Tri-County Council re-opens after short closure

According to Casey Wagner, the new executive director of the Tri-County Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, the council is once again open after a closure of over a month. The organization underwent a restaffing and restructuring period, but is now open and ready to help community members that are in need of resources.

Tri-County, as the organization is more commonly known, is a non-profit organization offering services for victims, including individuals and families. They provide victim advocacy and accompaniment for emergency medical services or sexual assault exams. The council helps with safety planning, helping people prepare for a situation that may escalate at any time. This includes helping people create a “go-bag,” or a bag they can grab in just seconds should they need to leave their home if a situation escalates and gets out of hand. They also provide legal advocacy, help with restraining orders and other victim services in Vilas, Oneida and Forest counties.

Wagner said Lilly’s House is a safe house under the Tri-County umbrella where people can stay if they are, for instance, running from an abusive situation. The shelter is completely confidential and locked down, allowing those in dangerous situations to feel safe, sometimes for the first time in a long time. She said that shelter is the most used shelter in the three-county area, but there are shelters in each county for people and families in need.

The organization does also help with housing, which can be difficult in the Northwoods, but they can help people apply to housing services to help people get back on their feet. Wagner said the Safe at Home Program in the State of Wisconsin provides fake addresses to victims to put on file so abusers or other dangerous individuals cannot find them while they get back on their feet and get their lives back together. Tri-County also helps victims navigate that program.

Tri-County also operates a 24/7 crisis hotline, which is manned by staff as well as trained volunteers. Wagner said this is one area where Tri-County could use help from potential volunteers. Keeping the phones staffed around the clock is critical, especially for someone fleeing a dangerous situation in the middle of the night or a sexual assault victim who needs immediate help. 

“We help way more people than I would have ever thought it was,” Wagner said of the number of people in need of Tri-County’s services. “In 2025, we provided over 780 services and we had over 300 clients and almost 300 hotline calls.” She said she did not realize how many of these problems were out there until she got into the field.

When looking at ways others in the community can help, Wagner said there is a wish list for the shelter on the organization’s website. Things such as pre-paid phones, security cameras, bedding, paper products and many other things are on the list.

Tri-County is also open for volunteers. Many volunteers like to take shifts with the hotline, and they can also be trained to transport clients to appointments or other places. There are also vacancies on the organization’s board of directors for those interested in getting involved.

The organization is funded through state and federal grants as well as money from Oneida County. While these funds allow the organization to run, they also do a good deal of fundraising in order to help as many people as possible. Wagner said one of those fundraisers is coming up in March. From 4 to 8 p.m. on March 3, Cool Beans Froyo Cafe in Rhinelander will hold a fundraiser where a portion of the proceeds from that time slot will be donated to Tri-County.

Wagner said Tri-County will also be at the Up North Community Expo on March 5. This event, held in Rhinelander, is a resource fair for community members and she said it is also a great place to network and let more people know about the services her organization offers. 

To learn more about Tri-County Council, see their website at https://www.tricountycouncil.org/.

Beckie Gaskill may be reached via email at [email protected].