Medical Advocacy is also a part of HOPE’s on-call system. This occurs when a victim is admitted into the hospital because of DV & requests to speak to an Advocate in-person (It is essentially an in-person hotline call).
On-call Advocates may be called to a Medical Advocacy meeting at either the
Allegheny Valley Hospital (Natrona Heights) or St. Margaret’s Hospital (Fox Chapel).
Advocates are available on an on-call basis to perform EPFA’s at the local Allegheny Valley Hospital for Allegheny County residents.
An Emergency Protection from Abuse Order (EPFA) is a court order signed by a judge that tells the abuser they can’t have any contact with the victim. These orders are issued for incidents of violence/threats that happen when the courts are closed. If the judge grants the EPFA, it is only good for a limited amount of time (until the end of the next court business day). Screening is done on the hotline & the on-call Advocate is then notified & dispatched if the victim meets the criteria to apply for an EPFA.
A Temporary Protection from Abuse Order (TPFA) is obtained at the courthouse in the county that a victim resides in. These orders can last up to 7-10 business days. If the order is granted by the judge, a final hearing will be set. A Final order can be issued for up to 3 years.
Where to Apply for a P.F.A.
(Protection From Abuse)
Allegheny County
Emergency PFA’s can be filed at the Municipal Courts Building, 660 First Avenue, in Pittsburgh between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Emergency PFA’s are only valid until the next business day, which is 5:00 p.m.. Applications for a Temporary PFA are accepted every Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., with the temporary hearing beginning at 11:30 a.m. Intake is also done from 1:00 pm to 2:30 p.m. but we strongly suggest going down for morning intake. If a Temporary PFA is granted, a hearing for the Permanent PFA (up to 3 years of protection) will be scheduled at that time. Temporary PFA’s can be filed at the Family Court Building, 440 Ross Street (the location of the old county jail), Room 3030, in Pittsburgh. This is an all-day process, please plan on staying at the courthouse for most of the day. Free child care is available, however, space is limited.
Westmoreland County
Emergency PFA’s can be obtained at the person’s local police department between the hours of 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. An Emergency PFA is only valid until the next business day. Applications for a Temporary PFA (valid until the next hearing for the Final PFA which is 7-10 days) are accepted every Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The court breaks for lunch between the hours of 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. Temporary hearings are heard on that day. If a Temporary PFA is granted, a hearing for the Permanent PFA (protection up to 3 years) will be scheduled at that time. PFA’s can be filed at the Greensburg Court House, 2 North Main Street, Room 401– 4th Floor- in Greensburg.