YWCA of Greater Cincinnati
898 Walnut Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Domestic Violence Shelter Program (DVSP) - Children’s Program
YWCA’s Emergency Domestic Violence Shelter Services Program (DVSP) provides survivors of domestic violence and their children with access to specialized shelters in Hamilton and Clermont Counties. Shelter services are operated 24/7, 365 days a year, reaching capacity nearly every night. During the pandemic crisis, calls to our crisis hotline doubled.Services are comprehensive, trauma-informed, and evidence-based. These include access to food, clothing, and personal care items; financial assistance; case management; onsite mental health therapy; referrals for legal, medical, psychological and substance abuse needs; work readiness training/adult literacy/financial education; support groups; court advocacy; children’s services; housing support; aftercare counseling; and pet protection.Through these services, survivors can heal from abuse, reach self-sufficiency and ensure the well-being of their children while feeling safe. Ultimately, DVSP is contributing to positive outcomes for vulnerable children in the Greater Cincinnati community.
Program Goals:
DVSP’s first priority is ensuring the safety of survivors and children during potentially life-threatening situations. Once emergency needs for safety have been met, DVSP assists survivors and their children by addressing basic needs and providing effective intervention services. By providing comprehensive and trauma-informed services, DVSP empowers survivors to overcome the barriers created by abuse and move towards achieving the following goals: long-term safety, positive well-being, and self-sufficiency.
When survivors move towards achieving the above goals, they can lessen their children's exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). ACEs have the potential to significantly disrupt a child’s lifelong success. Examples of ACEs include physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, witnessing intimate partner violence, mother treated violently, substance misuse within the household, household mental illness, parental separation or divorce, and incarcerated household members. Therefore, to address ACES, survivors and children entering shelters must have access to effective intervention services.
Specific objectives as they pertain to children include:
1. Identifying ACEs for each child entering shelter services
2. Identifying the effects of ACEs/trauma on each child entering shelter services
3. Identifying the resulting cognitive and socio-emotional needs of children in shelter services
4. Developing a comprehensive case management plan for children entering and exiting shelter services
Program Results:
In 2023, YWCA served 441 survivors who were escaping abuse and experiencing homelessness. Of those served, 45% were children; 71% identified as female; 80% identified as people of color; 98% had a household income below $25,000; and 1 in 3 noted English as their second language.
In 2023, our DVS Program achieved the following outcomes:
Target: 93% of individuals in shelter will develop a safety plan
Result: 92%
Target: 68% of households will exit to positive housing outcomes
Result: 72%
Target: 92% of domestic violence survivors will report they know more about community resources
Result: 80%
Note: DVSP staff is working to increase this figure by including a community resource packet upon exit from shelters. Residents receive community resources from their Intervention Coordinators at intake but the hope is that by providing an exit packet, knowledge of and access to resources will be more meaningful.
Target: 96% of domestic violence survivors will become more aware of domestic violence power and control dynamics.
Result: 91%
Target: 61% of households exiting shelter will have increased or maintained their income.
Result: 55%
Note: Since Summer 2023, this goal has been revised to 50% due to the significant number of obstacles shelter residents encounter in securing and maintaining employment. These include child care issues, lack of transportation, lack of needed training, etc.
Website:
http://www.ywcacincinnati.org Amount: $40,000
Date: April 2023
