Laurel House

Residential program/transitional housing:provided 4,575 days and nights of emergency shelter to 137 women and children who were displaced due to domestic violence in their homes. Provided post shelter transitional housing and supportive services to 11 families.see schedule o for full narrative.residential program: the organization operates a residential program which provides shelter, meals, counseling and support services to survivors of domestic violence and their dependent children. The residential program provided 4,575 days and nights of emergency shelter to 76 women and 61 children.hotline: the confidential 24-hour emergency hotline trained responders handled 2,861 hotline calls.transitional housing: this program provides a "bridge" between the residential shelter program and independent community living. Laurel House maintains apartments in montgomery county to House and support post-shelter families. In addition to subsidized rent, bridge housing families receive counseling and case management, as well as specialized services for their children. 11 families were housed in Laurel House's transitional housing apartments and participated in individual and group counseling, children's services, and individualized case management.

Community education:provided 24 trainings about domestic violence and available resources to 710 community members, including medical and law enforcement professionals.provided 299 presentations about dating violence and healthy relationships, reaching over 5,417 students in middle schools, high schools and colleges.see schedule o for full narrative.community education: staff members provide training about domestic violence, including early warning signs of abuse and ways to help, to medical personnel, police departments, and other law enforcement personnel. A total of 24 trainings about domestic violence were provided to 710 community members. The organization also offers informational programs about domestic violence for students in elementary, middle and high schools, and colleges throughout montgomery county. At least 5,417 students were educated via 299 presentations about dating violence and healthy relationships.

Counseling services/children's program:provided 9,551 hours of individual and group counseling to domestic violence victims.provided 120 hours of specialized supportive services to 19 children who were affected by domestic violence.see schedule o for full narrative.counseling services: trained domestic violence counselors are available in 4 different locations throughout montgomery county at no cost, to provide individual and group counseling to those affected by domestic violence, including dating violence. Counselors provided 9,551 hours of counseling to victims of domestic violence, both to those living in the shelter and housing programs, and to those living in the community.children's program: the family advocate and the children's advocate are available to provide specialized support to any child whose parent participates in any Laurel House service. 120 hours of service were provided to 19 children. The children's team also provided support to the parents of each of those children to ensure that they had the necessary tools and skills to meet their children's educational, developmental and medical needs.

Legal support/emergency response/advocacylegal support: staff members inluding a lawyer and paralegal provide court accompaniment and other types of legal advocacy to domestic violence survivors to help them navigate the criminal and civil court systems. Laurel House provided over 2,476 housrs of court accompaniment and other legal supports to program participants. Emergency response: volunteers are recruited and trained to respond to requests from hospital emergency rooms and law enforcement. Immediate crisis response was provided to 634 victims referred by law enforcement, emergency rooms, and other medical offices. Advocacy: the organization also advocates for social change. Examples of advocacy activities include: staff member participation in community tasks forces and other committee work to address issues related to domestic violence; communication with elected officials to keep them informed of domestic violence issues; training new volunteers as domestic violence advocates in the community; partnering with businesses and individuals who host events featuring Laurel House and messages of domestic violence awareness; and sponsoring an internship program that offers local college students practical experience in the field of domestic violence. A total of 14 graduate/undergraduate students particpated in the internship program this year.