Women Against Abuse (WAA)

Women Against Abuse serves as the lead operator of the philadelphia domestic violence hotline - a streamlined point of access for crisis intervention, information, referrals and intake to the emergency safe havens. This 24-hour hotline received 10,938 calls in fy22, with 71% of callers identifying as a victim of domestic violence. Women Against Abuse also operates the only emergency safe havens in philadelphia for people experiencing domestic violence; two facilities comprised of a total of 200 beds for adults and children who have had to flee their homes to escape Abuse. The emergency safe havens are uniquely equipped with 24-hour security, confidential locations, and a continuum of on-site care, including case management, children's services and behavioral health therapy. Since its grassroots beginning more than 45 years ago, the emergency shelter services had been a refuge to survivors who identify as Women and their children. Since january of 2019, Women Against Abuse's safe havens have welcomed survivors of all gender identities and sexual orientations. This change was propelled by a commitment to being inclusive to survivors who identify as men, trans, or are gender nonconforming.the emergency safe havens remained open throughout covid-19, although the pandemic did temporarily affect occupancy rates, since measures had to be taken to ensure social distancing and the safety of residents and staff. The safe havens returned to full occupancy in fy22. The children's services team at Women Against Abuse cares for the developmental and academic needs of the youngest victims of domestic violence, serving children and youth through an early learning center as well as an afterschool program and summer camp. The behavioral health team provides individual and group sessions to adult survivors at each of Women Against Abuse's residential programs, in order to empower survivors to manage the symptoms of their trauma and begin to heal. Both the children's services and behavioral health teams were thrilled to resume in-person operations in fy22, after operating in virtual capacities during the height of the pandemic.

Women Against Abuse ensures that survivors are not forced to return to abusive relationships due to financial or housing instability through the sojourner house and safe at home programs. Sojourner house is an 18-month transitional housing program providing on-site services such as case management, child care, behavioral health services, life-skills development, educational and employment opportunities, and housing options counseling. In fiscal year 2022, 65 adults and children received housing and support services at sojourner house. Typically, this program serves approximately 100 clients a year. The lower number served is largely attributed to a reduction in new intakes necessitated by facility repairs, as well as one-time emergency housing vouchers made available by the city of philadelphia that temporarily reduced the pool of eligible transitional housing clients.the safe at home program provides community-based case management, paired with housing assistance, to empower survivors to sustain their independence from an abusive partner. The program supports survivors of domestic violence to maintain safe and affordable housing while developing financial literacy and life-skills for long-term self-sufficiency. The safe at home program also aims to strengthen linkages between clients and community supports. The 99 people who benefitted from this program in fiscal year 2022 are better positioned to sustain safe housing and overcome obstacles that may compromise their families' long-term safety and stability. In fiscal year 2022, Women Against Abuse continued to expand our economic empowerment program designed to meet the specific needs of clients after their experiences of financial Abuse. We secured a full time economic empowerment a new role that has created meaningful community partnerships with providers in the housing, medical, behavioral health, educational and workforce development line of work. A robust calendar of workshops is offered to clients in our community housing and residential programs.

The Women Against Abuse legal center is one of the nation's first legal aid programs dedicated to the needs of victims of domestic violence. The organization empowers Women and men who have been abused to navigate the justice system by providing attorney representation, court advocacy and telephone counseling. Attorneys represent victims seeking protection from Abuse orders, child custody and/or support. Last year, this program in conjunction with the affiliated Women Against Abuse legal center, Inc. Served 3,241 people. In addition to its direct services, the legal center is also highly engaged in systems change work that will improve philadelphia's response to domestic violence by ensuring effective screening and intervention for victims, while holding perpetrators accountable and offering them alternatives to violence. Legal center leadership worked closely with the courts and law enforcement sector to ensure that access points remained available for the public to be able to file for crucial protections from domestic violence in a timely way during the height of covid-19, when philadelphia family court was temporarily closed to in-person operations. We were even able to successfully advocate with the sheriff's office to have them deliver petitions to defendants, so that our clients were not forced to travel and be exposed to possible danger.

Prevention: Women Against Abuse also works to prevent domestic violence through community education and systems-change work. The organization provides safer (safety awareness for every relationship), a teen dating violence prevention curriculum that is empowering young people in local middle and high schools, as well as homeless runaway youth shelters, to pursue healthy relationships and break intergenerational cycles of domestic violence. In addition, Women Against Abuse's community educators train hundreds of first responders, law enforcement and a variety of social service professionals each year on the dynamics of domestic violence to enhance survivor safety. Lastly, Women Against Abuse hosted its annual ipledge campaign for domestic violence awareness month in october 2021. The 2021 campaign shone a light on the added barriers that survivors who are immigrants face when seeking to break free from an abusive relationship. Hundreds of community members, survivors and change-makers joined in this city-wide initiative that calls on the community to take a stand Against domestic violence. Systems-change work: in addition to these direct services, Women Against Abuse leads the struggle to end domestic violence by advocating on behalf of survivors and the programs that serve them. The policy and prevention department participates in the legislative process at all levels of government with the goal of influencing policy that impacts survivors of domestic violence and their families. In addition to legislative advocacy, Women Against Abuse works to eliminate barriers to care for survivors who are accessing services throughout the city. The organization is partnering with the managing director's office and stakeholders across philadelphia's health and human services and law enforcement systems to create a coordinated community response to domestic violence. This initiative called shared safety is founded on the collective impact model and is engaging nearly 70 stakeholders to transform philadelphia's response to domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and reproductive coercion. Through shared safety's advocacy, city of philadelphia mayor jim kenney created a first-of-its-kind office of domestic violence strategies to coordinate and improve philadelphia's response to relational violence, and appointed Women Against Abuse's former prevention director to oversee this work.webchat:since fy21, Women Against Abuse has also offered web chatting as an alternative to the philadelphia domestic violence hotline. This technology makes crisis intervention, safety planning and referrals to resources more accessible for people who cannot call the hotline. Webchat is available m-f from 8 am to 4 pm eastern via www.womenagainstabuse.org.

In addition to these direct services, Women Against Abuse leads the struggle to end domestic violence by advocating on behalf of survivors and the programs that serve them. The policy and prevention department participates in the legislative process at all levels of government with the goal of influencing policy that impacts survivors of domestic violence and their families. In addition to legislative advocacy, Women Against Abuse works to eliminate barriers to care for survivors who are accessing services throughout the city. The organization is partnering with the managing director's office and stakeholders across philadelphia's health and human services and law enforcement systems to create a coordinated community response to domestic violence. This initiative called shared safety is founded on the collective impact model and is engaging nearly 70 stakeholders that are implementing a five-year strategic plan that will transform philadelphia's response to domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and reproductive coercion. Through shared safety's advocacy, city of philadelphia mayor jim kenney created a first-of-its-kind office of domestic violence strategies to coordinate and improve philadelphia's response to relational violence, and appointed Women Against Abuse's former prevention director to oversee this work.