YWCA offers full range of services for women, children

The Healdsburg Tribune is featuring a special series on
domestic violence in Sonoma County. This is the second in the 10
week series leading up to Domestic Violence Awareness Month in
October. The series will cover the services available to victims of
domestic violence, the fiscal constraints of the organizations that
provide those services and the volunteers who give their time to
help those who have been affected.
Through prevention, intervention, and treatment, the YWCA
empowers women to overcome domestic violence and take control of
their lives. And with the Board of Supervisors’ 5-0 approval on
Tuesday of a new Family Justice Center Sonoma County at 2755
Mendocino Avenue, the YWCA and partner organizations are set to
take the campaign against domestic violence to a new level.
“At the heart of all of our YWCA programs is our domestic
violence services program,” said Director of Program Services
Jennifer Lake. “We provide intervention, prevention and treatment
services for victims of domestic violence with the goal of helping
them sustain themselves and break free. That’s the ultimate goal—to
help them figure out how to create new lives.”
To this end, YWCA takes a multi-pronged approach to combating
domestic violence. Volunteers and staff undertake community
outreach to increase awareness of domestic violence and hopefully
prevent it before it starts. But for women and children already
experiencing domestic violence, the YWCA provides a Safe House,
support groups, individual therapy, advocacy, and connection to a
host of partner organizations that enable access to housing,
education, and legal and immigration services. The YWCA also
provides services for youth, including a preschool for at-risk
children. (The Preschool, A Special Place, will be chronicled in a
future article.)
In short, the YWCA offers all the tools necessary for battered
women to break the cycle, become independent, and ultimately heal
themselves and their families. But the first challenge is
convincing women to reach out for help.
“The biggest barrier is fear,” Lake said. “Fear about the
process. People sometimes think they’re reporting their batterer to
law enforcement when they reach our hotline. But we are completely
confidential. Anything you say to me is confidential, and you’re
not reporting to law. You’re not getting anybody in trouble.”
The one exception to confidentiality is the case of child abuse.
If a woman reports that a child is being abused, the YWCA is
required by law to pass this information on to Child Protective
Services.
The domestic violence hotline—(707) 546-1234—is the first point
of entry for battered women. Trained hotline volunteers answer the
phone and assess the caller’s situation. The caller is then
directed to the form of help best suited to her individual
case.
Some women will be directed to the Safe House, a dormitory-style
accommodation with 22 beds available. Hidden in plain sight at an
undisclosed location, the Safe House offers women a safe, free
60-day stay with all the comforts of home, plus individual and
group therapy. Staff go out of their way to make the house cozy and
personalized: upon arrival, each woman receives her own handmade
quilt and a bag of small gifts.
“If they request a certain cereal, we get it for them, so
they’re not drawn to leave for any reason,” said Alicia Sims, Safe
House Services Manager. “We want it to feel like home.”
In addition to the provision of creature comforts, each woman is
assigned a case manager to shepherd her through the recovery
process. YWCA advocates guide and connect clients to resources that
aid all aspects of the recovery process, including assistance with
establishing financial independence.
Children are not only permitted at the Safe House, they’re
welcomed by staff and volunteers with open arms—and even given toys
upon arrival. Children enjoy their own playroom and play yard, and
are provided access to therapy. Volunteers are on hand to help
supervise playtime while mom is meeting with advocates or
participating in therapy sessions.
Once the family’s stay is finished, YWCA’s Adobe program
supports the newly independent woman for an additional two years to
help ensure her continued emotional health and safety.
Women who do not require a safe accommodation are directed to
the Family Justice Center Sonoma County. The FJCSC, which received
approval Tuesday for a permanent physical location at 2755
Mendocino Avenue, is currently operational: seven staff members,
working since April, have made over 400 referrals already. A
temporary, mini-FJC—housing some, but not all, of the future
on-site partners—is currently located at the Santa Rosa Police
Department.
“The Family Justice Center is a concept that started down in San
Diego, and the idea was to bring together client services in one
building,” explained Jacque Reid, Navigator for the Family Justice
Center. “The current model is to have victim services and
prosecution and law enforcement working together under one roof to
best serve the victim. In Sonoma County, sometimes victims would
have to go to 23 locations all over Santa Rosa. If you live in the
unincorporated area, or you don’t have transportation, or you have
children, that’s a huge hurdle.”
The FJCSC is comprised of nine on-site community organization
and law enforcement partners, including the YWCA, Victim Assistance
Center, United Against Sexual Assault, Catholic Charities, the
Santa Rosa Police Department Sexual Assault Unit, and the Sonoma
County Sheriff’s Department Domestic Violence Unit. Twenty two
additional off-site partners will provide victims with additional
services.
“It is the best practice in the service of victims of family
violence,” District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua said at Tuesday’s
Board of Supervisors meeting. He noted that a family justice center
in Alameda County had resulted in a 25 percent reduction in
dismissal of domestic violence cases, suggesting that the center
had helped victims navigate the prosecution process.
“This isn’t just a best practices concept, it’s a next practices
concept,” Supervisor Efren Carrillo said, giving his approval
before the unanimous 5-0 vote to approve the FJSC’s plans.