DOLPHINS TO STOP DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INC
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our community suffers from 5 times the national average suicide, divorce, addictions and domestic violence. some impacting statistics in Monroe County: • 42% of Upper Keys, Florida residents between the ages of 18-60 have no health insurance. • Housing in Monroe County, FL is 86% more expensive than the rest of Florida. Retail cost is 37% more expensive than the rest of Florida (BEBR) • Income is 7% higher than the rest of Florida (BEBR) • Monroe County, FL is ranked as #1 in the nation for addictions (both alcohol and drug), suicide, domestic violence and divorce. (BEBR) • Although 58% of the Keys population between 18-60 HAVE insurance, many do not have coverage for mental health services until they meet deductibles. These realities make it sometimes impossible for individuals and families in need to gain access to immediate assistance. Some clients are court-ordered to seek counseling. We are court recognized.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Pastoral Counseling
Pastoral Counseling utilizes all the same processes as regular counseling plus it integrates faith and spirituality. Pastoral Counseling takes additional training in the field of theology and pastoral studies. Pastoral Counselors also have additional internships, sometimes called CPE's, to complete for their training.
Pastoral Counselors at Living Springs Counseling are not only ordained clergy but also have completed specialized training and are Endorsed as Pastoral Counseling Chaplains by the United Methodist Endorsing Agency. This endorsement requires Certification by the American Association of Pastoral Counselors. Each of these organizations hold the counselors accountable ethically and academically
Because we believe all people should have the ability to attend to their mental and spiritual health we utilize a sliding scale that takes into account the extreme economy of the Under served Rural community.
ACT: Raising Safe Kids Parenting Classes
Good parents care about raising their children to be healthy, well balanced, happy and safe. We searched for an appropriate parenting class to offer to the parents of our Upper Keys families and found the perfect fit through the Melissa Institute of Miami, the ACT Raising Safe Kids program. ACT Raising Safe Kids is one of three (3) parenting programs listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in their handbook “Implementing child maltreatment prevention programmes: what experts say. "
The ACT Raising Safe Kids Program was developed and is coordinated by the American Psychological Association’s Violence Prevention Office. Launched in 2001 and revised in 2006 and in 2011, the ACT Program teaches positive parenting skills to parents and caregivers of children from birth to age 8
Living Waters Rx Project
Living Waters Rx provides funding so that all Upper Keys residents are able to fill legitimate prescriptions from their doctor.
42% of Upper Keys, Florida residents between the ages of 18-60 have no health insurance
Monroe County, FL is ranked as #1 in the nation for addictions (both alcohol and drug), suicide, domestic violence and divorce
Housing in Monroe County, FL is 86% more expensive than the rest of Florida
Retail cost is 37% more expensive than the rest of Florida
Income is 7% higher than the rest of Florida
How did the project start?
Due to the high cost of living in Monroe County, FL and the fact that the majority of those holding positions are in the service industry through mom and pop businesses, most residents can not afford to eat healthy meals or get the medical care they need.
Where we work
External reviews

Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of clients referred to other services as part of their support strategy
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Adolescents
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This is across all our programs
Number of list subscribers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
We publish a monthly newsletter by email.
Number of customers reporting satisfaction with program
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Adolescents, Parents
Related Program
Pastoral Counseling
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Each of our clients complete feedback forms at various points of service. Counseling Clients set goals initially, then after 6-8 weeks they review their goals, giving feedback to adjust/keep goals.
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adolescents, Adults, Families
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This metric relates to unique clients over all programs for a year.
Number of health outcomes improved
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
as reported by unique clients across all our programs over a 12 month period.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Empower individuals to live healthier lifestyles by removing obstructions or by creating a path around obstructions through counseling and training.
Empower victims of domestic violence to take control of their lives through advocacy of the collaboration between religious and secular leadership.
Educate and equip community leaders and residents to be effective in the process of stopping the violence by making the systemic changes necessary and developing collaboration between secular and religious leadership all which includes providers.
Educate and raise the consciousness of the Upper Keys community on the societal effects of domestic violence.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We are proactive against domestic violence in that we work to empower and equip residents and leadership to create and live out new ways to live hope and play in nonviolence and safety. This is accomplished through certified pastoral counseling, minimal case management, classes to improve and strengthen families, classes for how residents can support their neighbors who struggle with addiction and their families as they learn to live with healthier lifestyles. When people struggle to afford health care, food for the table, a roof over their heads, this stress can lead to addictions and violence. Therefore we have set a very generous sliding scale for our services and we have hired a grant writer to write grants to help cover the fees our clients can't afford. So while we assist our clients in developing and living out healthier lifestyles and offering this assistance in a way they can afford, our clients come through empowered because not only have they created better ways of living but they have the satisfaction of contributing financially as best they can and being affirmed for that.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We have an ordained clergy person who has completed training and certification as a Certified Pastoral Counselor and endorsed by the Global United Methodist Endorsing Agency and Bishop. We have a vision where we will increase our staffing as needed and our presence and educational influence among the young adults in our community who are surrounded by violence and addiction. We regularly collaborate with 30-70 local organizations each year. Collaboration is key to improving community health and living.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We are in the process of accomplishing: group support counseling, classes and educational artistic components into the counseling process. Since COViD, we are excited to begin our Spiritually Social groups which will accompany clients taking part in our Certified Pastoral Counseling Services.
This was the first year that we've been able to pay a small salary, but nevertheless a salary, to our Pastoral Counselor. We have provided 42 free pastoral counseling sessions for people making less than $20,000 from January through June. Twenty-seven clients have received prescription assistance to the amount of $1,900 during that same period. We have counseled 32 clients this year.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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DOLPHINS TO STOP DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INC
Board of directorsas of 02/22/2022
Mr. Delbert Carter
Terp to Go
Term: 2019 - 2020
Cynthia Weems
Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church
Edith Zewadski-Bricker
Retired social worker
Sharon Smith
CenterState Bank
Terry Hudson
Retired Clergy
Pamela Feeser
DOLPHINS to Stop Domestic Viol
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 01/06/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.