Ywca Pierce County

YWCA PIERCE COUNTY FAMILY PERMANENCY PROJECT

WOMEN'S TRANSITIONAL HOUSING SHELTER FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

THE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE GRANTS FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING PROGRAM (TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM) IS AUTHORIZED BY 34 U.S.C. § 12351. THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE AID TO VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING WHO ARE HOMELESS, OR IN NEED OF TRANSITIONAL HOUSING OR OTHER HOUSING ASSISTANCE, AS A RESULT OF THEIR VICTIMIZATION, AND FOR WHOM EMERGENCY SHELTER SERVICES OR OTHER CRISIS INTERVENTION SERVICES ARE UNAVAILABLE OR INSUFFICIENT. A HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL IS ONE WHO LACKS A FIXED, REGULAR, AND ADEQUATE NIGHTTIME RESIDENCE, AND INCLUDES AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS SHARING THE HOUSING OF OTHER PERSONS DUE TO LOSS OF HOUSING, ECONOMIC HARDSHIP, OR A SIMILAR REASON. THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS HOLISTIC, SURVIVOR-CENTERED APPROACHES TO PROVIDING TRANSITIONAL HOUSING AND SUPPORT SERVICES THAT MOVE INDIVIDUALS INTO PERMANENT HOUSING AND HELP THEM SECURE EMPLOYMENT AND INTEGRATE INTO A COMMUNITY. PROJECTS MUST PROVIDE: 1) TRANSITIONAL HOUSING AND 2) SUPPORT SERVICES (TO INCLUDE FOLLOW-UP SERVICES) TO SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, OR STALKING. TRANSITIONAL HOUSING MODELS INCLUDE: COMMUNAL/SHARED FAMILY LIVING SPACES, CLUSTERED/INDIVIDUAL FAMILY CO-LOCATED SPACES AND SCATTERED SITE/INDIVIDUAL FAMILY SPACES INDEPENDENTLY LOCATED. PROJECTS MUST OFFER A MINIMUM OF SIX MONTHS AND MAXIMUM 24 MONTHS OF HOUSING ASSISTANCE. SUPPORT SERVICES CAN BE A WIDE RANGE OF SURVIVOR-CENTERED VOLUNTARY SERVICES FOCUSED ON EMPOWERING SURVIVORS AND ADDRESSING THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES FACED BY UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS BECAUSE OF GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION, RELIGION, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY, RACE, ETHNICITY AND SPECIAL NEEDS (SUCH AS LANGUAGE BARRIERS, DISABILITIES, ALIENAGE STATUS, OR AGE). EXAMPLES OF SURVIVOR-CENTERED VOLUNTARY SUPPORT SERVICES INCLUDE: RENTAL AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE, CASE MANAGEMENT, SAFETY PLANNING, CHILDCARE, TRANSPORTATION, CAREER COUNSELING, FINANCIAL AND CREDIT COUNSELING, SUPPORT GROUPS, INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING, JOB TRAINING, EDUCATION ATTAINMENT, LIMITED LEGAL ASSISTANCE (REGARDING HOUSING, PROTECTION ORDERS, AND LIMITED IMMIGRATION MATTERS THAT AFFECT A VICTIM’S ABILITY TO OBTAIN HOUSING), AND OTHER ASSISTANCE. PROJECTS ARE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN A COMPENSATED PARTNERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY TO ENSURE CONSISTENT QUALITY OF SERVICE. ONCE PERMANENT HOUSING IS SECURED, SURVIVOR-CENTERED VOLUNTARY FOLLOW-UP SERVICES ARE OFFERED TO SURVIVORS FOR A MINIMUM OF THREE MONTHS AND A MAXIMUM OF 12 MONTHS.

THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS FOR SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - OVERVIEW: THERAPEUTIC SERVICES ENCAPSULATES THE YWCA PIERCE COUNTY’S CHILDREN’S PROGRAM AND COUNSELING PROGRAM. BOTH PROGRAMS PROVIDE SUPPORT TO SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND THEIR CHILDREN TO ALLOW EVERY INDIVIDUAL IN THE FAMILY TO PROCESS THE TRAUMA THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED, AND TO BUILD ON THE RESILIENCE OF EACH PERSON. THIS THERAPEUTIC SUPPORT ENSURES THAT CLIENTS WE WORK WITH CAN DEVELOP THE SKILLS NEEDED TO SAFELY NAVIGATE THEIR LIVES AND TO ACCESS THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO THRIVE. A MULTI-FACETEDAPPROACH OFFERS TANGIBLE SUPPORT AND ADVOCACY COUPLED WITH THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS TO STRATEGICALLY ELIMINATE BARRIERS AND TO MEET THE NEEDS, WANTS, AND PRIORITIES AS DETERMINED BY EVERYONE WITH WHOM WE PARTNER. ALL SERVICES OFFERED ARE COMPLETELY FREE TO ACCESS FOR OUR CLIENTS AND DO NOT REQUIRE ANY QUALIFYING PROOF OF INCOME OR INSURANCE. THIS HOLISTIC, CLIENT-CENTERED APPROACH FORTIFIES ONE’S ABILITYTO STRENGTHEN ONESELF AND THEIR ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY AND SAFELY NAVIGATE THEIR LIVES. POPULATIONS OF FOCUS: OUR SERVICES SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF A WIDE POPULATION OF CHILDREN, ADULTS, AND FAMILIES THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AS ONE ASPECT OF THEIR EXPERIENCE. OUR MAIN CLIENT POPULATION IS THOSE INDIVIDUALS RESIDING WITHIN PIERCE COUNTY, WASHINGTON. BASED ON FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022 SERVICE NUMBERS, OUR COUNSELING PROGRAM WILL SERVE 50 INDIVIDUALS, COMPRISING 17% AFRICAN AMERICAN/BLACK; 4% ASIAN/ASIAN AMERICAN; 2% PACIFIC ISLANDER; 48% WHITE/CAUCASIAN; 13% LATINX/HISPANIC; 10% MULTI-ETHNIC; 85% FEMALE; 8% MALE; 6% TRANSGENDER. BASED ON FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022 SERVICE NUMBERS, OUR CHILDREN’S PROGRAM WILL SERVE 170 INDIVIDUALS, COMPRISING 33% AFRICAN AMERICAN/BLACK; 2% ASIAN/ASIAN AMERICAN; 31% WHITE/CAUCASIAN; 5% LATINX/HISPANIC; 1% NATIVE AMERICAN/ALASKAN NATIVE; 24% MULTI-ETHNIC; 53% FEMALE; 46% MALE; 28% 0–4 YEARS OLD; 49% 5–12 YEARS OLD; 19% 13–17 YEARS OLD; 3% 18–21 YEARS OLD. STRATEGIES/INTERVENTIONS: THE YWCA PIERCE THERAPEUTIC SERVICE DEPARTMENT EXISTS TO SERVE THE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF CHILDREN, ADULTS, AND FAMILIES IMPACTED BY INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH BEST PRACTICES OF HOLISTIC, TRAUMA-SPECIFIC CARE TO PROMOTE LASTING EMOTIONAL RESILIENCY, SKILL-BUILDING, AND COMMUNITY CHANGE. BOTH PROGRAMS AIM TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND THEIR CHILDREN TO ALLOW EVERY INDIVIDUAL IN THE FAMILY TO PROCESS, HEALING FROM, AND UNDERSTANDING THE TRAUMA THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED, AND TO IDENTIFY AND BUILD ON THE HOLISTIC RESILIENCE OF EACH PERSON. THESE INTERVENTIONS ARE CONSISTENTLY PROVIDED WITHIN TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS AND SPACES THAT ARE PREDICTABLE, SAFE, AND BEAUTIFUL. THIS THERAPEUTIC SUPPORT ENSURES THAT CLIENTS WITH WHOM WE WORK CAN DEVELOP THE SKILLS NEEDED TO SAFELY NAVIGATE THEIR LIVES IN SELF-DETERMINED, HEALTHY, AND NON-VIOLENT WAYS, AND TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO MOVE FORWARD AND THRIVE. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES INCLUDE SYSTEMIC ASSESSMENT, DIAGNOSIS, AND PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR CHILDREN, ADULTS, AND FAMILIES FOCUSING ON TRAUMA-SPECIFIC TREATMENT AND SUPPORT. THIS PROGRAM USES BOTH EVIDENCE-BASED AND TRAUMA-INFORMED PRACTICES TO SUPPORT HEALING IN FAMILIES THROUGH ART THERAPY, PLAY THERAPY, SKILL-BUILDING, AND TALK THERAPY. WE ALSO OFFER COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT FOR CLIENTS TO ENGAGE WITH OTHER RELATED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SUPPORTS IN THE COMMUNITY SUCH AS SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT, MEDICATION EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT, AND PEER COUNSELING. THE METHODS OF THE YWCA CHILDREN’S PROGRAM ARE GUIDED BY ELEMENTS OF TRAUMA-FOCUSED—COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY AND ARE GROUNDED IN RESEARCH OF PRACTICES THAT BUILD RESILIENCE. IN GROUPS FOR CHILDREN/YOUTH OF ALL AGES, WE TEACH EMOTION REGULATION SKILLS OR “COOL-DOWN SKILLS” WHICH ARE ADAPTED FROM THE TF-CBT SESSIONS RELATED TO PSYCHOEDUCATION.