With the $37,000 state grant, the substance abuse treatment provider Recovery Resources and the domestic abuse assistance agency Quanada will be combining their services. Women dealing with both issues will be identified through a screening process in place at both centers.

"It's one person and you can't split them in half. They need to be treated as a whole," said Ron Howell, executive director of Recovery Resources.

"Eighty to 85 percent of women who seek (substance abuse) treatment have a history of domestic violence," said Jeanne Hansen, coordinator of community intervention services at the Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse. "We know a woman's sobriety is affected by her safety issues. When we increase her chances for safety, we increase her chances for sobriety."

"The challenge is to agree which has to come first," said Karen Gill of the Bureau of Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention. "Safety has to come first ... then they can begin to negotiate what has to come next and next and next."

Participation between the agencies may include sending Recovery Resources staff to the Quanada location in order to provide treatment to those women who fear for their safety.