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SHELTER TOUR
A person entering a shelter has taken a courageous step to regain control over their lives and to ensure safety for themselves and their children.
Although no shelter can guarantee the safety of its residents, many precautions are taken to help ensure the security of the battered women and children who live there. There are people on duty 24 hours a day who are trained to respond to emergency situations, and who are able to closely monitor access to the building. The staff can also offer emergency counseling to shelter residents who may need to talk at hours when other residents are asleep. The focus in the shelter is on stabilizing their lives, helping them understand their options, and increasing their ability to achieve their goals. For victims of domestic violence, Solutions Center offers individual and group counseling sessions with a social worker or therapist to allow a woman to talk about her experiences and sort through her feelings.
Once in shelter, many of the women are focused on moving into permanent housing and getting jobs to support their children. There is a housing counselor on staff to assist women in locating a permanent residence. To make the transition easier once they do find housing, shelter staff members work with women to acquire independent living skills such as parenting, financial management and household management.
 The shelter for men offers nightly residential services for 12 guests including meals, clothing, shower and laundry facilities in order to assist men in crisis to stabilize their lives. Men can stay for up to 30 days while working with a case manager to address barriers to stability. Guests are provided with referrals to community resources, assistance with social security benefits, and housing applications. |
