Sojourner Center

Emergency shelter services: Sojourner Center's emergency shelter provides a safe and confidential trauma informed living environment, staffed 24 hours per day, 365 days a year for individuals and families who are fleeing a domestic or sexual violence situation. All basic need items are provided upon arrival and throughout the individuals stay at shelter. Case managers support participants in their progress towards healing and independence through a variety of services including psychoeducational classes focusing on trauma, domestic violence education, safety planning. Additional services include a licensed onsite childcare, lay legal advocacy services, life skills development and workforce readiness as well as access to onsite community partnerships.

Community outrach: in some cases, victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence are still residing with an abusive partner, or may not need emergency or transitional shelter. However, they still wish to address their experiences with domestic violence. Sojourner Center works with this population through its community outreach program. Through trauma informed care, the community-based outreach program offers individualized services for women, men, children and families. Case managers meet participants where they are, often at a safe place in the community or virtually, to provide support related to domestic violence, sexual violence, and trauma. The community outreach program also provides presentations for community organizations including schools, hospitals, and law enforcement agencies. Sojourner Center also participants in many task forces, city and county councils and local coalitions.

Transitional housing: the transitional housing program provides stable supportive living environment for individuals and families. The program provides the opportunity to gain the skills and resources necessary for obtaining and sustaining safe permanent housing. Participants work with their assigned case manager to develop an individualized goal plan. To achieve their goals, participants have access to Sojourner Center's comprehensive continuum of supportive services, which focus on the most critical needs related to self-sufficiency: financial literacy, managing a household and budgeting, education attainment, and workforce readiness.

Child development Center: the licensed child care Center addresses the short and long term effects of a child's emotional, social, and cognitive development who are primary or secondary victims of domestic violence. Cdc holds a 5 star rating from quality first; this is the highest rating possible. Enrolled children receive developmental screenings and are provided individual lesson plans to support with academic readiness. Activities are focused on learning through play, social development, and cultural-sensitivity. Parents participate in family safety planning, participation in their childs classroom, and parenting support groups.

Lay legal: the lay legal advocacy program supports domestic violence victims attain safety and justice by assisting them in accessing the legal resources available to them. Lay legal advocates do not provide legal advice or respresentation and instead provide emotional support and court accompaniment. Lay advocates support victims with securing orders of protection, support with landlord-tenant issues (breaking a lease or avoiding eviction), legal separation or divorce, child support, custody and visitation, and modification of decrees as well as accessing other social services such as shelter, food, clothing, healthcare, and childcare. Lay legal advocates are placed in multiple courts and family advocacy centers throughout the valley.

Pet shelter: pet companion services provides animals accompanying families in our residential programs the opportunity to heal from their trauma by participating in an enrichment program designed to promote social interaction, decrease stress, and critical thinking. Cats and dogs are provided medical resources including vaccines and being spayed/neutered. Sojourner Center contracts with lost our home pet rescue to provide training for pets at our shelter to ensure each pet's individual needs are met.