Caring Unlimited Corp

The goal of the Shelter Services Program is to increase safety for victims of domestic violence in York County by providing 24-hour access to emergency safe haven with individuals and their children who are unsafe in their own homes or who have been made homeless as a result of domestic violence. Provides emergency shelter and basic needs (food, clothing, personal care items, transportation) with individual and group supportive services to individuals who are unsafe from domestic abuse in York County.

The goal of the Transitional Housing and Services Program is to increase safety for victims of perpetrator violence in York County by providing access to safe, affordable housing with supportive services for up to 24 months for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and/or stalking to reorganize their lives, create a network of positive social relationships, and establish a more secure economic base. Provides longer term (up to 24 months) safe, affordable housing as well as a comprehensive program of individual advocacy and case management as well as group services for families who are homeless as a result of abuse.

The goal of the Outreach Services Program is to help victims of domestic violence in York County become safe from an abusive intimate partner and to regain or strengthen their sense of personal power, build autonomy to make their own life decisions and strengthen their sense of personal self-worth which are often casualties of the abuse they have experienced. Provides individual and group safety planning and support/education services for victims of domestic violence throughout York County at Caring Unlimited Resource Centers in Sanford, Biddeford, Kittery and Waterboro. The Outreach Services Program also coordinates CU’s Freedom Wheels car repair and donation program to help survivors overcome obstacles to becoming safe cause by lack of safe, reliable transportation.

The goal of the Legal Services Program is to enhance the safety, autonomy and economic viability of victims, by providing appropriate legal representation and accurate information about legal options. Provides legal assistance and court advocacy needed by victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking seeking to become safe from their abuser with Protection From Abuse, Divorce, Custody and Post-Judgment Motions.

The goal of CU's Parent Support Services is to provide parents with the information, skills and support to help their children rebuild their sense of safety and security. The program provides both individual and group supportive services with children and their mothers. Kids Groups offer structured play activities with other children with similar experiences, kids begin to feel less isolated and are able to form helpful relationships with supportive adults who listen carefully to their worries, help them know that adults are doing everything possible to keep them safe, remind them that they are lovable, competent and important, help them learn to solve problems in respectful and non-violent ways and more. Mom’s Groups include Systematic Training for Effective Parenting through which mom’s they learn a variety of proven parenting skills and strategies through the program’s focus on understanding yourself and your child (beliefs and feelings), the goals of misbehavior, effective listening, communicating respect and encouragement, cooperative problem-solving, building responsibility through natural and logical consequences and effective discipline.

The goal of the Domestic Violence/Child Protection Liaison Initiative is to increase CPS ability to effectively protect children and their mothers who are victims of domestic violence. The program provides ongoing, on-site consultation with child protective workers regarding the dynamics of domestic violence and best practices regarding effective responses to non-offending parents as well as individual support with victims involved with the child protection system.

The goal of CU’s School-Based Programs is to prevent domestic violence by working to raise awareness and create change by educating youth to the dangers and dynamics of intimate partner violence and by engaging them to actively stand against such violence among their peers while developing the ability to provide effective support to peer victims. The program provides domestic violence prevention training for school faculty and staff, consultation regarding policy development and recruits, trains, and supervises Young Adults Against Domestic Abuse programs in York County schools as well as direct individual and group support to students who are victims of teen dating violence or who live in homes with domestic abuse.

The goal of the Community Response Program is to achieve a coordinated community response to domestic violence in which community stakeholders/systems collaborate to effectively ensure: (1) the long-term safety of victims through access to adequate supports and resources, (2) increased accountability for abusers through the imposition of meaningful consequences for their abusive behavior, and (3) decreased tolerance for abuse on the part of the general public. This is accomplished through education, training, consultation and systems advocacy with agencies, the educational and healthcare systems, other community-based organizations and the general public throughout York County.

The goal of the Volunteer Program is to recruit, train and maintain (through regular contact and appreciation) a pool of volunteers adequate to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of services for victims of domestic violence in York County, to promote awareness of domestic violence throughout York County and to ensure the effective operation and general stability of Caring Unlimited.