NextStep Staff at our annual Lumberskills Fundraiser Event
We believe every individual has a right to live in safety and without fear of abuse.
Although the world has changed significantly over the last 40 years, we continue to honor the visionary work of the women who ignited what became known as the “battered women’s movement” in the 1970s. They knew domestic abuse was not a personal problem, but rather a violation of civil and human rights. It was out of that important movement that NextStep emerged.
We started in 1984 as a satellite office of Spruce Run Association, the first domestic violence project in Maine and the third in the U.S. Six years later, a concerned group of Hancock County residents put into motion their plan to serve victims and survivors of domestic abuse in their own communities as “The Next Step Domestic Violence Project of Hancock County.”
In 2004, we broadened our reach to include our neighbors in Washington County, changing our name to “Next Step Domestic Violence Project.” Currently we use the simplified name “NextStep” to reflect our commitment to victims and survivors not just of domestic violence, but also of other types of interpersonal violence and abuse.
For more than 25 years, NextStep has been leading Downeast Maine’s efforts to end domestic violence and abuse. Throughout Washington and Hancock Counties—from Eastport to Topsfield, Bar Harbor to Bucksport—we are on a mission to end domestic violence in our homes and in our communities.
Nationally, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 7 men will experience physical violence by an intimate partner during their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Our partners at Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence report that a domestic violence assault is reported to Maine law enforcement every 2 hours and 5 minutes, and in 2017 these assaults comprised more than 40% of the total assaults reported.
“Domestic violence is reported to Maine law enforcement every 2 hours and 5 minutes.”
It is important to recognize that while domestic abuse is most likely to occur within intimate couples who are married, living together, or dating, the term also includes stalking, elder abuse, and commercial sex trafficking.
We are here to help whether you are a survivor experiencing abuse by your partner, you are concerned about an individual you know, or you are moved to help us shine a light on this important issue.
Our free services – available to our community members of every gender, sexual orientation, age, race, nationality, religion, and economic status – include a 24/7 Helpline, emergency shelter, safety planning and emotional support, legal assistance and court accompaniment, long-term supportive housing, education and support groups, and resource referrals.
We do not do our work in isolation. Through a Task Force comprising representatives from various police departments, probation, and the district attorney’s office, we network with law enforcement personnel in order to ensure abuser accountability and victim safety. For the safety of survivors, we also monitor abuser education groups.
NextStep is part of a statewide network of Domestic Violence Resource Centers working together as members of the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence. We have counterparts throughout the United States and around the world.
We have an all-volunteer board of directors, a dedicated corps of direct service and community response volunteers, and staff based in Ellsworth and Machias (and, by appointment only, in Calais). Our team of educators, in partnership with local organizations and law enforcement, effectively deliver community education programs, design and implement workplace policy and awareness initiatives, and advocate for policies throughout Maine that will hold abusive people accountable and keep survivors safe.
NextStep Inclusivity Pledge
Every aspect of NextStep’s work is guided by the principles described in our Vision Statement: NextStep envisions a peaceful society in which individuals enjoy equality, respect, autonomy, and compassion in all relationships. In keeping with these promises, NextStep representatives strive to value and exhibit inclusivity in all our work. Find NextStep’s Inclusivity Pledge below: