Women's Collective
A peer-led circle for survivors to heal, learn, and lead together — the Phoenix Empower Program at the center of our ministry.
Rise with us
Survivor-centered advocacy in Missouri
Healing women — and helping them rise.
Ascend is a not-for-profit ministry that walks beside women who have survived domestic abuse — including women with disabilities and women who are or have been incarcerated — as they rebuild safe, self-determined lives.
24/7Advocacy & support
1 in 4Women experience severe abuse
TwiceThe violence risk for women with disabilities
Confidential help · 24/7
You are not alone. Trained advocates can listen, safety-plan, and connect you to shelter and legal help — free and confidential.
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)Who we are
A ministry built on one belief: no woman is beyond restoring.
Ascend Disability & Domestic Assault Ministry (A.D.A.) is a survivor-led, not-for-profit organization designed to help battered women who are, or have been, incarcerated rebuild their lives. Too often, the women who fight back against an abuser are the ones punished for it — and then left without housing, work, or a way back.
We meet survivors where they are and stay with them through the long work of rebuilding: safety, legal navigation, stable housing, disability access, and the confidence to stand on their own. Our Phoenix Rise women's collective is the heart of that work — a place where women rise together.
“A phoenix rises from what tried to destroy it. So do the women we serve.”
We also educate the community, partner with coalitions, and advocate for the laws and protections — like the Violence Against Women Act — that keep survivors safe.
How we help
The Rise Path
Safety is not a single moment — it is a path walked one step at a time. Our advocates walk it with you, from the first phone call to a life that is fully your own.
Safety & crisis support
24/7 listening, risk assessment, safety planning, and warm referrals to shelter and hotlines.
Advocacy & legal navigation
Help understanding restraining orders, court dates, victim rights, and the criminal-legal system.
Housing & VAWA protections
Connecting survivors to emergency and transitional housing, and to the housing rights VAWA guarantees.
Reentry & restoration
Support for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated survivors — records, benefits, and a fresh start.
Independence & leadership
Education, employment, peer support, and the Phoenix Rise collective where survivors lead.
What we do
Programs & services
Free, confidential, and built around each survivor's own goals.
Incarcerated & formerly incarcerated survivors
Advocacy for women criminalized for defending themselves, plus reentry planning, documentation, and community connection.
Disability & Deaf access
Trauma-informed support adapted for women with disabilities — accessible safety planning, communication access, and referrals.
Housing & economic stability
Emergency and transitional housing pathways, VAWA housing protections, and help with benefits and employment.
Legal advocacy
Court accompaniment, victim-rights information, and navigation of protective orders and family-law systems.
Community education
Training for faith communities, employers, and agencies on recognizing abuse and supporting survivors well.
Who we serve
Every survivor deserves to be believed.
Abuse does not discriminate — and neither should help. We focus on survivors who are most often overlooked, and we design every service to remove the barriers that keep them from safety.
People with disabilities experience violent crime at about twice the rate of those without, and face added barriers to reporting and finding help. Women who defend themselves against an abuser are far more likely to be arrested — while the abuser goes free. Black women and women of color carry intersecting burdens of racism and abuse. Our advocacy is built for exactly these survivors.
- Survivors of domestic violence — women seeking safety, healing, and a way forward.
- Women with disabilities — Deaf and disabled survivors needing accessible, adapted support.
- Incarcerated & formerly incarcerated survivors — women whose survival was punished by the system.
- Black women & women of color — honoring the leaders and survivors who carry the work forward.
- Families & children — because healing a mother heals a household.
Know the signs
Understanding domestic violence
Abuse is a pattern of power and control — not a one-time loss of temper. Recognizing the pattern is the first step toward safety.
Coercive controlMonitoring your phone, money, or movements; making all the decisions.
Physical & sexual harmHitting, choking, restraining, or forcing sex, or threats to do so.
Emotional abuseConstant criticism, humiliation, gaslighting, and blame.
IsolationCutting you off from family, friends, work, or faith.
Economic abuseControlling income, sabotaging jobs, or hiding shared resources.
Disability-specific abuseWithholding medication, mobility aids, or care; controlling a service animal or benefits.
If someone tells you they're being abused
- Believe them, and say so plainly.
- Listen without judging or giving orders.
- Ask what they want — support their choices.
- Help them find advocates, hotlines, and safety planning.
What to avoid
- Never ask what they did to “deserve” it — abuse is never the victim's fault.
- Don't pressure them to leave on your timeline.
- Don't share their story without permission.
- Don't confront the abuser or risk their safety.
Help & resources
Where to turn right now
These services are free, confidential, and available 24/7. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)TTY 1-800-787-3224 · Text START to 88788 · thehotline.org
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
1-800-656-HOPE (4673)Confidential 24/7 support for survivors of sexual violence · rainn.org
StrongHearts Native Helpline
1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483)Culturally based, confidential support for Native survivors.
Know your rights: the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
VAWA and its housing protections mean survivors cannot be denied or evicted from federally assisted housing simply because they experienced abuse — and you can request an emergency transfer for safety. You cannot be required to press charges to receive help. Survivors also have rights to confidentiality, to workplace accommodations in many cases, and to interpretation services. Our advocates can help you understand and use these protections.
Stand with survivors
Help a woman rise
Whether you give, serve, or share — you become part of the path from danger to dignity.
Give
Your gift funds safety planning, reentry support, and housing help for survivors with nowhere else to turn.
Make a donation →Volunteer
Lend your skills — legal, administrative, mentoring, or community outreach — to survivors rebuilding their lives.
Get in touch →Partner & share
Churches, coalitions, employers, and agencies: host training and help us reach the women still waiting.
Partner with us →Contact us
Reach Ascend
If you are a survivor, a family member, or someone who wants to help — we would like to hear from you.
- Phone573-268-6271
- ServingSurvivors across Missouri — advocacy in person and by phone.
- Followascenddomesticadvocacy.org