Emergency Shelter
The DVC provides a safe, non-disclosed location in Howard County for women and children in immediate danger. This 45-day emergency shelter or safe house provides a safe haven for women to rebuild their lives, and receive on-going counseling and case management to continue their lives free of abuse. While in the safe house clients are provided with food, limited transportation, education, safety planning, and support. Trained staff is present around the clock to ensure that residents are safe and receive the support they need.
Transitional Shelter
After clients complete the 45-day emergency shelter program, they can apply to enter into our Transitional Shelter program. Clients and their children can stay in the Transitional program for up to 6-months. This 6-month period provides clients with more on-going counseling, case management, and a safe environment. Clients pay rent on a sliding scale fee.
All DVC residential homes are drug and alcohol free environments.
Is everyone who applies accepted into the Shelter program?
Due to the high requests and limited space within the Shelter, not all applicants can be accepted into the shelter program. However, the DVC will do everything possible to ensure help is granted. In cases where our services are at maximum capacity or your particular situation is not appropriate for our residential services, the DVC staff will provide information and referrals for other agencies and programs.
How do I enter the shelter?
To enter our shelter, an individual must first be considered eligible for the emergency shelter. By calling the DVC or 24-hour Helpline and requesting shelter services, DVC staff can provide the caller with a Shelter Assessment. During this assessment, the staff will ask a series of questions about the caller’s experience with domestic violence. This assessment can take from 25-50 minutes and must be completed in full.
What is the shelter like?
Our safe house is a single-family home consisting of four bedrooms, a shared living room, dining room, family room and two bathrooms. Families sometimes have bedrooms to themselves and other times they share with other families. All clients work together to keep the house clean and comfortable for everyone.
What is expected of me while in shelter?
Clients living in the safe house are expected to participate in the program in the following ways:
- Meet with a case manager twice per week in order to set goals, review progress and determine where more help may be needed.
- Participate in a counseling assessment at the main office with a staff clinician. Moms are asked to bring any children over the age of 3 to complete a counseling assessment as well.
- Attend a weekly house meeting so that any issues in the house can be discussed and resolved together.
- Complete assigned chores.
- Arrive home each night by curfew (10 pm during the week and midnight on the weekends).
- Maintain the confidentiality of the location of the safe house for the safety of all residents and staff.
