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Amy Turk: Reaching Underserved Victims
The Downtown Women's Center (DWC) aims to provide permanent supportive housing and advocate for ending homelessness among women, serving over 4,000 women in 2014 alone. DWC offers various programs, including a drop-in center, trauma recovery services, and clinical health services, with a high success rate in keeping women housed. The document also highlights the unique challenges faced by homeless women, such as complex trauma and health issues, and emphasizes the importance of a trauma-informed care approach.
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Amy Turk: Reaching Underserved Victims
- 1. DWC’S MISSION is toprovide permanent supportive housing and a safe and healthy community fostering dignity, respect, and personal stability, and to advocate ending homelessness for women. www.DowntownWomensCenter.org
- 2. DWC is nationallyrecognized as a prototype for unique and effective programs serving homeless women and ending homelessness. DWC served over 4000 women in 2014. DWC Programs & Services DROP-IN DAY CENTER • 200 women each day • Services: Meals (100,000+) showers, phones & mail • Trauma Recovery Center HOUSING • 119 units of permanent supportive housing (2 locations) • 75 housed inVeteran’s Programs • 95% of the women stay housed permanently—a high success rate CLINICAL HEALTH SERVICES • Case management, mental health & medical services • Over 1200 women served PERSONAL & FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITY • Education, skill development, on-the-job training • Over 1200 women served
- 3. DowntownWomen’s Trauma Recovery Center •A partnership between Downtown Women’s Center and Peace Over Violence • The Trauma Recovery Center is supported by the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board, and is the only one of its kind in downtown Los Angeles • In 2015, we will serve over 130 individuals who have experienced a life- threatening situation in the past 3 years • If you have experienced trauma related to sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking, homicide of a loved one, community violence, or accidents, please visit us at 442 S. San Pedro Street, Los Angeles 90013 or call 213-680-0600
- 4. Homelessness in LosAngeles Total Unsheltered Sheltered LA County 44,359 31,018 13,341 LA City 25,686 17,687 7,999 Total Unsheltered Sheltered Individuals 33,389 25,818 7,571 Family Members 7,505 2,898 4,607 Unaccompanied Minors 280 232 48 LA Continuum of Care - Household Type The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority , 2015 Homeless Count
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- 7. Unique & KeyCultural Aspects • Female-specific focus • Complex Trauma • Older population with chronic health conditions • Primary focus is on basic needs • Fear of reporting crimes • Definition of crime may not be standardized • Untreated mental illness
- 8. • Mental HealthNeeds • Stigma related to homelessness • Intimidated by the system • Abuser could still be in the environment • Timing after a crime • Language needs Considerations When Providing Victim Services and Benefits
- 9. • Collaboration betweenVictim Witness Assistance Programs and Community Based Organizations • Opportunity to help with basic needs outside of office • Additional community outreach for increased awareness about Trauma Recovery Centers and other Victim Witness Assistance Programs • Making the Restraining Order process as supportive as possible • Building trusting effective relationships Effective Service Delivery
- 10. TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE • TraumaAwareness • Emphasis on Safety “Homelessness deprives individuals of ... basic needs, exposing them to risky, unpredictable environments. In short, homelessness is more than the absence of physical shelter, it is a stress-filled, dehumanizing, dangerous circumstance in which individuals are at high risk of being witness to or victims of a wide range of violent events.” • Opportunities to Rebuild Control • Strengths-Based Approach
- 11. • Benefits couldbe more focused on access of new resources – Funding for hotels – Subsidies for food – Direct access to HUD housing through partnerships – Easier access to vocational and education programs – Better access to dental care System Improvement Recommendations
- 12. THANK YOU! www.DowntownWomensCenter.org Presenter: AmyTurk, LCSW ChiefProgram Officer AmyT@DowntownWomensCenter.org (213) 680-0600
Editor's Notes
- #8 Because of the high percentage of women in our population who have experienced sexual abuse, dv, and other difficulties rooted in gender differences, a female-specific focus is essential to the effective delivery of services for this population
- #11 Asking people not what is wrong with you, but what happened to you
- #12 MH treatment is sometimes accessed, but not always formally. What happens in our Day Center Many medical expenses are now provided through Medi-Cal—expansion Moving/income loss assumes that they had a home or a job to loose.