The free and confidential services we provide are:

• A 24/7 hotline: for crisis intervention, information and referrals; bilingual, bicultural English/Spanish speakers are on the staff
• Emergency shelter for women and their minor children can stay for up to 60 days; Counselor/Advocates work with the women to find employment, housing and other needs. Individual and group counseling helps the women deal with their feelings of low self-esteem, victimization and guilt. Men requiring shelter are placed in a local motel and offered counseling and advocacy as needed.
• The children's program at the shelter helps children deal with feelings of separation, loss, and disruption resulting from moving to a new place. The Child Counselor/Advocate helps children feel safe and understand that they are not responsible for the abuse. School placement and tutoring are arranged as needed.
• Transitional housing is available for qualified shelter residents who need additional time and support before they return to the community. The program offers housing for from six months to two years, during which DVS provides a continuum of care and services for the family in order to help them achieve self-sufficiency. (There is a sliding fee for scale for transitional housing.)
• The Family Violence Victim Advocacy (FVVA) program helps victims of family violence whose partners were arrested to access the protection and services available through the criminal justice and social services systems. FVVAs work in the New Haven and Milford courts, offering counseling; assistance in obtaining protective orders; and referrals to the emergency shelter and to other services, including attorneys.
• The Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) program helps victims obtain a TRO from a civil court when there is a significant risk of life-threatening injury by the offender. The order prohibits the offender from contact with our client and can require that he/she vacate the premises if they live together. It differs from protective orders issued by the criminal court in that an offender's arrest is not a prerequisite for eligibility. The DVS TRO Advocate in Milford can provide information about an order as part of a safety plan, assist in filling out the application, and attend hearings.
• Support groups meet weekly for adults who are now or have been in abusive relationships. These groups provide an opportunity to share feelings and experiences and to learn about legal, social service, housing, and other resources.
• Individual counseling is available for adults or older teens for up to eight sessions. The sessions explore the client's history of domestic violence and focus on self-esteem and safety planning. Clients requesting longer-term therapy are referred to appropriate clinicians in the community.
• Community education workshops are offered by DVS on the dynamics and scope of domestic violence, our services, the family violence laws and other available resources. For detailed information about the workshops, please CLICK HERE.

Services performed:
From July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009, DVS staff:

• Responded to 1,141 crisis calls on our 24-hour hotline.
• Provided a safe haven for 23 women and 36 children in our 15-bed emergency shelter and arranged placement for 60 women and 53 children in other domestic violence shelters throughout the state while our shelter underwent renovations.
• Handled 5,826 cases of family violence referred by the criminal courts.
• Presented 237 educational programs about domestic violence for 7,268 people at community organizations and schools, and participated in 84 local and regional community meetings on related issues.
• Offered support groups for 85 women who are, or who have ever been in, an abusive relationship.
• Developed safety plans with 427 individuals in the civil court, including assistance in preparing temporary restraining order applications.
• The agency was featured in 20 local newspaper articles and 6 television programs about domestic violence.