Domestic Violence Prevention: Battered Women Shelter Program

MO-07-0001 DV

Goals

• Provide comprehensive shelter-based domestic violence services to battered women and their children.
• Reduce domestic violence in California.
• Ensure access to services for non-traditional users of domestic violence services.

Problem

• Approximately 6.0% of California women were physically abused by an intimate partner in the last 12 months. More than 40% were abused by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
• In 2003 151 women were killed in California by, husbands, ex-husbands, boyfriends, ex-boyfriends, partners or former partners.
• California law enforcement received 194,000 domestic violence calls in 2003 of which 106,000 involved weapons, including firearms and knives.

Program Activities

• Provide assistance to 94 shelter-based domestic violence service agencies that provide battered women and their children with supportive services that include but are not limited to: 24 hour crisis hotline, business centers, emergency shelter, transitional housing, legal assistance with restraining orders and custody disputes, court and social advocacy, counseling for women and their children, household establishment assistance, and community resource and referral services to clients accessing their programs.
• Meet the comprehensive needs of battered women and their children and ensure access to unserved/underserved populations, e.g. teens, women with disabilities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ), monolingual and ESL, immigrants, and complex clients who are experiencing mental health and substance abuse issues.
• Ensure implementation of comprehensive shelter-based domestic violence services for women and their children which include direct service, prevention, and unserve/underserved activities to provide a continuum of care for the immediate and long term needs of battered women and their children.
• Conduct statewide technical assistance and training to shelter staff and other domestic violence service providers.
• Develop and conduct a data collection and evaluation system of domestic violence service providers.
• Reduce the incidence and prevalence of domestic violence through funding prevention activities that include but are not limited to community awareness and education, media campaigns, building partnerships and collaboration with existing community domestic and/or family violence prevention projects.

Who Benefits

• Domestic violence is a significant public health problem. Women, children, teens and California communities all benefit from this program. 

Who Provides Services

• Dedicated staff and trained volunteers in 94 shelter agencies provide direct services to battered women and their children.
• If you are in need of assistance, or need to locate services in your area, please contact your local domestic violence shelter, call a local agency nearest you, or see SAFE NETWORK 
• Office of Family Planning provides resources for local Domestic Violence Programs.  Please see the Domestic Violence Program for more information.

Funding

• State General Funds and Domestic Violence Training and Education Funds.