Therapy Services

Therapy services are provided to adult and youth survivors of abuse regarding the impact the trauma they have experienced.

Trauma resulting from domestic and sexual violence, dating violence and stalking can be challenging to cope with, leaving survivors with feelings of fear, anger, shame, guilt and worthlessness.

Therapeutic Services provide a safe haven for survivors to talk about their experiences and recognize the role that trauma has played in their response and decision making process. Therapy helps survivors develop ways to cope with life challenges, realize their self worth and learn how to navigate the path to recovery.

Advocacy

Women’s Center advocates are cross trained to facilitate needs assessment and provide supportive advocacy services based on the individual needs of domestic and sexual violence survivors and their children. All advocacy services are provided free of charge at the Women’s Center.

Services include providing survivors with the information they need to make informed decisions. Fundamental organization-wide services include, but are not limited to:

  • Crisis intervention/response
  • Threat assessment and safety planning
  • Assistance obtaining a Personal Protection Order (PPO)
  • Referrals and advocacy in these areas: medical, legal, financial, housing, education, and employment
  • Child and adult individual and support-group counseling
  • Transportation
  • Educational information about domestic violence, dating violence, sexual violence and stalking.

Housing Advocacy

Housing advocacy services focus on supporting survivors to enhance the safety, self-sufficiency, housing stability and sustainability. Specialized housing-advocacy services help survivors navigate the housing-application process, overcoming housing barriers, learn coping skills/stress management, and develop employment, financial and budgeting skills. Housing program advocates work with landlords to maintain partnerships and prevent housing issues.

At Harbor House, the Women’s Center employs an advocacy staff that specializes in providing survivors of domestic and sexual violence, dating violence and stalking with comprehensive supportive advocacy services relevant to their self-identified needs. Safety planning and lethality assessment is incorporated into everyday service provision efforts with survivors and their children.

Advocates answer crisis lines, participate in on-call rotation, provide on-site crisis intervention/response, coordinate domestic violence and sexual assault response call outs, and are cross trained to provide the organization-wide fundamental supportive advocacy services to shelter resident and non-resident survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

Specialized Staff Positions Include

LEGAL ADVOCATE

Provides legal advocacy assisting domestic and sexual violence survivors with navigating throughout investigative and judiciary processes, assistance with petitioning for Personal Protection Orders and legal resource information and referrals.

RESOURCE ADVOCATE

Facilitates needs assessment, survivor centered goal setting and attainment, works closely with advocates to coordinate delivery, maintain effective collaborative partnerships with relevant service providers, maintain current resource information, and provide survivors with written resources and referral information.

Sexual Assault Therapist

Provides therapeutic interventions to survivors of of sexual assault and their families. Evidenced based interventions are used to identify the impact that trauma can have on the mind/body and to develop healthy ways to cope with life’s challenges.

SEXUAL ASSAULT ADVOCATE

Facilitates assessment of sexual violence and provides sexual violence crisis counseling to sexual trauma clients. Provides legal advocacy throughout investigative and judiciary processes, education on sexual violence in our community, and facilitates the sexual trauma support group.

RESIDENT ADVOCATES

Provide direct advocacy and support services to resident clients, assure shelter safety management, perform safety and security checks, facilitate nightly resident meetings, coordinate general shelter maintenance and organizing donations.

Domestic Violence Therapist

Provides therapeutic interventions to survivors of domestic violence and their families. Evidenced based interventions are used to identify the impact that trauma can have on the mind/body and to develop healthy ways to cope with life’s challenges.

OUTREACH ADVOCATE

Outreach program services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence, dating violence and stalking. Services include, but are not limited to; crisis intervention/response; lethality assessment and safety planning, medical referral/advocacy, legal referral/advocacy, assistance obtaining a Personal Protection Order (PPO), financial referral/advocacy, housing referral/advocacy, employment & educational referral/advocacy, adult individual counseling, transportation and educational information about domestic violence, dating violence, sexual violence and stalking.

Support Groups

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUPPORT GROUP

Open to shelter residents and survivors not staying in the shelter providing educational information about domestic violence, trauma and how it impacts survivors. Skills taught include improving self worth, coping skills, and processing feelings such as anger, fear, guilt and shame. Participants share experiences, learn from and support one another while exploring safe options to future challenges. Contact Advocates for details about participation. (906) 226-6611.

Surviving Sexual Trauma Support Group

Open to shelter residents and outreach clients. This group is an educational support group for adult survivors of rape, sexual assault and trauma. Please contact our office (906) 225-1346 ext.211 or saadvocate@wcmqt.org if you are interested in attending this free and confidential group.”