Connections For Abused Women And Their Children

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - CONSTRUCTION - CONNECTIONS FOR ABUSED WOMEN AND THEIR CHILDREN’S (CAWC) COMPREHENSIVE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICES INCLUDE CRISIS INTERVENTION, SAFETY PLANNING/ASSESSMENT, LEGAL ADVOCACY, INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP COUNSELING, SPECIAL PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS, FAMILY GROUPS AND PARENTING WORKSHOPS. INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES ARE PROVIDED ASSISTANCE ACCESSING APPROPRIATE SERVICES TO MEET A WIDE RANGE OF HEALTH, LEGAL, ECONOMIC, EDUCATION, HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT AND OTHER NEEDS. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICES ARE ESSENTIAL FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF A COMMUNITY. CAWC’S SERVICES ARE DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED TO BE MULTICULTURAL AND MULTILINGUAL IN SCOPE TO SUPPORT FAMILIES FROM ANY BACKGROUND, MAKING THE ORGANIZATION BETTER EQUIPPED TO SUPPORT FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS FROM ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS. WITHOUT A BILINGUAL COUNSELOR OR ADVOCATE, SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WHO DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH MAY NOT BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE OR HAVE TROUBLE ACCESSING RESOURCES. CAWC’S STAFF PROVIDE SERVICES IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, AND SEVERAL OTHER LANGUAGES. BY IMPLEMENTING THESE DIVERSE STRATEGIES, CAWC CAN REACH A HIGHER PERCENT OF SURVIVORS IN NEED. A ROBUST BODY OF RESEARCH ALSO POINTS TO A LINK BETWEEN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND COMMUNITY VIOLENCE, INDICATING THAT CHILDREN WHO EXPERIENCE OR WITNESS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ARE MORE LIKELY TO PERPETRATE VIOLENCE AND/OR EXPERIENCE VIOLENCE LATER IN LIFE. THROUGH PROGRAMMING AT GREENHOUSE SHELTER AND HPOP, CAWC PROVIDES SPECIALIZED CRISIS INTERVENTION ACTIVITIES FOR YOUTH AGED 18 AND UNDER TO INCREASE CHILDREN’S CAPACITY TO PROTECT THEMSELVES IN A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SITUATION AND DECREASE THE CHANCE THEY WILL BE INVOLVED IN VIOLENCE IN THE FUTURE. THE NEW FACILITY AT 3311-3321 W. CARROLL AVE WILL HOLD TWO OF CAWC’S PRIMARY PROGRAMS, GREENHOUSE SHELTER AND HUMBOLDT PARK OUTREACH PROGRAM (HPOP). GREENHOUSE SHELTER HOUSES SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND THEIR CHILDREN WITH STAFF PROVIDING CRISIS INTERVENTION, SAFETY P LANNING, INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP COUNSELING FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN, LEGAL ADVOCACY, CASE MANAGEMENT AND ASSISTANCE WITH ACCESSING SAFETY NET RESOURCES. OPERATING 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, GREENHOUSE SHELTER ALSO MANAGES CAWC’S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE PROVIDING AROUND-THE-CLOCK EMERGENCY RESPONSE, INFORMATION AND SUPPORT TO VICTIMS OF ABUSE AND CONCERNED THIRD PARTY CALLERS. ONCE THE NEW SHELTER IS BUILT, CAWC WILL PROVIDE SHELTER TO 275 SURVIVORS AND THEIR CHILDREN (125 ADULTS AND 150 CHILDREN) WITHIN A 12-MONTH PERIOD AND PROVIDE 28,000 HOURS OF DIRECT SERVICES. HPOP IS A COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES BILINGUAL (ENGLISH/SPANISH) SERVICES TO ADULT SURVIVORS AND THEIR CHILDREN. SERVICES INCLUDE CRISIS INTERVENTION, LETHALITY ASSESSMENT AND SAFETY PLANNING, INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP COUNSELING, LEGAL ADVOCACY AND INFORMATION AND REFERRAL TO VITAL COMMUNITY RESOURCES. EACH YEAR, CAWC SERVES APPROXIMATELY 1,000 INDIVIDUALS, BUT RATES AND SEVERITY OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CONTINUE TO INCREASE. THERE IS AN URGENT NEED FOR CAWC’S EXPANDED CAPACITY. ONCE THE NEW FACILITY IS BUILT, CAWC ANTICIPATES THE FOLLOWING INCREASES ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION: -20% INCREASE IN HOURS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICES OFFERED EACH YEAR -25% INCREASE IN THE SUPPORT OFFERED BY TEXT, WEB-CHAT, AND OUR 24-HOUR HOTLINE -29% INCREASE IN SURVIVORS ABLE TO WORK WITH A LEGAL ADVOCATE -37% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ADULTS ABLE TO RECEIVE LIFE-SAVING COUNSELING THE NEW BUILDING WILL INCLUDE MORE COMMON SPACES, INCLUDING A KITCHEN AND GATHERING SPACE LARGE ENOUGH TO SEAT STAFF AND CLIENTS, A SUPPORTIVE SPACE FOR GROUP COUNSELING, A TECHNOLOGY CENTER TO SUPPORT WORK AND EDUCATION ENDEAVORS, A NURTURING AREA FOR TEENAGERS TO LEARN AND HEAL IN A PEER COMMUNITY, AND AN UPLIFTING PLAY AREA TO SUPPORT YOUNGER CHILDREN. CAWC WILL ALSO INCLUDE SPACES DEDICATED TO INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING, WHICH ARE NECESSARY TO PROTECT CLIENTS’ CONFIDENTIALITY BUT IN LIMITED AVAILABILITY IN THE CURRENT SHELTER. THIS PROJEC T WILL ALLOW CAWC TO

HOMELESS ASSISTANCE

HOMELESS ASSISTANCE

HOMELESS ASSISTANCE

HOMELESS ASSISTANCE

HOMELESS ASSISTANCE

CONTINUUM OF CARE PROGRAM