New outreach services that include transportation and ex parte assistance will help the Safe House for Women's domestic-violence shelter assist more Scott County victims of family violence.

Scott County is the second-largest client base for the Safe House in Cape Girardeau. The shelter has assisted victims from Scott County since its inception in 1991, said executive director Paula Huggins, but many victims were unable to use the shelter's services because they didn't have transportation to Cape Girardeau.

"We find a lot of women will call us on the hotline, but really what they're needing is a place locally they can go," Huggins said. "We service about 200 women in the shelter each year, but at least three times that number call the hotline asking about services and information."

Huggins said local access to shelter services will be the biggest asset of the Scott County office. Business and hotline numbers are already in place, and a central office should be accessible in Sikeston within four to six weeks, she said. Scott County victims seeking shelter will have a safe environment to enter immediately if necessary, because emergency hotel accommodations are also available.

"A lot of times the abuse will occur in the middle of the night and early in the morning, and the hardest thing is trying to get her to the shelter," Huggins said. "With the hotel placement, we're going to have immediate, safe shelter available to the women in Sikeston and Scott County."

The Safe House will also provide 24-hour ex parte assistance to victims, Huggins said. Recently, the Missouri Supreme Court mandated that victims of domestic violence have access to ex partes, or orders of protection, after hours. As a result, judges are on call after regular business hours and on weekends so they can provide their signatures.

For an ex parte to be issued, a judge's signature and a notary public are needed, Huggins said. Case managers in both shelter offices will be available to provide the notary seal.

"A lot of women go back after the abuse because they don't want to involve family and friends by asking them for rides or help," she said. "Expanding our services to include ex partes and motel placement gives victims a confidential place they can go for protection and shelter."

The local Cape Girardeau County shelter hotline number is 651-1614 and the toll-free number is 1-800-341-1830. The Sikeston business number is 472-9700; the toll-free Scott County hotline number is 1-888-264-STOP (7867).