Houston Area Women's Center, Inc.
Ending Domestic and Sexual Violence For All
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The Houston Area Women's Center works to end domestic and sexual violence and supports all in building safe and healthy lives through advocacy, counseling, education, shelter and support services.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Agency Services Summary
The Houston Area Women's Center's programs include two 24-hour hotlines, residential support services, nonresidential support services and community education and primary prevention components. All services are provided free of charge. The Women's Center serves all women, men, and children, regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, faith, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background.
The Hotline program provides a domestic violence hotline and a sexual assault hotline. Both hotlines are open 24-hours a day and can be answered in almost any language and for the hearing impaired. The hotline provides crisis intervention and access to the counseling and residential programs.
The residential program provides safe, emergency shelter for 120 women and children domestic violence or sexual assault survivors. Survivors can stay in the shelter for up to 90 days. The shelter includes not just residential space, but an onsite daycare and makes educational arrangements for school-age children through the Houston Independent School District, as well as a job training facility for adults.
The non-residential program provides individual and group counseling for survivors of domestic violence and sexual violence--women, men, teens, and children. This program also provides long-term housing assistance including rental and utility assistance, legal advocacy for survivors, and court-based advocacy for children/youth involved as victim/witnesses in the criminal justice system.
The Women's Center provides domestic violence support groups for both adults and their children and sexual assault support groups for adults and teens. Friends and family members of survivors can also access supportive and educational group services.
The violence prevention and education program provides education and training on the prevention and elimination of domestic violence and sexual violence. Education programs are provided in English and Spanish. Teen dating violence prevention programs target middle and high school teens. Primary prevention programs are also targeted to underserved populations such as the African American, Hispanic and youth populations.
Hotline Services
Hotline Services - we operate two 24-hour hotlines (Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault), and each provides supportive crisis counseling, access to shelter, agency referrals, and information for survivors, friends, family and volunteers. Hospital accompaniment lets survivors know they are not alone in the aftermath of violence. Survivors and loved ones need to know their options, get accurate information and nonjudgmental support to gain back a sense of control. Our hotline counselor ensure that happens.
Education and Outreach Services
Community Education Services -We provide community members with information to assist them in creating change and inspiring others to help prevent and eliminate domestic and sexual violence. We inform the community of ways in which they can effect needed social change through volunteering their time, donating items or services and voting to improve laws. In 2008, we reached over 30,000 community members with much needed information about domestic and sexual violence and helped engage them in an effort to end it.
Communications Department- The communications team at the Women’s Center ensures all written material in manuals, brochures, curriculum and the website is accurate and up-to-date. In addition to the educational materials, the communications staff develops and coordinates public awareness campaigns and utilizes the media to educate the community at large on the issues of domestic and sexual violence. We added two new partners in our quest to get the word out. The Women’s Center collaborated with Univision’s Director of Community Affairs to script and create a domestic violence public awareness announcement. In 2008, the Gospel Truth Magazine asked the Women’s Center to write guest articles for the bi-monthly print and online magazine. The articles focused on our events and our issues, such as the need for faith-based organizations to improve their methods of addressing domestic violence within their congregation.
Training Services helps professionals increase their comfort and ability to provide a knowledgeable, empathetic, and respectful response to survivors. We also provide training for all of our staff, interns, and volunteers to ensure that our work with clients is based on a strong foundation of understanding of the issues and a desire to support and empower survivors to make their own decisions. We train nurses, residents, social workers and students who are looking towards a career in the healthcare field.
Shelter and Support Services
All services are provided to ensure each individual and family receives the resources and case advocacy necessary to move forward with their lives. Our Shelter & Support Services provide comprehensive services to survivors of domestic violence. The day-to-day operations of the shelter are crucial in meeting the basic daily needs and the safety and security of all clients. Case advocacy - helping connect individuals to the community Career counseling and assistance -creating self-sufficiency Communal living - making living together easier Counseling - available during and after their shelter stay Children’s enrichment programs - building fun back into life On-site daycare - removing a major barrier to economic sustainability All services are provided to ensure each individual and family receives the resources and case advocacy necessary to transition from our emergency shelter within 90 days.
Long Term Support Services
Counseling & Advocacy Services- Counseling staff provide essential services to adult and child survivors of domestic and sexual violence in both group and individual sessions. Like all of our services there is no charge to the client. Each week we offer 35 support groups for domestic and sexual assault survivors. Our groups serve adult and child survivors of domestic and sexual assault and/or sexual abuse, and witnesses to domestic violence. We also serve friends and family of adult survivors of sexual violence and the non-offending parents or caregivers of child survivors of sexual assault. Advocacy services include information, resources and referrals so clients can navigate the network of available services.
Housing Services- Housing advocates provide housing information, referrals, and advocacy for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. The Expanded Housing Program provides residential clients up to one year of rental and utility assistance. This program offers comprehensive case management focusing on budgeting, life skills, and the coordination of necessary resources to help clients reach self-sufficiency. Our scattered-site transitional housing allows clients to find housing in the area of Houston that works best for them and/or their family. This program is unique in that it provides financial assistance to clients pursuing educational and career goals in an effort to become self-sufficient.
Children's Court Services- Court Advocates help families whose children have experienced sexual abuse, physical abuse and other acts of violence and children who are witnesses to such acts as they participate in the Criminal Justice System. Our services including counseling, advocacy, case updates, referrals, court orientation and accompaniment, are provided to the children and their non-offending family members. Our goal is to empower children and families as they seek justice, reduce their current trauma and prevent re-victimization often experienced by survivors when accessing the criminal justice system.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
United Way Member Agency 1981
External reviews

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Our Sustainable Development Goals
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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?
The Houston Area Women's Center works to end domestic and sexual violence and supports all in building safe and healthy lives through advocacy, counseling, education, shelter and support services.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We provide direct services to clients that include crisis intervention, safety planning, and emergency shelter, as well as assistance with transitional housing, counseling, legal advocacy, career development, and case management.
We also work to make community systems and institutions more functional and responsive to victims of domestic and sexual violence – by changing laws and working with law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and medical personnel.
Through our Primary Prevention Program, we partner with educators, students, and parents to challenge and neutralize the underlying attitudes and beliefs that lead to, and sustain, abusive behaviors.
Volunteers also play a crucial role in fulfilling our mission. Utilizing a well-trained and dedicated corps of volunteers allows us to extend our reach and capacity in a variety of ways.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We have been doing this work since we were founded in 1977. Today, we have approximately 115 paid staff, a counseling and administrative building, a residential shelter for 120 women and children, a state-of-the-art hotline call center, and over 400 active volunteers.
Each year our services touch the lives of approximately 60,000 individuals. We reach another 30,000 through our community education and training programs.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Since the Houston Area Women's Center's launch in 1977, we have made major strides in how society views, and addresses, the crimes of domestic violence and sexual assault. Whereas four decade ago there were virtually no resources available to victims of domestic and sexual violence, we are now able to offer a wide range of life-changing services.
This includes our 120 bed residential shelter -- the primary emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence within Houston's city limits. Each year, we provide a safe place to stay for approximately 1300 adults and 800 children.
We are Houston's rape crisis center. From the moment an assault is reported, throughout the entire healing process, we provide counseling and advocacy for sexual assault victims.
Our 24-hour hotlines, which began in 1977 with a few old phones and a handful of volunteers, now receive nearly 50,000 calls a year and can accommodate callers in any language.
Our non-residential counseling programs, for individuals and groups, have grown to serve more than 9000 adults and 4000 children annually.
Every year, our children's court services program -- the only one of its kind in Texas – provides counseling and guidance for more than 400 children who have to testify in court as witnesses or victims of violent crime.
Our community education and training programs connect with approximately 30,000 people each year, reaching a diverse population that includes students, parents, faith leaders, educators, healthcare professionals and members of law enforcement.
While our services reach tens of thousands of people in our community annually, we know that we don't reach every individual who is affected by domestic and sexual violence. To reach more people with our life-saving, life-changing services, we continue our efforts to broaden community awareness and encourage access.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve
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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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
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Houston Area Women's Center, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 07/11/2022
Mrs. Jessica Bertuccio
Kristin Midgett
Communications Professional
Tana Pool
TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Co.
Jessica Ludwig Bertuccio
Finance Professional
Cynthia Williams George
PR Professional
Charic Daniels Jellins
ExxonMobil (Retired)
Ann Al-Bahish
Haynes Boone
Valencia Amenson
CenterPoint Energy
Vineet Bhatia
Susman Godfrey
Mindy Davidson
Houston Bar Association
Jim Grace
Grace & McEwan Consulting
Greg Harper
Sprague Resources
Jeff Kaplan
Lyondellbasell
David Rose
Aerospace Professional
Jamie Wright
Department of Veterans Affairs
Cindy Deere
Shell Oil (Retired)
Cynthia Hablinski
Shell Oil
Eartha Jean Johnson
risk Mitigation Worldwide
Gin Kinney
NRG Energy, Inc.
Marcus Malonson
Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
CleRenda McGrady
Community Volunteer
Lisa Modica
Halliburton
Nicole West
Westco Ventures LLC
Elizabeth Wyman
Yetter Coleman LLP
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 -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? 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
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 05/11/2021GuideStar 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 review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- 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 disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- 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.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.