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Many women are physically battered for the first time during pregnancy or their honeymoon night. |
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Residential Shelter
Interact’s Residential Shelter provides safe housing and a
comprehensive program of counseling and advocacy to women and their
children who are escaping violent relationships. The women and children
stay for eight weeks, during which time our counselors and advocates
work extensively with them. The shelter is an 18-bed facility located
in a secret location in Wake County. Secrecy is important to protect
the women, children, and staff from violent abusers.
The goal of the women’s program is to empower the residents to regain their self-sufficiency and live safe and productive lives. We never dictate how they are to do this, but instead we help them establish their own goals and dreams.
The women’s program involves working with a team of counselors to understand the dynamics of their abusive relationship. They also explore options and determine what goals they want to set for themselves while they are in the shelter and beyond. Each new resident receives an extensive assessment to determine what services will best help them meet their goals. In conjunction with staff, the residents map out plans on how to best achieve their goals.
Most residents choose to live independently from their abusers, so staff work with them to prepare to make the transition. Counselors work with residents to help them find housing, child care, transportation, jobs or job training, long-term counseling, etc.
Two children’s counselors work with the children at the shelter. Children raised in domestic violence homes are often at risk in a number of ways: post traumatic stress syndrome, failure to thrive syndrome, depression, discipline problems, falling behind in school, etc. That is why the children’s staff creates an extensive assessment of each child. Children’s counselors, in conjunction with the mother’s counselor, work to help the mother understand what the child has gone through and how to best parent the child.
The children’s counselors use age-appropriate strategies to help the child express feelings about what has happened and learn to deal with those feelings. These include everything from art therapy, to specialized games, to talking about feelings, to support groups for the older children. Over the weeks, the children’s counselors work with the mother to explain their children’s progress and problems and to teach them how best to help their children cope with their past and deal with the future.
As the residents come to the end of their stay at the shelter, the shelter staff works with them to prepare for the transition to their new lives.
There are after care programs for former residents. The women and children are encouraged to return to the shelter for weekly group sessions to help insure that they succeed in their new lives. Staff members encourage them to visit or call to talk about problems and successes. Staff members also call or visit to keep in touch and offer any help. And former residents are encouraged to use any of the services offered at our offices through our Direct Services Program.
Residential Shelter Program
A residential program offering a safe, confidential and supportive
environment. The program houses eighteen women and their children
at one time for eight weeks. It provides the following services:
Women’s Services
 Assessment to determine client's needs/goals
Orientation
Transportation
Individual Goal Directed Counseling and emotional support by a counseling team
Battered Women’s Support Group on a weekly basis. Includes former residents as well
Advocacy with other service providers and agencies: e.g. housing, Human Services, legal and medical
Identifying referral sources in the community
Information and education on the dynamics of battering
Parenting Skills
Follow-up Support (Aftercare)
Angel groups
Phone Counseling
Home visits
Support Groups
Mother’s Morning Out
Recreational Activities
Community support
Safe Homes
Children’s Services
Orientation
Assessment
Support groups for school aged children
Modeling non violent behavior
Advocacy: school, DHS, Project Enlightenment
Recreational Activities
Resource identification and referral
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