Two former employees of Saving Grace say they were denied the very services the organization provides

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)-- Monica and Michelle are former employees at Saving Grace, the only nonprofit in Central Oregon providing resources for victims of domestic violence. During their year of employment, both were dealing with their own cases.

Michelle says she left her job as a bilingual advocate when she was denied domestic violence services.

"I would communicate with my colleagues about my situation. I was just letting go of my experiences, talking to my co-workers," Michelle said. "That caught the attention of my supervisor, that I should not be talking about my situation, because the advocates would not have the capacity to help me - it was a conflict of interest."

Monica was working as an advocate for victims and says she, too, was denied service.

"I also had asked if I could still work with my advocate," she said. "Because when I asked her, she wasn't sure if there would be a conflict of interest there. She said that they probably wouldn't let me."

She filed, a complaint which led to an investigation by the Oregon Department of Justice, which found no wrongdoing by Saving Grace. Due to confidentiality regulations, management said they can't comment on the complaints by the two women. The nonprofit did share a policy that says no victim will be denied help - including employees.

Board President Andrew Davis said, "Saving Grace is an organization that has been here for a long time and does really exceptional work in our community, and is going to continue to do that exceptional work and be here for survivors."

Monica also claims that during her employment, she was denied paid leave and a schedule change due to her disability, as well as her case.

"I had to take the cut," she said. "I had to sacrifice money that I really needed, to support myself and my son, and in order to spend time on my case and still keep my job."

Workers who are victims of domestic violence are protected by the state, meaning employers have to allow victims to take paid leave or change schedules due to legal assistance, safety concerns or medical treatment.

When asked if the organization believes they handled the situation correctly, Davis had this to say:
"I'm really grateful that we had that neutral investigation, and that it came back that we weren't violating any policies. I think that's what's really important. "

Saving Grace points to the state of Oregon's "undue hardship" policy, which states that paid leave can be denied if it causes unnecessary difficulties or expenses.

Monica believes she was let go from Saving Grace for filing a complaint, but says she is ready to continue the cause.

"I think my next step is healing, and on the side, I would like to start researching how to do that. "

Saving Grace says this year, they have served nearly 15,000 victims through therapy and legal help, as well as protected places to stay.

If you or someone you know is a victim, you can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-7233, chat at https://www.thehotline.org/ or texting START to 88788.