Emergency Shelter
Emergency Shelter at WC&S provides security, safety, and basic needs for individuals and families fleeing domestic violence. The shelter also offers emotional support, crisis intervention, information, advocacy, and safety planning, and connects survivors with a range of resources.
The Emergency Shelter is a warm, welcoming environment for individuals and families who are fleeing domestic violence (DV). It’s intended for those in immediate, lethal danger from an intimate partner, offering a safe place to be when you have nowhere else to go.
Emergency Shelter is open to survivors of any gender, sexual orientation, and age. Survivors’ families are also supported, including boys up to age 17.
A Safe and Welcoming Refuge
The Emergency Shelter meets survivors’ essential needs, including new clothing and toiletries.
Residents stay in bedrooms designed for families with shared bathrooms. The environment is homey and comfortable, yet safe and secure. The shelter also provides emotional support and access to WC&S’ programs and other supportive services in the community, including healthcare, welfare, social security benefits, and childcare.
Survivors staying in the emergency shelter can have their pets temporarily housed in our pet area, so their pet parents can care for and spend time with them. Additional pet support is provided through a partnership with Humane Animal Rescue.
On-Site Supportive Services
- Medical clinic for survivors and children, including health assessments and referrals for health care in the community
- Specialized clinic for children’s dental care
- Assistance with connecting to supportive services in the community, including healthcare, welfare, social security benefits, and childcare
- Meetings with our Legal Advocacy Department, which provides advocacy and accompaniment for residents in the court system
- Mental Health support (through Support Groups and individual counseling)
- Referrals to therapy options designed to aid adults or children in the process of healing from trauma
- Recovery support and referrals to medical treatment programs
- Career and education advocacy to help residents explore school and work opportunities
- A Children, Youth and Families (CYF) Advocate who supports and works with residents who are involved with the CYF system
Connection to Trauma-Informed Resources for Healing
Survivors in the Emergency Shelter can connect with resources, including on-site medical, psychiatric, and pediatric clinics, as well as resources to help them become self-sufficient.
The Emergency Shelter is also a secure space for survivors to transition into new lives. Trained DV counselors offer help in searching and applying for transitional, subsidized, and fair market-rate housing, as well as out-of-state or out-of-country relocation if necessary.
Related Healing and Supportive Services
To learn more, contact our Hotline to speak to our trained advocates.
