Intimate Partner Violence

What is Intimate Partner Violence?

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a form of domestic violence involving physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological abuse, as well as stalking, by a current or former intimate partner. It can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, race, or socioeconomic status. IPV can include controlling behaviors, threats, physical harm, and sexual coercion.

Over 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men in the US have experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner. - NDVH

How can we help you?

We provide survivors of Domestic Violence and/or Sexual Assault and their families a peaceful, safe, and non-violent living environment and makes available tools and resources to help empower them to move beyond the barriers of abuse. We offer a temporary emergency domestic violence/sexual assault shelter for people residing in Waller, Austin, Grimes, NW Harris and Washington counties. Individuals/families can stay at the shelter for up to 30 days and receive supportive services in a safe, anonymous, free, and confidential environment. We help you with crisis intervention, supportive counseling, children’s services, food, clothing, support group counseling and advocacy. All agency services are provided free of charge.

What do we offer?

Counseling Services:

Counseling services are available and dedicated to helping you deal with crisis on a long or short-term basis through outreach, individual, or group services.

Case Management:

An action plan is developed with you and the support of one of our advocates. Safety is assessed and a plan to meet your safety needs is formulated and goals are outlined. Case Management services include: a needs assessment, continual development of a service and safety plan, the provision for information and referral, and transportation for survivors with multi-needs, ongoing review of social, mental, physical, and legal needs. Case management plans are reviewed and changes made in service and safety plans as your needs change. Plans and updates are designed to include the unique needs of all children involved.

Advocacy:

You receive referrals and supportive assistance to use both the civil and criminal justice system. Advocacy within the legal and human services systems is provided for any resident in need of such support.

Transportation Services:

Focusing Families provides you with limited local transportation to medical, court/legal related, child related, job related, etc. appointments.

Information and Referral:

Information and referral information are available at Focusing Families Crisis Center during scheduled outreach hours. The hotline can be accessed 24 hours a day.

Nutrition Classes:

The nutrition class is an eight-week program available to residents and outreach clients which teaches the importance of healthy eating and exercise. It provides exciting new ideas of how to prepare a nutritious meal for them and their families.

Positive Parenting Classes:

The primary purpose of this class is to help you learn to understand your children’s needs: physically, psychologically and emotionally. The goal is to work on your strengths in building new skills that will help you communicate with each child as an individual.

Financial Management:

This program is designed to quickly access your financial needs and provide information and tools necessary to become financially independent.

Emotional Empowerment Class:

This class is designed to help you understand what has happened to you emotionally so you can start to build back up your confidence. 

How to Have a Healthy Relationship after Domestic Violence:

Rebuilding after IPV is hard. We can help you learn what a healthy relationship looks like versus domestic violence and how to take the steps needed to be able to attract a healthy relationship for yourself in the future.