Safe Living Space was founded in 2021 after a troubling discovery during the COVID-19 pandemic: women seeking care for brain injuries from domestic and intimate partner violence were rising sharply, yet research and awareness on abuse-related brain injuries—including strangulation—were almost nonexistent. Without proper identification and treatment, survivors faced long-term cognitive, emotional, and physical challenges.

Recognizing that unrecognized brain injury extends beyond domestic violence—to homelessness, human trafficking, sports, falls, and daily life—Safe Living Space works to fill critical gaps in screening, awareness, and training. Our mission is to improve lives through research, education, and systemic change.

Our efforts are shaping national and global standards of care. In New York, our data contributed to statewide guidance requiring medical practitioners to screen DV/IPV survivors for traumatic brain injury. We submitted an Amicus Brief to the U.S. Supreme Court defining the first 24 hours after DV/IPV-related brain injury as a medical emergency. Partnering with the CDC, we have extended concussion education beyond sports to professionals serving DV/IPV survivors, protecting some of the most vulnerable populations.

Today, Safe Living Space continues to advance research, elevate awareness, and empower communities and professionals to recognize and respond to brain injury—ensuring everyone can live, work, and play safely.