The Support Network s shelter provides the battered women and children who come through its doors with more than just physical safety. They are provided with a space that allows them to explore and begin to heal from the devastating emotional wounds that are the legacy of domestic violence. The shelter staff and volunteers place great importance on respecting and empowering clients. Clients set their own agendas and continue with outside employment and education. This is of great importance for battered women who have had so little control over even the smallest details of their daily lives.
Clients attend weekly support groups and individual counseling sessions.
Counselor Marina Aceves recently introduced an innovative biweekly Women s Health Workshop which covers a wide range of topics that are chosen by the clients. The information shared in these sessions is part of the process of educating and empowering clients to take control of their own lives, including their mental and physical health. During their stay, clients are provided with resources and advocacy in finding appropriate accommodation for their families. Typically, clients move from the shelter into a transitional housing program or shared housing. The tight housing market has made this process far more difficult in recent years and resulted in increasing numbers of clients being forced to move into another shelter.