Program areas at Young Womens Christian Association of Greater Lafayette
Ywcas flagship program is our domestic violence intervention and prevention program (dvipp) which includes a 30-bed shelter that was renovated in 2017. In 2022, ywca provided 6,694 nights of safe shelter to 304 domestic violence victims and their dependent children. However, safe shelter is only the beginning. Ywca dvipp operates a 24-hour crisis hotline that received 6,740 calls in 2022 about 18 calls per day to assist domestic violence victims. At ywcas advocacy center, a separate building next door to the shelter, dvipp case advocates work with shelter clients and assisted 204 additional victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking with social services, counseling, support groups, translation services, career development, rental assistance, childcare, and basic human needs. Ywca dvipp also helps clients navigate the legal system and assisted with 392 protective orders. The primary goal is to help victims become survivors and to transition survivors and families into safe permanent housing. Also in 2022, ywca dvipp provided intimate partner violence and prevention training to 5,640 youth and 1,522 adults.
Ywcas violence prevention programming includes empowerment services, which tackles economic injustice, a key community and societal-level risk factor that causes and sustains family violence. Empowerment services includes strive, an educational and job coaching program that focuses on digital skills training for those at most risk of victimization, including women and people of color. The goal of this program is to increase vocational opportunities by providing essential digital and workforce skills. In addition, the program offers a dress for success affiliated boutique to outfit participants of the program for interviews and work. It also provides resume building, mentoring, and support groups. Our dress for success services conducted 75 suiting sessions, of which 54 were for employment and 21 were for interviews. We also provided suiting for three clients for the purposes of court appearances. With the 59 clients that participated with our strive program, 26 acquired full time employment, 3 started an apprenticeship and 12 pursued additional skill training within a 3 month timeframe of completing the strive training. Our strive and dress for success Greater lafayettes client base was highly diverse, highlighting the racial and economic disparities in our community. 62% of women we served identified as non-white, which is disproportionate to the 17% non-white tippecanoe population. In addition, 52% of participants identified as survivors of domestic violence, reflecting the ongoing internal referral flow between empowerment services and ywcas domestic violence intervention and prevention program.
In 2022, ywca Womens wellness program (wwp) provided education to women about the importance of early detection in the fight against breast and cervical cancer. Additionally, ywcas wisewoman program provided integrated services for counseling and monitoring of Womens overall health and chronic disease prevention. Wwp navigators and advocates help to remove barriers to medical services. In 2022, this initiative served 1,489 unique clients providing 2,076 screening services such as clinical breast exams, mammograms, breast ultrasounds, pap tests and other breast or cervical diagnostic procedures for the uninsured, underinsured or those who cannot afford their insurance deductibles. Clients diagnosed with cancer are supported with healthcare navigation services that include scheduling appointments, translation services, prosthetic devices, wigs, comfort care items to ease the financial burden of their diagnoses. Ywca wpp serves 36 Indiana counties and is Indiana state department of healths largest bccp region.