SERVICES
- Four (4) 24-Hour Helplines: The core of our services is the four 24-Hour Helplines. Helplines are answered by staff and trained volunteers and provide survivors with information, referrals, peer counseling, and access to shelter and other services. One Helpline specifically serves survivors with limited or no English skills.
- Emergency Shelters: Shelter can mean life or death to an individual who is experiencing violence from a family member. There are many women who have no safe place for them or their children to sleep or eat. Shelter stay is short term and is determined by individual needs and resources.
- Counseling: Staff and trained volunteers provide peer and crisis counseling, information on the dynamics of domestic violence and possible options available to increase safety.
- Crisis Intervention: Staff and volunteers provide intervention after office hours at the point of crisis. They provide emergency counseling, shelter, information, and transportation.
- Support Groups: Women are encouraged to participate in these groups – for it is through the sharing of their own experience, strength and hope that changes lives.
- Referrals: Because of the diverse needs, it is important for staff to know where, what types and the procedures to access other sources of assistance available within each county.
- Legal Advocacy: Staff can provide court accompaniment, legal advocacy, monitoring of court systems, and interaction with the Criminal Justice System. HomeSafe has contributed to significant changes in the Criminal Justice System toward survivors of domestic violence.
- Community Education & Prevention Programs: Staff and Volunteers provide presentations and trainings to schools, churches, civic, and community groups about the dynamics of domestic violence to help individuals recognize and avoid violent relationships. Information is also given about the HomeSafe program and its financial, in-kind and volunteer needs.
- Follow-up Services: These services include ongoing personal and telephone contact.
- Children’s Program: Specific needs of children who are residents of the shelters are provided such as counseling, needs assessments, referrals, advocacy, and recreational activities.
- The “Embrace” Program: This program was specifically designed to insure equal and quality services to all survivors considered underserved. A bi-lingual staff person provides services to Spanish speaking survivors and other languages with contracted translators.
- Basic Human Needs: Due to the economic abuse experienced, the program assists survivors with food, clothing, personal grooming items, and household items as available. Many of these items are provided through in-kind donations.
- YouthSafe: To fulfill HomeSafe’s mission to reduce violence in all domestic relationships, the YouthSafe program provides presentations on healthy relationships and teen dating violence in the Middle and High Schools of HomeSafe’s service area.
These significant services will continue to improve and expand until the day arrives when no adult or child has a fear of violence from a family member.