Bluegrass Domestic Violence Program

Description

BDVP offers the following services to residential and non-residential program participants and their dependent children including:
· 24 hour intervention: BDVP operates a 24 hour confidential crisis line for victims, friends, and family members seeking information, referrals, safety planning, advocacy services, or counseling. Language interpretation and hearing impaired services are available to all callers.
· Emergency Shelter: BDVP operates a safe, secure, 32 bed emergency shelter for women and children forced to flee their homes as a result of intimate partner abuse.
· Individual and Group Counseling: individual counseling and support groups are offered daily for shelter residents. Topics include self-esteem, grief, healthy relationships, life balance, assertiveness, and domestic violence education. Support groups, facilitated by BDVP Outreach Family Advocates are also offered in each of the counties within the Bluegrass Area Development District at least one time per week.
· Case Management: individuals and families work with advocates to identify and achieve stated goals in several areas including education, employment, health care, and housing.
· Legal Advocacy: advocates are available throughout the legal process to provide victims with security and emotional support as they pursue legal action. Advocates may assist with filing emergency protective orders (EPO's) and/or criminal charges, and may provide court accompaniment.
· Children's Services: a Montessori-based cooperative children's center, after school learning lab and education advocacy are available for children of all ages. Children's groups on safety planning, nutrition, conflict resolution, and other topics are offered.
· Parenting Support: child development education, nutrition, positive discipline techniques, working with child protective services, and other parenting topics are offered on an individual and group basis.
· Financial Literacy Curriculum: workshop format trainings on money and power, economic abuse, budget and credit, predatory lending, and investing are offered to all residents of BDVP's emergency shelter.
· Housing Support Services: a certified housing and credit counselor is available to all residents of BDVP's emergency shelter to help identify local housing resources and to prepare residents as they transition out of the shelter environment and back into the community as self-sufficient individuals.
· Individual Financial Counseling: individualized financial counseling is offered to all residents to assist clients in developing and maintaining a budget, identifying and reaching savings goals, and resolving credit issues. In addition IDA matched savings accounts are offered to assist in the downpayment on a home.
· Community Education and Awareness Activities: advocates conduct training programs and presentations aimed at increasing awareness, building community involvement, and reducing the stigma of intimate partner abuse.