Forbes House

The Lake County Committee on Family Violence, Inc.

  Program Services for Battered Women and Their Children.

Updated 8/3/06

Our approach to the women who call or come into the shelter is a holistic one.  Immediate shelter is a temporary solution to an immediate crisis.  Leaving the abusive environment is the first step.  Battered women often need long term counseling, housing, legal assistance etc.  Advocates and the counselor work with the women to assess their needs and the needs of their children, and assist them in any way they can.  Referrals are also made to appropriate agencies and/or persons to help women and children accomplish their goals.

To address the needs of victims of domestic violence, Forbes House provides services in a number of areas.  Our services and programs include:

A.     Shelter – Forbes House provides a safe supportive shelter 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  The shelter can house up to 30 women and children and we are also able to provide shelter to a physically challenged woman and/or child. Stay at the shelter is generally limited to 30 days.

B.     Helpline – 24 hour Helpline for crisis intervention, support and to provide information and referrals.  Staff and volunteers are on call so that a woman needing to come into the shelter may do so no matter what time of the day or night it is.

C.    Advocacy – Battered women must often deal with complex bureaucracies.  Advocates assist women and children by acting as a liaison with any bureaucracies they must come in contact with.  Advocates also assist women in establishing their goals; facilitate referrals to other agencies; and accompany women through the legal system.  Advocacy is available to ex-residents and nonresidents as well as women and children in the shelter.

D.    Children’s Program – The counselor addresses the needs of the children; works with mothers to develop and enhance parenting skills; and facilitates referrals to other agencies.  The counselor works with the children individually and in small groups.  She also provides activities for moms to do with their children.

E.     Support Groups/Outreach – Support groups for nonresidents and ex-residents provide emotional and psychological support from peers with direction from a staff member or trained volunteer.

F.     Community Education – Speaker present programs on issues relating to domestic violence, including date abuse, to schools, community groups, and other organizations.  Area high schools and junior high schools have responded well to our Community Education program.

G.    Aftercare – Volunteers an evening staff keep in touch with women who have left the shelter by mail and phone.  They provide referrals and emotional support to help ex-residents remain in healthy, nonviolent relationships.  A phone call or letter may also be the catalyst a formerly abused woman needs to reassert her goals to herself.

H.     Counseling – A counselor is available to meet with the women at least one time each week.  She addresses mental health related issues and refers the women for extended counseling.  There are also two play therapy groups for children that meet weekly.

In 1991, we began discussing beginning a group for batterers.  Western Reserve Counseling Services, an agency to whom we refer many women for extended counseling, agreed to start a therapeutic group for batterers. The group began in March 1992.  As of January 1997 there were 9 groups for batterers.  The goals of the groups are to help abusive men accept their anger, recognize the rights of others, learn new acceptable outlets for anger, and clarify values of both men and women.

Through a cooperative effort with our local Big Brothers/Big Sisters, who received a grant from the Cleveland Foundation, a “Bigs for a Day” program was started in the shelter.  It is vital that the children who come into the shelter, particularly the boys, have the opportunity for individual or small group contact with positive role models.  BB/BS recruits volunteers who are matched with the children in the shelter. The BB/BS volunteers spend some time with the children, which not only provides the children with special friendship, but also gives moms a much-needed break.  This project began in the fall of 1992.

Also, in the fall of 1992, Forbes House and Headstart joined in an effort to provide children and moms in the shelter with a special program for families.  A Headstart social worker comes into the shelter one day each month.  She spends the morning working with the children and the afternoon working with the moms on a variety of topics that relate to parenting.

Adult Basic Education is also available for women who are interested in obtaining their GED and anyone who may need help with basic living skills i.e. balancing a checkbook, filling out applications.

One of our goals at Forbes House is to empower women to make their own choices and take control of their lives.  We try to make women aware of their options and the resources available to them.  In addition, we try to provide information and guidance in many areas including assertiveness, relaxation techniques, physical fitness, time management, nutrition, and budgeting.  Furthermore, we encourage self-esteem, coping skills, and family communication.

In 1999, 269 women and children stayed in the shelter for a total of 3,752 shelter days.  We received more than 900 domestic violence calls on our Helpline.  We also provided legal advocacy for more than 400 victims of domestic violence, including children and secondary clients.  In addition, our nonresident support groups were very active with 65 members through the year.  Also, 85 Community Education programs were presented to more than 1600 people, many of who were students in Lake County.

We have established close working relationships with the Painesville and Willoughby Municipal Courts.  The Courts notify us daily of all domestic violence cases, and the advocates go over to the Court to meet with the victims.  In the past, victims called us so we missed connecting with many victims who may have needed our assistance, but were not aware of Forbes House, or were not aware of the fact that we did legal advocacy, or who were hesitant to call us.  This way we are available to the victim at the Court.  We have found that since we are present at the Courthouse, the majority of victims of domestic violence not only decide they want out assistance through the legal proceedings, but they continue to keep in touch with us.  It takes courage for a batter woman to leave her abuser.  Often the fact that Forbes House is there to support and assist her helps her to take the first step.