FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Holly Ferris
Ferris Communications for
WomenShelter of Long Beach
(562) 429-6456
WomenShelter of
Long Beach Provides Vital Programs for Victims of Domestic Violence
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Serving the Greater Long Beach area for
more than 25 years, WomenShelter of Long Beach offers an array of programs
and services aimed at ending the cycle of domestic violence through
education, intervention and prevention. Programs and services
include an emergency shelter, 24-hour crisis line, Resource Center,
and Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART). Today, WomenShelter continues
to be the only domestic violence emergency shelter in Long Beach.
“Domestic
violence tends to be a subject most people avoid, but it’s a problem
that needs to be addressed, “said
Brenda Weathers,
WomenShelter’s executive director. “With more than 32,000 women
seeking assistance for domestic violence each year in Los Angeles County,
it’s vital that organizations like WomenShelter are available to help
the victims and their children stop the cycle of violence.”
Emergency Shelter
Located
at an undisclosed address, the emergency shelter provides 30 - 45 days
of safe shelter for victims of domestic violence and their children.
The eight-bedroom, 29-bed facility, originally a Spanish-style four-plex
apartment building, shelters approximately 120 women and 150 children
annually.
Families
access the shelter via the 24-hour crisis line, referral from sister
shelters and other agencies, the Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART),
hospital emergency rooms and word-of-mouth referrals.
Shelter-based
services include counseling, assessment by a licensed clinician where
appropriate, case management, domestic violence information groups,
parenting classes, pre-school and home school, self-esteem groups, social
services, and medical, legal and other needed advocacy services including
assistance with obtaining temporary restraining orders.
More than 60 percent of sheltered families are referred on to transitional
shelter after their initial 30 – 45 day emergency stay at WomenShelter.
Residency in a transitional shelter can last up to two years.
Families not referred to a transitional shelter are assisted with securing
safe, violence-free households either in the local community or by referrals
to communities out of the area.
Focus on the Children
WomenShelter recognizes that children are often the silent victims in
cases of domestic violence. The organization is committed to insuring
that children have every opportunity to grow and develop in a safe,
healthy and violence-free environment. Each child who enters
the shelter receives a medical, dental and vision exam provided through
the community clinic system.
Pre-school
age children attend pre-school on site at the shelter’s Children’s Center.
The children also receive age-appropriate counseling, assessments by
the clinician and participate in mother-child dyads facilitated by the
Children’s Center staff. School age children receive home schooling
at the shelter until records can be obtained and the child can register
at the shelter’s local school.
“So
many of the children who stay at the shelter have been exposed to the
unimaginable,” said Jessica Patrick, who oversees the Children’s Center.
“We take pride in the attention we give these young people, and we know
that we make a difference in giving them a better future.
24-Hour Crisis Line
Located in a room of the shelter, the crisis line is staffed 24 hours
a day, seven days a week by trained counselor advocates. The counselor
advocates respond to crisis calls, information and referral calls, and
calls from law enforcement. Each year, more than 3,000 calls come
in to the crisis line.
“With our crisis line often the first call for help a victim makes,
it is essential that we be there offering assistance, understanding
and pathways to safety,” said Weathers.
Resource Center
Established in 1999, the
Domestic
Violence Resource Center adds breadth and dimension to the available
community services because the center was the first openly visible,
accessible domestic violence service in Long Beach.
The Center, located at
2429 Pacific Avenue
in Long Beach, houses WomenShelter’s administrative offices and is home
to a variety of services for non-sheltered clients. Services include
counseling, legal advocacy, case management, group counseling, social
services and other advocacy. Also offered are independent living
skills assistance, emergency food and clothing, household establishment
assistance, parenting groups, self-esteem groups, and information and
referral services. Clients receiving services at the
Resource
Center also receive assistance with employment and job skills training.
Most
services are regularly provided in English, Spanish and Khmer (Cambodian
language). Also, WomenShelter is in one of the few local agencies
to provide counseling and outreach services geared specifically to the
gay and lesbian community.
The
Domestic
Violence Resource Center assists approximately 250 families each year.
Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART)
In cooperation with the Long Beach Police Department, WomenShelter responds
to law enforcement calls at the scene of a domestic violence incident
through its Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART). Law enforcement
personnel call the 24 crisis line to request a DART counselor respond
either to the scene of the incident or to a local hospital emergency
room. Specially trained DART counselors respond to the requests
within 30 minutes of the phone call. The service is available
24/7.
Once at the scene, the DART counselor attempts to encourage the victim
to accept shelter. If shelter is refused, the victim is provided
information on available resources. DART staff follow-up on all
cases for a period of 90 days.
DART counselors respond to approximately 15 calls per month. “I’ve
seen women badly frightened and badly beaten but willing to listen and
get help,” commented one DART counselor.
Community In Need
“It’s a little known fact that every 15 seconds in this country, a woman
is beaten by her husband or boyfriend,” said Weathers. “Domestic
violence is a leading cause of serious injury to women, and it accounts
for three times more emergency room visits than car accidents and muggings
combined.”
According to the Los Angeles Almanac,
Los
Angeles County law enforcement agencies receive more than 56,000 domestic
violence calls each year. This represents the highest county incident
rate in
California.
“It’s time to stop the cycle of violence,” said Weathers.
