Valley Crisis Center

24-hour crisis hotline

Our crisis hotline is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Advocates provide immediate crisis support, contact information for community resources, assessment for any of our services, and appointment scheduling. We also provide 24-hour crisis response at the request of the police, emergency room, or other community partners. Not in Merced County? Advocates will try to find resources in your area.

Two things to know: after-hours volunteers do not have access to the online appointment calendars, so some appointments may need to be scheduled during business hours. And due to the safety of advocates and survivors, our in-person crisis response cannot come to a home without the police there — if you would like to speak to an advocate in person, you can come see us at our main office, or you can call the police and ask to have an advocate come out with the officer.

We provide services in English and Spanish; upon request, additional languages can be accommodated through interpreter services. Reporting to the police is not a requirement of any of our services.

How we help

• 24-hour crisis line — and 24/7 in-person crisis response
• One confidential emergency shelter — see below
• Peer counseling — short-term crisis counseling, ages 5 and up
• Support groups — for adults, children 5–12, and Spanish speakers
• Legal advocacy — restraining order help, by appointment
• SART exam accompaniment — transportation and support
• Safety planning — for home, work, children, and pets
• Prevention education — free presentations and trainings
• Campus advocacy — UC Merced (CARE) and Merced College (RSVP)

Emergency shelter

Valley Crisis Center operates one confidential safe house for survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. It welcomes the children of survivors and provides basic commodities. Stays are up to 60 days, but are not guaranteed; dogs are permitted; and the house is ADA accessible.

Staff are on site during scheduled shifts, and a manager is on call at all times. When staff are not in the house, residents can reach an advocate any time on the 24-hour crisis line.

We shelter anyone, including men, who tells us they are a victim of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, or human trafficking, and all of our services are voluntary. You can be assessed through the 24-hour crisis line, (209) 722‑4357, or in person at our office during business hours.

Read more: emergency safe house

Counseling & support groups

Peer counselors provide free short-term crisis counseling, typically 6–8 sessions, focused on the trauma from intimate partner violence, sexual assault, or human trafficking. Children 5 and older can be seen; children 12 and older have the right to the same confidential mental health services as an adult. We will never ask you for any sort of insurance information or payment.

Our 14-week support groups meet at the office and include Courageous Kids (ages 5–12), A Step Ahead (by CWS referral), Hope For Tomorrow (trauma recovery, 18+), and Esperanza Para el Mañana (in Spanish, 18+). Call for current schedules and an assessment.

Read more: counseling · support groups

Legal advocacy & restraining orders

Advocates offer support with domestic violence and civil harassment restraining orders — completing the order, dropping it off, picking it up, and going over service options — and can advocate with outside agencies like the police department, the District Attorney’s office, and the Superior Court. Appointments can take up to two hours. Advocates are not attorneys, so they cannot offer legal advice or speak to the judge for you; they are here for support.

Read more: legal help & restraining-order workshops

SART exams

A SART (Sexual Assault Response Team) exam is a forensic exam to collect evidence of a sexual assault; collecting evidence within 72 hours is preferred. In California, a victim has the right to a free forensic exam when the assault is reported to police, and confidential “Jane Doe” reporting is available. Our advocates can help with transportation and emotional support before, during, and after the exam. Exams are available in Merced, Los Banos, Modesto, Fresno, and Madera (Valley Children’s).

Read more: SART exams

On campus

Through the CARE program at UC Merced and the RSVP program at Merced College, fully trained advocates are on campus to support students, staff, and faculty. Students can reach an advocate through their campus program or by calling the 24-hour crisis line any time.

At UC Merced, the Campus Advocate's office is in the UC Merced CARE office, Kolligan Library Room KL 107, and the advocate can meet with survivors in a location they feel safe and comfortable, either on or off campus. Campus Advocate direct line: (209) 386‑2051.

At Merced College, the Campus Advocate's office is in the Merced College RSVP office, Downey LRC (Library) Room 205, and the advocate can meet with survivors in a location they feel safe and comfortable, either on or off campus. Campus Advocate direct line: (209) 756‑6446. All services are free of charge and confidential.

Your confidentiality

What you share with us stays private, protected under California Evidence Codes 1035–1038.3, including for youth 12 and older. Advocates who are mandated reporters are required by law to report child, elder, or dependent-adult abuse and thoughts or plans of suicide or homicide, and they are required to tell you this beforehand. If you need us to share your information with anyone else, we will help you complete a Release of Information, which you control and can cancel at any time.

Read more: confidentiality policy & the complaint process

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