Rachel Coalition is a division of Jewish Family Service of MetroWest, and a partnership of eight northern New Jersey organizations * working together to provide a variety of services to assist victims of domestic violence and those living in high conflict households.
Services are delivered by a highly trained staff of licensed social workers specializing in helping victims of domestic violence and their families.
Rachel Coalition offers the following services:
- Individual counseling provided by licensed clinical social workers
- Child-focused individual & group counseling
- Group services
- Legal assistance in obtaining restraining orders
- Referrals for shelter w/kosher provisions
- Information, referral, education, and outreach
- Social work services at Essex County Family Justice Center in Newark
If you are a victim of domestic violence, your computer use may be monitored by your abuser. For your safety, please be sure you use a safe computer, and consider these guidelines.
If you are experiencing a crisis or psychiatric emergency, please click here for a list of resources.
Click on the links below to learn more about our Domestic Violence Services
What is domestic violence?
Generally, domestic violence is when one partner or household member uses violence, threats, intimidation, emotional abuse, and/or economic deprivation to assert power and control over their partner/household members.
If you can answer yes to any of the below, please contact us for confidential help and information at 973-740-1233 and ask for Rachel.
Does Your Partner…
- Threaten to hurt you, your family, himself or anyone else if you leave?
- Criticize you, insult you, call you names?
- Control where you go, who you see, what you do?
- Isolate you from family and friends?
- Deny you access to money or financial information?
- Have different public and private personas?
- Leave you feeling like you are “walking on eggshells?”
- Shift blame, minimize or deny things that have occurred?
- Use the children to hurt you or put them in the middle?
- Hurt you… only to apologize later or say it was an accident?
Counseling and Group Services
The experience of being in an abusive relationship is emotionally confusing. Often, the abusive partner alternates between being loving and being abusive. Abuse comes in many forms: physical, verbal, psychological, emotional, financial and sexual. Our counseling program, provided by licensed clinicians, helps clients clarify and sort out issues in order to identify potential solutions.
Victims of relationship abuse often feel isolated and full of self-doubt. Our domestic violence group services help victims see that they are not alone. In our groups, victims receive validation for their feelings, discover their inner strength and learn useful coping strategies from one another. Day and evening groups are available.
Child-Focused Counseling Services
Living in a high conflict home can be traumatic for children. Licensed clinicians trained in assisting children who have been living in high conflict households are available to provide assistance to all ages on an individual and group basis.
Symptoms of trauma vary by age. Click to view signs of trauma by age
Pre School children may:
- Feel helpless and uncertain
- Fear separation from parent/caregiver
- Begin to cry more
- Have a decreased appetite
- Wet their beds more
- Regress in language development
- Act out trauma in play
- Show signs of stunted development
- Display significant changes in behaviors
Elementary School children may:
- Become anxious and fearful
- Worry about their own or others’ safety
- Become clingy with parents, caregivers, or teacher
- Feel guilt or shame
- Have difficulty focusing
- Fear recurrence of traumatic event
- Experience sleep disruption
- Decrease school performance
Adolescents may:
- Feel alone and depressed
- Develop self-harming behaviors
- Start using or abusing drugs and/or alcohol
- Feel different from everyone
- Report no feelings regarding traumatic event
Click here to learn more about Child and Adolescent Services at JFS.
Legal assistance
Rachel Coalition provides victims and their children in Essex, Union, Hudson, and Morris Counties access to legal advocates and attorneys.
Direct Legal Representation:
- Rachel Coalition’s staff attorney provides direct legal representation and consultation with victims going through domestic violence proceedings in Family Court and assists clients in obtaining final restraining orders which may include custody, visitation, and child support provisions.
- To request legal representation/consultation services, please contact Partners for Women and Justice at (973) 233-0111 to schedule a phone intake.
Court Advocacy:
- Rachel Coalition Court Advocacy Program provides a bilingual court advocate who offers crisis counseling and essential information regarding safety and resources available to victims throughout the legal process in the domestic violence unit of Essex County Family Court.
Legal Handbook:
- Rachel Coalition, with support from the State of NJ Victim Assistance Grant, published a guide for victims of domestic violence and service providers in both Spanish and English. The guide explains the legal process for domestic violence cases in New Jersey and includes information about safety planning and community resources. Click here (need latest copy) to download a complete version of the Legal Handbook in English.
- Guia por Victimas de Violencia Familiar (need latest copy) (Spanish language Guide for Victims of Domestic Violence.)
Legislative/Policy Advocacy:
- Rachel Coalition’s Legal Committee advocates to improve the laws and legal system for victims of domestic violence.
Community Outreach/Education
Rachel Coalition raises awareness about domestic violence by providing resources, training, education and outreach programs for the community including schools, community groups, medical professionals and synagogues.
Women to Women Luncheon
The annual Rachel Coalition Women to Women Luncheon features a keynote speaker and is generously supported by The Florin Education Series Fund.
In Her Shoes
In Her Shoes is an experiential and interactive workshop which allows individuals to experience what a victim of domestic violence has to do once she decides to reach out for help. Participants explore the challenges & frustrations of women suffering from domestic violence. Rachel Coalition provides the facilitators and materials for the event. A teen edition is available as well.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month Candlelight Vigil
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Rachel Coalition hosts an Annual Candlelight Vigil at the Livingston Memorial Oval in Livingston, NJ.
Rachel Coalition Shabbat at MetroWest Synagogues
Rabbis and volunteers from the Rachel Coalition Speakers Bureau address congregants about domestic violence at specially-designated Shabbat services.
Cut It Out
This education program instructs beauty salon professionals on how to recognize warning signs of domestic violence and respond appropriately by referring clients to local resources that can assist them.
* Jewish Family Service of MetroWest, National Council of Jewish Women – Essex County Section, National Council of Women – West Morris Section, Women’s Philanthropy of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest New Jersey, Saint Barnabas Medical Center, Hadassah – Northern New Jersey Region, Jewish Women International – North Atlantic Region, JCC MetroWest.
