Texas Advocacy Project, Inc.

Access to legal services is statistically proven to be the only social service that decreases family violence in the long-term. In particular, the Journal of the American Medical Association found that helping a victim of domestic violence get a protective order makes it up to 80% less likely that she will be abused again than a woman without similar legal protection.

Texas Advocacy Project's mission is to end dating and domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, stalking and human trafficking in Texas. We empower survivors through free legal and social services and advance prevention through public outreach and education. Our vision is that all Texans live free from abuse.

Established in 1982 by a group of young lawyers, Texas Advocacy Project (TAP) started as a legal hotline. After receiving an overwhelming number of phone calls from women in abusive situations trying to figure out how the legal system could help them escape, it evolved into a critical resource for Texans facing domestic violence issues. Beginning in the 1990's, TAP responded to requests from its collaborating partners to provide domestic violence legal services, in addition to the hotline.

In the decades since, TAP has evolved into an expert on legal and social issues affecting survivors. Today, we provide a range of legal and social services, including working directly with victims, partnering with over 96 domestic violence and sexual assault shelters, law enforcement agencies, schools, and courts across Texas. Our robust outreach is targeted at under-served populations such as minorities and teenagers and we specialize in helping victims who have been turned down by their local legal aid service provider.

We provide a range of legal and advocacy services proven to break the cycle of violence. We deliver effective legal services such as advice and counsel through our legal lines and video conference equipment, assistance with protective orders, assistance in pro se (self) representation, direct representation, and impact litigation.

The attorneys who staff our statewide toll-free Legal Line (800-374-HOPE) provide initial consultations and legal advice. Our staff attorneys prepare customized legal documents for protective orders and divorces and offer on-going legal advice about the court process. And our Assisted Pro Se (APS) services provide individualized legal assistance to victims in counties all over Texas. We provide Direct Representation for the most lethal and complex circumstances. When patterns of injustice emerge in various Texas counties, our direct representation cases become opportunities for us to apply Impact Litigation, affecting countless others who otherwise would have faced extreme barriers.

Partnering with Austin Police Department, TAP attorneys provide Emergency Protective Order (EPO) services which assist victims we serve following the arrest of an offender. Using trauma informed skills, we contact victims and offer assistance with safety planning and obtaining an EPO.

Additionally, we maintain an active outreach program which raises awareness, especially to at-risk groups like students. And our active training department brings vital information about legal rights of survivors and other important topics to advocates that work with survivors such as school administrations, law enforcement, military, health care providers, judges and prosecutors.

We spread awareness and engage the community with our signature Hope outreach campaigns. Through Handbags for Hope, partner with businesses across the state to collect purses, totes, and diaper bags. Each bag is fitted with a discreet tag with our Legal Line (800-374-HOPE) and filled with legal information and economic empowerment literature. The purses are delivered to partner shelters, crisis centers, and clinics across Texas for victims that walk through their doors. Backpacks for Hope is a similar campaign, but for collecting backpacks and school supplies for children in shelters, in time for the start of school. Hope for the Holidays, is our gift collection drive for families nominated by our staff attorneys. And Teen Ambassadors of Hope is an innovative 6-month long campaign to provide training on healthy relationships, teen dating violence, positive social media presence, and leadership skills to teens.

TAP employs 24 staff, 20 full-time and 4 part-time, the majority of whom are attorneys experienced in providing legal assistance to survivors of domestic violence.

Additionally, we share our expertise and empower our network of shelters and advocates across Texas through training & outreach. We provide multi-disciplinary training's to medical professionals, judges, prosecutors, law enforcement, school administrators and students. We also provide outreach to Universities throughout the state in order to help this at-risk community understand their rights when a sexual assault occurs on campus. Since 2007, TAP has hosted Virtual Legal Clinics, where survivors can meet "face-to-face" with an attorney through a secure video conferencing portal.

Our Chief Executive Officer, Heather Bellino, is a member of several committees, including Texas Council on Family Violences Public Policy Committee, which addresses the response to family violence in our state and provides feedback and guidance on measures that will be presented to the Texas Legislature. In addition, she is a member of the Project Safe Expert Panel, funded by the Criminal Justice Division of the Governors Office, which is charged with addressing the relationship between domestic violence and child abuse and neglect.

TAP serves all Texans without regard to socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age or physical disability. TAP helps survivors through free legal advice and counsel as well as with civil issues that affect abuse cases such as housing, employment, education and financial empowerment.

In 2023, TAP provided free legal services in 4,989 cases, helping 11,047 Texans in 156 counties. Of the primary victims served in 2023, this included 338 disabled, 274 veterans, 74 active duty military, and 117 that were 19 years old or younger. An overwhelming number of our clients are the poorest of the poor, in 2023, 2,522 (50%) reported no income at all and 3790 (75%) were living at or below 125% of the Federal Poverty Level.

Our attorneys host Virtual Legal Clinics for shelter clients using a proprietary secure video conferencing portal. Partnering with Austin Police Department, Project attorneys provide Emergency Protective Order (EPO) services ("stay-away" orders that keeps the offender away from the victim for a long enough period of time for the victim to figure out what to do next). Using trauma informed skills, we contact victims and offer assistance with safety planning and obtaining an EPO. In 2023, TAP helped 563 people receive an EPO.

TAP extends its impact through a network of outreach and trainings. In 2023, TAP provided free trainings to 6,456 individuals including judges, prosecutors, crime victim services personnel, legal advocates, medical professionals, universities and students.

We work with youth through teen outreach initiatives, which in 2023 provided training on healthy relationships, teen dating violence, online safety and leadership skills to ----- teenagers.

As we move forward, Texas Advocacy Project will continue to expand our outreach efforts in order to reach more survivors, including under-served populations such as minorities, teenagers and those in rural locations. TAP will continue to provide FREE legal services both in person and virtually, but expect to see a major expansion in virtual legal services in order to increase access to justice.