Alexandra House

Housing & supportive services program "shelter services: we operate a 24-hour emergency shelter that can House up to 25 women and children at a time. Alternative emergency shelter is offered to male identified victims of domestic and sexual violence. Advocates work closely with participants, providing assistance in protection planning, securing safe, permanent, and affordable housing, and connecting participants to valuable resources in their community. Advocates also work with children during their stay in shelter, providing education and support around a range of issues-including safety planning, domestic/family violence, child abuse, self-esteem, and sexual abuse. In 2023, we sheltered and provided advocacy and support services to 423 women, children, and men totaling 6,947 nights of safety. Advocates from all programs provided advocacy and support to 3,500 primary and secondary victims via our help line. "housing and supportive services: housing and supportive services are available to survivors who may be in need of additional supports. The program offers an opportunity for participants to achieve personal goals, increase financial stability, build life skills, integrate with their community, and stabilize housing. Housing and supportive services also offers limited housing subsidies to eligible participants. Program participants can choose to work with a shelter and supportive services advocate to navigate legal systems, overcome housing challenges, pursue employment opportunities, and access community supports. The shelter and supportive services advocates meet survivors in their home (or another safe location) to provide case management services, helping ensure survivors with the ultimate goal that survivors are able to remain independent and safe. This program served 73 households in 2023, 13 of whom also received a housing subsidy. "support group services: Alexandra House offered three weekly support groups in 2023 that included: support and healing for survivors of sexual violence; support and healing for survivors of domestic violence; and "on our way" support group for victim/survivors of abuse in later life. In 2023, we provided 757 support group services to 115 participants. "therapy: in partnership with local counseling center, conscious healing, we were able to offer onsite therapy sessions to 66 participants, who received a combined total of 244 total therapy sessions in 2023.

Community program Alexandra House has a satellite office in anoka, which houses our legal advocacy services, and andover, which houses our elder abuse and youth services. "legal advocacy services: many participants who have experienced domestic and sexual violence do not require shelter, but do need legal advocacy and support services, especially as it relates to civil and criminal court matters. In 2023, 544 program participants were served by our criminal justice and civil legal advocacy services. Criminal legal advocates partner with local law enforcement agencies so that victims of domestic violence receive the assistance of an advocate immediately following a domestic assault or domestic-related crime. In 2023, Alexandra House received 583 referrals from law enforcement; of those referrals, 405 victims were determined to be high risk and connected to an advocate. The remaining victims were contacted by advocates shortly after the incident. Criminal legal advocates provided crisis intervention, ongoing support, and crime victim advocacy throughout criminal court proceedings to include accompanying victims to court hearings; serving as a liaison to prosecutors, helping victims understand the criminal court process and crime victim rights, and assisting them in accessing resources like crime victim assistance, reparations, and victim notification. In 2023, civil legal advocates assisted 132 victim/survivors in their attempts to obtain a protection order, including assisting 107 victims in filing protection orders and providing free legal representation to 38 victims through our ofp project. "hospital advocacy services: Alexandra House advocates also work with victims of domestic and sexual violence identified by health care personnel. In partnership with mercy hospital and mercy hospital - unity campus and select allina affiliated clinics, advocates provide in-person, patient follow-up to victims of domestic or sexual violence 24-hours/day. When the victim has been sexually assaulted, we also work closely with the sexual assault nurse examiners (sane) program to support the victim through the evidentiary exam, assist them in reporting the assault should they wish to file a police report, and provide ongoing emotional support and referrals to the victim. In 2023, 187 victims of sexual and domestic violence were provided crisis intervention, safety planning, and support through our hospital advocacy program in person, and over the phone. "elder abuse services: in addition to conducting outreach to community groups, senior centers, agencies, and professionals who interact with potential elder abuse victims, we also offer ongoing case management and supportive services to victims of abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation in anoka county. Services offered include ongoing support, help in navigating systems, connection to community resources, and basic needs, housing, financial, and legal assistance. We also partner with anoka county adult protection on cases involving vulnerable victims of elder abuse. This program served 46 program participants in 2023 and conducted 14 outreach events, reaching 343 community members, professionals, and seniors. "youth services: our youth service program intervenes in the lives of youth who are experiencing relationship violence. We remove barriers youth face in accessing safe, confidential services by partnering with six local school districts and the lino lakes juvenile correctional facility to bring services to them. Advocates spend time each week at many high schools and alternative programs in anoka-hennepin, spring lake park, centennial, fridley, columbia heights, and st. francis school districts. In addition to meeting individually with students, healthy relationship groups are held in select school sites. Advocates also provide prevention education in the classroom setting on a wide variety of topics and to make students aware of available services and how to access them. We also provide educational groups and presentations throughout the year to youth who reside in one of three programs of the lino lakes juvenile correctional facility. During summer months, youth services advocates partner with local community education and youth summer programs throughout anoka county to offer interactive, educational presentations on healthy relationships and bystander intervention to middle school age youth. In 2023, the youth services program provided in person school-based individual advocacy and support groups to 140 youth, reached 20 middle school aged youth through summer prevention programming, and 35 youth participated in on-site groups at lino lakes juvenile correctional facilities. In addition, 5,039 students from local middle and high schools and community colleges learned about healthy relationships through their participation in one of 264 classroom presentations and seven youth completed our annual summer leadership institute. "sexual assault kit (sak) initiative: in partnership with mn office of justice programs, anoka county sheriff's office, Minnesota coalition against sexual assault (mncasa), and the bca, Alexandra House continued their participation on a state-wide pilot project that has as its goals: eliminating the backlog of untested saks in the state of Minnesota, establishing uniform protocols and procedures related to the handling and testing of future saks in Minnesota and establish trauma-informed protocols for sexual assault investigation, prosecution, and victim service provision. Alexandra House's saki advocate, officed out of the anoka county sheriff's office, works alongside the saki detective on reviewing cases and conducting victim notifications. Alexandra House's participation in the saki initiative ended in april/may of 2023, but in the first part of 2023, the saki advocate provided victim notification, advocacy, and/or support services to 13 victim/survivors of sexual assault. Community education and professional training community education and professional training: Alexandra House understands that education is critical to creating significant, long-term change. We offer free presentations and facilitate dialogues with community groups and individuals on various topics, including domestic and/or sexual violence and Alexandra House services. Alexandra House also offers a wide variety of trainings tailored to various professional groups such as first responders, social services, customer service, clergy, and lay leaders, and in corporate settings. In 2023, over 5,500 community members and professionals increased their awareness and knowledge through community education presentations, professional trainings, resource fairs, and organizational events.