24-HOUR CRISIS INTERVENTION
Staff and trained volunteers provide crisis intervention 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, offering information and referrals, safety planning, emotional support, accompaniment and advocacy.

EMERGENCY & LONG TERM SHELTER
Provision is made at our shelter, The Garden Place, for a safe, confidential and supportive haven for women and their children who are victims of domestic violence or sexual assault. Shelter residents may remain at the shelter for three months. Support groups, counseling, advocacy with other service providers, assistance in accessing community resources, and referrals are provided on site.

INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY COUNSELING, LONG & SHORT TERM
Victims are assisted with their healing process, exploration of options available to them, and establishment of plans and goals for creating safe, rewarding, and violence-free lives.

INFORMATION & REFERRALS
We provide information and referrals to other Chatham County agencies such as Health Department, Social Services, Mental Health, Housing Authority, and legal and healthcare providers.

SUPPORT GROUPS
We provide on-going group sessions with focus on healing, assertiveness, self-esteem and empowerment for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. We offer groups for women and groups for children.

SEXUAL ASSAULT RESPONSE
In addition to assisting victims of current or past sexual assault and abuse with direct individualized services, we work in the community to improve the system wide response to these crimes. This collaboration, funded initially by a two-year Victims of Crime Act grant to FVRC, has resulted in 10 nurses at Chatham Hospital being trained as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE), the purchase of specialized equipment for forensic exams, and several law Enforcement Officers receiving training at national sexual assault conferences. As one of the founding members years ago, we also remain active on the Child Victim Services multidisciplinary team which deals exclusively with cases of child sexual abuse.

COORDINATED COMMUNITY RESPONSE
The Coalition for Family Peace (CFFP) was founded in 1997 to improve the community’s response to domestic violence. Today the CFFP has over 80 members representing 30 organizations throughout Chatham County including the justice system, health care system, the educational system, faith-based communities and the human services system. Members participate on task forces to accomplish the goals and objectives of our coordinated community response in the areas of victim services, criminal justice, public awareness and training. Our project has served as a model for providing outreach to the Latino community and developing a coordinated response in a rural area. All aspects of the project are English-Spanish bilingual. An evaluation component has allowed up to track selected results to determine and guide the effectiveness of our efforts.

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
FVRC provides extensive education, training and public awareness on issues of sexual abuse and assault, including marital rape, that reach throughout our county and beyond. These activities include but are not limited to the following: internships (up to one year) for graduate and undergraduate students in social work, public health, law enforcement, nursing, mental health and teachers; and training for crisis line volunteers.

COMMUNITY EDUCATION
We promote FVRC’s mission to empower families and individuals to live free from violence and abuse through the media (TV, radio and newspapers), public forums, vigils and presentations to community groups.

COURT ADVOCACY
Each week advocates attend all civil and criminal district court sessions to assist victims of domestic or sexual crimes in understanding and utilizing the justice system. This work necessitates interaction with District Attorneys, Judges, Public Defenders, Law Enforcement Officers, clerks, Dispute Settlement personnel, local attorneys, Probation officers, mental health counselors, and any other professionals involved to obtain the best outcomes.

PEACE PROGRAMS
(People Ending Abuse Through Counseling & Education)
Individuals can learn how to establish nonviolent relationships in our 26-week, state-certified batterers intervention program, which provides assessments, information and referrals, counseling, and education. Groups are available in both English and Spanish.

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS:

TEACHING NON-VIOLENCE (TNV)
In our shelter, children who have experienced domestic violence receive child-centered counseling and play therapy. Mothers receive education on positive discipline, designed to strengthen the parent-child bond. Families learn about non-violent problem solving and building nurturing relationships.

HOMES
(Helping Our Moms Experience Success):
Our intensive home-visiting program is offered to eligible families to further build parenting skills and establish violence-free homes. This service is available for up to one year for any family with a child aged 0-8.

DAY CAMP
Since 1996, FVRC has offered a weeklong summer program for children ages 7-12. This camp gives youth a safe place to experience self-esteem building activities and conflict resolution skills through art and nature projects, recreational activities, and facilitated group activities with a 1:2 adult to child ratio.

CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION & SCREENING PROGRAMS
This is a comprehensive, school-based child abuse prevention program that provides age appropriate classroom education in all schools at four grade levels on child abuse, sexual abuse, dating violence and rape. All students who receive presentations are given the opportunity to speak confidentially with one of the Counselors/Educators to discuss any issues or concerns raised during the presentation. Appropriate referrals are made as needed.