DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROGRAMS

Cecile, a 57-year-old African American woman, who had been living in the Downtown Skid Row area for 10 years, entered S.T.A.R. House in May 2004. She was referred by one of PROTOTYPES' collaborating partners, Homeless Health Care. Cecile suffered from homelessness, alcohol abuse, and a crack addiction, and was living with an abusive husband. Cecile had been married three times and had four adult children, but had not seen any of her children or other family members in more than 10 years. A case manager helped Cecile find her two younger children, who were living in Sacramento; Cecile reunited with them at Thanksgiving and continues to have hope of finding her two older children.

Cecile also began attending a local community college to become a veterinarian assistant and now has a part-time position working with animals at the school. She enthusiastically utilized all of the resources provided to her at S.T.A.R. House and, by adhering to the program's mandatory monthly 50% savings plan, had enough money to move into her own single loft apartment when she graduated. At her graduation celebration, Cecile stated: "the one thing I heard and learned at S.T.A.R. House was that it's never too late."

 

S.T.A.R. House

PROTOTYPES' S.T.A.R. House (Succeeding Together Achieving Recovery) is a transitional housing support program that serves women and their children throughout Los Angeles. The program houses approximately 10 women and their children, with a total capacity of 20 individuals. S.T.A.R. House provides comprehensive, state-of-the-art domestic violence services to women with multiple vulnerabilities (homelessness, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, mental health disorders and trauma). It offers residents individual case management, domestic violence groups, substance abuse counseling, and parent support groups, as well as health and wellness services, including nutrition counseling, exercise, and referrals and advocacy for health insurance and medical care. A strong emphasis of S.T.A.R. House is preparing women to work in order for them to gain independence and increase their sense of self-esteem and self-efficacy. All women in the program receive an assessment of current skills and level of interest in various educational and employment opportunities. Based on these assessments, women are referred to vocational training programs, specific employment opportunities, and/or educational opportunities. The program also assists the women in finding permanent housing to ease their transition back into the community.

For information on S.T.A.R. House, please contact Ruth Slaughter, Division Director, at 310-641-7795 or the Program Director at 323-461-4118.

Women's Resource Centers (South Central and Hollywood)

PROTOTYPES' two Women's Resource Centers, in Hollywood and in South Central Los Angeles, offer a safe haven to women and their families who are victims of domestic violence. Services include community outreach, case management, service assessment, service plan, monitoring of participants' progress, job readiness and placement, permanent housing assistance, transportation, childcare, food, clothing and service follow-up. The centers provide structured one-on-one and group counseling with participants in both crisis and non-crisis situations; these services are designed to help clients heal, become more empowered, and move toward a life free from abuse.

For information on the South Central Women's Resource Center, please contact the Project Director at 323-759-2466. For information on the Hollywood Center, please contact the Project Director at 323-464-6281.