sad - LGBTQ services at Elizabeth Freeman CenterWe take your safety and confidentiality very seriously.  All of our services are completely confidential.  We cannot and will not release any information about you without your written permission.

Our policy is not to work with the person causing harm in a relationship.  We use a screening process to determine whether our services are appropriate for a person.   If they are not, we do not work with the person.

Where are you located?

Elizabeth Freeman Center has offices in Pittsfield, Great Barrington, and North Adams, and staff in the Pittsfield Police Department, the Adams Police Department, and Berkshire County Kids’ Place.  Our LGBTQ counselors can meet people at our offices or in safe locations almost anywhere in Berkshire County.

How can I get involved? 

Elizabeth Freeman Center has an LGBTQ Community Advisory/Action Group that guides our LGBTQ program,  spreads the word about our services, advocates on issues of LGBTQ access and justice, and works to make Berkshire County a safer place for LGBTQ survivors.  We welcome new members!  Email us at lgbtq@elizabethfreemancenter.org to get involved.

 

                      rainbow stained glass - LGBTQ services at Elizabeth Freeman Center

 

This project was partially supported by the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance through a Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA) grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.