CASA celebrates 10 years of sheltering abuse survivors

Community Action Stops Abuse (CASA) Pinellas annually ensures that nearly 1,000 domestic violence survivors and their children have a safe, confidential place to stay. 

What began in 2015 with 22 beds now has over 99 and is one of Florida’s largest domestic violence shelters. The local facility also offers critical on-site services, including a survivor-focused resource center, a rapid re-housing program, legal advocacy, children’s programming and mental health support to help residents rebuild their lives. 

CASA CEO Lariana Forsythe, her team and community stakeholders are celebrating the shelter’s 10th anniversary. However, she noted much work remains to mitigate an issue that is “absolutely very, very prevalent in our community.” 

“If you just take a look at the number of folks we’re helping, it really is tremendous,” Forsythe said. “It’s such an underreported crime. So, if we’re helping this many people, think about how many are experiencing domestic violence and not getting any help.” 

Pinellas County’s domestic violence rate consistently ranks fourth or fifth in the state. The shelter opened a decade ago to meet an increasing need. 

While domestic violence remains prevalent, Forsythe noted it often “lives beneath the surface.” Many people remain unaware of the available help.

The local cost of living continues to rise, and Forsythe said any stressful situation can exacerbate the issue. She also noted that roughly 99% of domestic violence cases include some level of financial abuse. 

“There’s control of the bank accounts,” she explained. “Or they are putting somebody’s name on the lease and purposefully not paying the rent, so it damages credit, and somebody’s stuck.”

Soaring rents can prevent a victim from leaving their abuser. Forsythe said that on average, a survivor will attempt to go seven times before they are successful. 

CASA is helping lower those rates through a bevy of wraparound services. “Everything we do is free and confidential, because somebody could be a multimillionaire and not have control of their own bank accounts.” 

Representatives from St. Petersburg-based Power Design volunteer at the shelter.

While invaluable to those with nowhere to go, Forsythe admitted that communal living at the shelter is “tough.” However, CASA has a multitude of other resources to help victims, “whether they are utilizing the shelter component or not.” 

The nonprofit helped over 900 people attain permanent housing in 2024. Forsyth said offering financial assistance to ensure someone has a stable, safe home is a priority. 

She noted that operating a shelter is “really expensive.” About half of the facility’s residents are children, and CASA pays for “everything they need while they are there.” 

“We’re talking diapers, formulas, pack-and-plays, car seats, school supplies – think about a family of four and how much that costs on an annual basis,” Forsythe added. “We’re doing it for 100 people. That’s 22,000 bed nights a year.

“There’s only so much money in the system. We can’t provide that to everybody who needs assistance, and that’s why the Family Justice Center is so incredibly important.” 

CASA received national acclaim when it opened the state’s first Family Justice Center (FJC) in October 2022 at 1011 1st Ave. N. in St. Petersburg. The facility provides free, comprehensive, collaborative and trauma-informed services to domestic violence survivors and their families under one roof.

Studies show that in the first 45 days following a domestic violence incident with children, a victim must travel 20 times, relay their story 17 times, fill out 289 pages of paperwork and miss 53 hours of work. The FJC provided nearly 8,200 legal, medical, financial and familial services to over 1,600 adults and children last year. 

“We can bring someone in who doesn’t need shelter – or we don’t have the bed space – and still provide that support and those resources,” Forsythe said. “It’s a plethora of these different things … so they can move on to safety.” 

A new law requires police officers to ask potential victims 12 “lethality questions” to prevent overlooked domestic violence cases. While Forsythe called that a “great thing,” lawmakers did not attach funding to the legislation. 

She anticipates serving significantly more people, and it remains unclear how CASA will navigate the additional costs. The 48-year-old organization will host a fundraising “scavenger hunt” Oct. 25 throughout downtown St. Petersburg. 

Forsythe compared it to a walkathon with teams earning points for “discovering local gems” and celebrating the city’s history. “It’s super fun, but it’s a great way to educate people about domestic violence,” she said.

For more information on CASA, visit the website here.

A mural by artist Zulu Painter the Family Justice Center at 1011 1st Ave. N. in St. Petersburg. Photo by Mark Parker.