Casa de Misericordia

Shelter programthe purpose of Casa de Misericordia (Casa) domestic violence program is to provide a safe and secure environment in which victims of domestic violence can access the best of services to make informed decisions about their future. Casa de Misericordia offers 24 hour-a-day full-service shelter and 24 hour-a-day crisis telephone hotlines. Casa provides safety planning; advocacy, including legal and child, and intervention services; case management; counseling and support groups; information and referral services; and transportation. Casa also provides child centered activities including safety planning; counseling; case management; educational, recreational, and social groups; and primary prevention curriculum and activities.in fiscal year 2023, Casa provided residential services 266 adults and 398 children for a total of 8,604 shelter days. The shelter program also provided counseling services to 359 adults and 85 children. Casa hosted 95 support and therapy groups in which 233 adults and 200 children participated. During the same period, Casa provided 15 court accompaniments and provided transportation services to 353 individuals. All of these services are important in that they not only provide safety and security for victims of domestic violence but also because they break down barriers for victims and help them develop coping skills, self-esteem, knowledge of community resources and support networks.

Education center programthe education center provides educational and life skills classes aimed at helping victims of domestic violence become self-sufficient. Casa works with the mexican consulate and individuals from the community to provide instructors and materials for each class. In fiscal year 2023, Casa provided beauty, english as a second language (esl), sewing, health and wellness, and job and life skills classes. Through the educational and life skills classes, survivors of domestic violence are able to gain the skills needed to establish or supplement an income needed to attain financial independence. Beauty class had a total of 91 attendances, esl recorded 184 attendances, sewing class recorded 57 attendances, computer literacy reported 52 attendances, arts and crafts class recorded 124 attendances, music class recorded 161 attendances, health and wellness classes recorded 206 attendances, family education classes recorded 78 attendances, and primaria/secundaria classes reported 38.through the education center, Casa provides many opportunities for community education. The education center provides domestic violence and teen dating violence presentations and awareness activities both in the center and out in the community. Casa has provided these presentations to different businesses, schools, social service and government agencies, and social, community and educational organizations. These presentations and activities help the community understand domestic violence, its effects, and how the community can support and respond to the needs of victims of domestic violence. In fiscal year 2023, Casa provided 105 community presentations with attendances totaling 5,506, 35 television interviews and/or public service announcements, 2 radio interviews, and 18 newspaper interviews/articles.casa is committed to working with community collaborators. Casa is one of the founding members of the webb county domestic violence coalition, a grassroots organization composed of approximately 35 community organizations that meets monthly to discuss how best the community can address domestic violence. The coalition also facilitates an annual conference that brings together law enforcement, advocacy, education, health, and other community professionals.