Program areas at House of Ruth Maryland
Residential safe shelter and housing services are provided through the 84-bed emergency and transitional shelter and through limited hotel placements. In fy 2023, 437 adult victims and 417 children received safe, clean shelter or other housing and related services including hot meals, service coordination, counseling,childcare services, health care services, basic toiletries and daily living items. Hrm's safe homes program is designed to provide in community transitional housing for individuals and families that have experienced intimate partner violence (ipv/dv). Services provided include medium term rental assistance and supportive services, including access to workforce development, service coordination, basic needs support, evidence based therapy, and legal representation for protective orders. Participation in all supportive services is 100% voluntary and no penalty to rent assistance will be assessed if survivors opt out of programming. The program serves ipv survivors who are currently homeless or at risk of homelessness due to intimate partner or sexual violence/ stalking.
Domestic violence legal clinic: provides initial consultation including lethality assessment and safety planning, legal information, counseling and referral, representation at protective order hearings, representation at divorce and custody hearings and criminal court accompaniment to low-income victims of domestic violence. The clinic serves victims across Maryland through its eight office locations. In fy 2023, 3,055 cases were handled by staff providing legal services to victims.
Client services and 24-hr hotline: provides crisis response, lethality assessment and initial access to all House of Ruth programs (in english and spanish as available) for victims and information and referral for others through our 24-hr contact center. Program provides victim outreach, comprehensive needs assessment, safety planning, and traditional case management coordination of agency and community resources such as links for victims to safe housing, employment opportunities, medical treatment, and immigrant services etc. The 24-hr hotline and client services staff handled 2,989 victim and information and referral calls and provided 312 victims with service coordination.
Counseling, children & youth services, training, outreach & education, and abuser intervention programs.