Dove House Advocacy Services

We respond with emotional and practical support to those who are in crisis and/or rebuilding their lives after intimate partner and family violence, victimization of any kind, and those in recovery from life's challenges including mental illness, substance use, and homelessness.

We treat our clients with respect, listen without judgement, and acknowledge that everyone's journey is different and that empowerment includes access to resources including flexible financial assistance. Our services are wrap-around, trauma-informed, confidential, and - thanks to our funders - free of charge. Clients may receive services for as long as they need to and may leave/resume services at any point.

Victim Advocacy Services and Crisis Response. Whether someone reaches out to us on our 24/7 Crisis Line, walks into our lobby, or calls for an appointment, they are matched with an Advocate who listens as they process the range of emotions associated with victimization and offers safety planning, basic needs supplies, and help determining if emergency shelter is needed. At weekly appointments, clients choose their own goals and Advocates offer emotional and practical support for reaching them.

Journeys vary and may include settling children in a new school, accessing social services, gathering documents for a housing search, and/or requesting referrals to therapy. Classes/groups to enhance healing and rebuilding include Changing Patterns; Financially Empowered; New Beginnings (for vulnerable older adults); drop-in yoga; and a support group for non-offending parents of child sexual assault victims.

Emergency/Temporary Shelter and Transitional Housing for survivors of domestic violence and their children. Guests at our confidential shelter have 24-hour access to a private room/bathroom, a fully equipped/stocked kitchen, and basic needs supplies. The full spectrum of Dove House’s services is available to all guests, and children may request their own Advocate. Our transitional apartments offer up to two years of stable, affordable housing while clients receive assistance in obtaining long-term affordable housing.

At the Recovery Café clients reconnect with the community and cultivate healthy relationships in a safe environment. The Café offers free meals 4 days each week, Recovery Circles, classes, community resources, and events in a low barrier, welcoming and inclusive way.

Education, Prevention, and Community Outreach. We teach relationship skills classes to all 9th grade classes in Jefferson County and weekly, monthly, and annual workshops and events to the community on topics such as prevention of victimization and tools for building healthy lives.

DHAS has an 8-person Board of Directors and 31 regular volunteers. Our staff of 16 is comprised of 6 full time advocates (shelter Manager, domestic violence, sexual assault, general crime, legal, and recovery); front desk and administrative staff; bookkeeper; development director; 3 programs managers, and executive director. Our funding is diversified and includes grants from private foundations, state funding, and support from local individuals, businesses, and groups. In addition, we source goods and services needed by our clients with strong partnerships and in-kind assistance.

Our community services offices at 1045 10th St. are our administrative center where clients receive services on a walk-in/call-in basis and by appointment. We use mobile/phone/text/email advocacy to create access for those without the means to come to our offices.

The confidential domestic violence shelter, capacity of 18, is in a separate location where guests’ approved pets are welcome. During their stay, guests have 24-hour access to their private room and bath and shared kitchen, common areas and yard. We provide 100% of basic needs and support guests in finding a place to go after their shelter stay. We offer housing search and job readiness classes at the Shelter.

The Recovery Café at 939 Kearney St. is a welcoming community-based program offering peer-to-peer support, recovery circles, free meals, trauma-informed yoga, and individualized advocacy/resources for those in recovery from a wide range of trauma including domestic violence, sexual assault, mental health, and homelessness.

We deliver services to approximately 500 adults and children each year. They are moms with children, single adults, and youth. 98% of our clients are low-income and experience marginalization as immigrants, people who identify as LGBTQI++, BIPOC community members, crime victims, individuals and families living in homelessness, with mental illness or substance use challenges, etc.

Our most recent Fiscal Year (July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023): 40 adults and children stayed in our emergency domestic violence shelter for an average of 87 days. We had 98 requests for emergency shelter that we were unable to fulfill. We responded to 256 crisis calls. 107 students attended the relationship skills classes we teach annually at all area high schools; our Recovery Café served 5062 meals, had113 active Members, and offered 7 weekly recovery circles. Our 2 Little Free Pantries provided24-hour a day supplemental food and personal hygiene products to people experiencing homelessness and/or economic hardship. 12 individuals/families with whom we worked this year found affordable housing helping them continue their healing journey and making room in our shelter/transitional apts. We welcomed the public to 28 unique educational events throughout the year. In Recognition of the importance of human connection and community in the work we do, we held a Reconnect event in February. 45 staff from area social service organizations came together to reconnect after the long pandemic and share resources for nourishing and inspiring joy in our work. The following client success story illustrates the amount of time and varied resources it can take for people to make lasting changes in their lives.

Several years ago, we began working with a woman fleeing her partner due to domestic violence and sexual assault. At the time, she had a one-year-old and was pregnant with her younger daughter. We provided safety planning and advocacy services and supported her in having a healthy pregnancy. Her journey in trying to leave her abusive relationship brought her to our emergency shelter and within a few months she obtained a TBRA (Tenant Based Rent Assistance) and moved into a small house. Struggling with mental health challenges brought on by the trauma of the abuse, she decided to begin seeing a therapist with help from Dove House. She moved into our transitional apartments after the toll of her physical and emotional challenges led to losing her housing. She worked hard to find permanent affordable housing and soon was accepted as a Habitat homeowner. While working on her own house and helping others build theirs and continuing with weekly therapy, she began to trust again and have more of a connection to the community. She feels ready to move to monthly therapy appointments and plans to do the same for her appointments with her Dove House advocate. We will remain available to her for whatever comes up.