Safety in Numbers

JACSW, The Network Collaboration

Domestic violence is a pattern of harmful behaviors used by a person to maintain power and control over another, to intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound. It is used to maintain power and control over another, and the pain is not restricted to physical and emotional harm, but social, economic, psychological, or technological acts.

The Network began an alliance with the JACSW in 2005. The organization was formed in Chicago in 1980 by five women from four different human service organizations who believed the most effective way to assist women impacted by domestic violence was to create a cooperative that could facilitate communication and advocate on behalf of survivors at the city and state level. The Network sought to include a variety of domestic violence services, including shelters, counseling, legal services, and advocacy and policy efforts.

As a student in the MSW/MPH dual-degree program in partnership with the UIC School of Public Health, Nikki Singh elected to intern with The Network due to its survivor-centered, justice-oriented approach to addressing gender-based violence, especially through its systems and policy-level work. She is assigned to the organization’s Economic Justice Department (formerly known as the Survivor Fund), where individuals commonly have access to one-time financial assistance.

“I was drawn to the Network’s Economic Justice Department because it treats financial instability as a safety issue and concentrates on survivor autonomy,” said Singh of the cash assistance program for victims/survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse, stalking and/or human trafficking. “The Network’s emphasis on advocacy and community collaboration align closely with how I want to learn and grow as a social worker.”

Studies have shown that 94% of domestic violence survivors experience financial abuse, said Colleen Norton, LCSW, director of economic justice at The Network. The Survivor Fund was established in 2020 during the COVID pandemic to help individuals pay for a myriad of expenses: rent, food, utilities, transportation, and toiletries/hygiene products to name a few.

More than $20 million in support has been provided to more than 15,000 survivors and their families since the fund’s inception. In 2025, nearly $6.8 million was dispersed to 4,804 individuals. Many of the grants were distributed as a $1,000 direct cash payment, Norton said. In a 2024 survey of recipients into the program’s efficacy, 61% reported improvement in their sense of safety; 59% stated their emotional wellbeing had improved; 44% reported the funding they received had improved their housing situation; and 82% were either already connected to services or learned about resources through their application process.

“Direct cash assistance empowers survivors and increases their safety, and improves emotional and psychological well-being,” said Norton, a 2007 graduate of the JACSW. “We have also begun the program “Affording Survival,” a guaranteed income pilot program where 76 survivors have received $1,000 per month over 12 months.”

Part of the team

Following her graduation from UIC in 2022 with a degree in psychology and minor in gender and women’s studies, Singh worked as a mental health professional in both in-patient and non-profit settings. She was confident her experience would transfer seamlessly to the domestic violence field, as “people living with mental illness can be uniquely vulnerable to violence of all kinds. Once I felt that I was familiar enough with the mental health landscape, I chose to shift to learning about the domestic violence field. I have always been interested in violence prevention and intervention, so making the shift just made sense to me.”

Singh’s role at the Economic Justice Department requires a trauma-informed, confidential, and nonjudgmental approach, in addition to understanding how financial instability intersects with safety and independence. She has gained valuable experience “navigating ethical decision-making, program coordination, and the limitations of crisis-based funding models, deepening my interest in organizational and policy-level solutions.”

Since beginning her duties at The Network in August 2025 (her internship will end in May 2026), Singh has felt an integral part of the team, rather than simply a trainee. She said her ideas and input have been highly valued, and while the work at times can be difficult, both emotionally and pragmatically, “I have never felt like I have had to deal with anything alone.”

A native of Schaumburg, Ill., Singh was drawn to the social work field because it allowed her to hold both “compassion and critique, to support people while also questioning the systems they are forced to navigate. Social work offered me that balance, along with a clear ethical framework and a commitment to social justice.

“It felt less like a career decision and more like putting language and structure to work I already cared deeply about,” she said. “Social work felt like the most honest fit for my skills and values, combining critical analysis, relationship building, and a commitment to structural change.”

Singh anticipates completing her studies in May 2028. Following her graduation, she envisions a career within a community-based organization or public and nonprofit sector that improves access to resources and reduces systemic harm.

“There is definitely a possibility for me to return to The Network as an employee if the right opportunity presented itself,” she said. “I do want to continue working with domestic violence survivors. My experience at The Network will assist me in my future career as a social worker. I have gained practical experience navigating ethical decision-making, confidentiality, and collaboration within a non-profit setting. The experience reinforced my interest in organizational and community practice and helped clarify the kind of social worker I want to be – – one who works to improve systems, so they better serve the people who rely on them.”