Program areas at Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center
Emergency shelter- the shelter operates 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. The primary goal of the shelter is to protect program participants from harm and to restore them to self-sufficiency through the provision of supportive services. Shelter services include: Safe refuge, food, clothing, Crisis counseling, service management, advocacy, safety planning, transportation and information/referral to other private/public sources of assistance. The design of the shelter is such that families and individuals are accommodated on separate sides of the facility with a shared kitchen and dining area. The sparcc shelter also provides a kennel facility for pets. Domestic violence and sexual assault are under-reported crimes that cause a lifetime of effects and sparcc aims to aid its participants by providing emergency housing and a Place of respite, where daily needs are met, so that survivors have the opportunity to begin healing and making decisions to help change their lives for the better. Ifp project attorneys located at sparcc provide free legal services to help obtain injunctions for survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, dating violence, and stalking.
Community education and professional training community education presentations are provided to schools, churches, clubs, businesses, and other organizations by staff. Sparcc provides a violence prevention education program in elementary schools, which teaches peaceful, constructive ways of dealing with emotions, managing anger, and handling stress and conflict, as well, sparcc offers acquaintance Rape and teen dating violence prevention education to middle/high schools, colleges and universities in sarasota and desoto counties. Sparcc* provides continuing education to area law enforcement, health care personnel and other professionals/paraprofessionals on the subjects of domestic and sexual violence.
Counseling and advocacy outreach program participants receive a needs assessment, safety planning, Crisis counseling, case management, advocacy and accompaniment, and information and referrals to other community services as needed. The counseling program is based on the Crisis intervention model and consists of both individual and group sessions. Participants identify their options and explore their strengths and resources, advocacy services include action on behalf of survivors of sexual and domestic violence, or providing significant assistance to help them access services or information on their own. Accompaniment services include medical exams, appointments, interviews, trial and sentencing and other necessary appointments or services. All services are provided through a trauma informed approach, taking into account the histories of trauma and recognizing the presence of trauma symptoms and their impact on a survivor's life. Ifp project attorneys located at sparcc provide free legal services to help obtain injunctions for survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, dating violence, and stalking.
Treasure chest - a resale shop owned by sparcc that provides household, furniture and clothing assistance to victims of domestic and sexual violence free of charge.