Thirty years on, Peace House streamlines help for survivors

Photo: Peace House

PARK CITY, Utah — Peace House is marking its 30th year with a refreshed brand and website designed to make services easier to find while underscoring its mission to end domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking in Summit and Wasatch counties.

“We’re not just looking back—we’re looking forward,” Executive Director Kendra Wyckoff said. “Our new look honors our legacy while embracing the bold, visionary work ahead. As we celebrate 30 years, we reaffirm our promise to build a world where everyone can live free from violence.”

The brand update adds advocacy colors long associated with survivor services. “We took into account things like purple being the color of domestic violence, or teal being the color for sexual assault, that actually weren’t present in our brand book of old, but now we have those built into our brand kit,” said Erika Carlson, director of marketing and communications. The project followed a two-year strategic planning process. Peace House issued an RFP early this year, contracted with Declarative in April, and began creative work in May with a small committee of staff, former board members, and community representatives, Carlson said. She added that the new mark nods to an earlier Peace House logo featuring a bird, reflecting “a survivor’s journey” and autonomy.

Carlson said the new website prioritizes navigation and plain-language guidance for people who are unsure whether a relationship is unsafe. “If you’re suspecting that maybe an intimate partner situation could be dangerous, we want you to be able to go to our website, figure out how to get potential help if you need it,” she said. The site will also streamline access to events, newsletters, and volunteer opportunities.

The anniversary year will highlight “30 stories for 30 years,” gathering perspectives from former executive directors, board members, volunteers, and, when possible, survivors, with confidentiality safeguards such as voice changes or omitting images. “We are open to whoever wants to share,” Carlson said.

Wyckoff said Utah’s intimate partner violence remains a persistent public-safety crisis. Citing long-term trends, she said domestic-violence homicides have represented “a significant percentage of overall homicides for over 20 years.” She noted that a state-mandated Lethality Assessment Protocol adopted about two years ago has increased on-scene identification and service connections. “Since that has been mandated, we’ve seen a 65% increase in the number of cases that have been referred to Peace House from our law enforcement partners,” she said. Wyckoff also reported an uptick in strangulation cases and described coordination with law enforcement and medical providers to connect survivors with forensic strangulation exams.

When survivors call or arrive in crisis, staff “listen to survivors” first, Wyckoff said, then use evidence-based tools—the Lethality Assessment for time-limited situations and the more comprehensive Danger Assessment—to gauge risk, educate about danger, and safety-plan according to the survivor’s goals. Plans can include emergency shelter, legal advocacy for protective orders, and safety plans for survivors who remains in the home, she said.

Beyond emergency shelter, Peace House offers clinical therapy, case management, children’s services, transitional housing, and prevention education in schools and the community. Programs such as Safe Bars train hospitality workers to spot red flags and intervene safely,  Wyckoff shared.

Peace House 2024/2025 Impact Report showed they provided 5,054 nights of emergency shelter, housing 30 adults and children in transitional housing for 6,648 nights, delivering 1,386 hours of clinical therapy and 1,401 hours of case management, assisting 155 survivors with legal advocacy, supporting 101 adult and youth survivors through sexual-assault services (including advocacy for 17 forensic exams), answering 1,759 helpline contacts, and logging 3,042 volunteer hours and 347 hours of respite child care.

Wyckoff said the need outpaces available resources. “We need more resources to meet survivors where they’re at, and that includes resources in programs like Peace House to ensure that we have not just the capacity—the physical space—but the staff that can provide the quality of care,” she said. Over three decades, Peace House has “served over 10,000 survivors,” she added, crediting community support with expanding a “continuum of care.”

“While the look is new, our purpose remains the same,” Wyckoff said. “Peace House is, and always will be, a refuge for anyone affected by interpersonal violence or abuse—a place where healing begins, and hope is restored.”

Peace House’s 24/7 confidential helpline is 800-647-9161, and more information is available at peacehouse.org.