Womens Center Of Montgomery County

ESTABLISHED IN 1976, THE WOMEN'S CENTER OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY (WCMC) WORKS TO ELIMINATE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SO THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN LIVE SAFER, MORE STABLE LIVES AND THRIVE. THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES - WHICH INCORPORATE INTERVENTION, PREVENTION AND EMPOWERMENT METHODOLOGIES - WE WORK TO SAVE LIVES, PROMOTE SELF-SUFFICIENCY, CREATE INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE AND REDUCE THE IMPACT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

COUNSELING SERVICES: THE WCMC PROVIDED CRISIS AND ONGOING COUNSELING SERVICES TO 4,078 UNDUPLICATED VICTIMS. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A CONSERVATIVE NUMBER, SINCE, IN THE CASE OF HOTLINE CALLERS WHO PREFER ANONYMITY, WHERE WE DO NOT HAVE THE FULL NAME OR ADEQUATE IDENTIFICATION FOR A CALLER, WE ERR ON THE SIDE OF BEING CONSERVATIVE AND LIST THEM AS A REPEAT (CONTINUING) CLIENT RATHER THAN NEW.

LEGAL ADVOCACY AND COURT ACCOMPANIMENT: DURING THIS PERIOD WE PROVIDED LEGAL ADVOCACY AND OPTIONS COUNSELING TO 2,602 ADULTS. THIS INCLUDES ONSITE ASSISTANCE AT THE COURTHOUSE WITH COMPLETING THE PFA PETITION. ADDITIONALLY, AS PART OF THESE SERVICES, WE HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED BY OUR COURT ADMINISTRATION AS A RESOURCE TO PFA PETITIONERS TO PROVIDE PRE-COURT ORIENTATION FOR THEM IN PREPARATION FOR THEIR HEARING. EACH WEEK, OUR COUNSELORS RECEIVE A LIST OF UPCOMING PFA HEARINGS AND ARE CHARGED WITH CONTACTING THOSE INDIVIDUALS NOT REPRESENTED BY LEGAL COUNSEL TO CONFIRM THEIR HEARING DATES, PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HEARING PROCESS AND REASSURANCE ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY OUR LEGAL ADVOCATES AT THE HEARING. SAFETY PLANNING AND ADDITIONAL SUPPORT RESOURCES ARE ALSO DISCUSSED.THROUGH THESE CONTACTS WITH SURVIVORS, WE ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES BEYOND ASSISTANCE WITH PFA'S AND CRIMINAL COURT ACCOMPANIMENT THAT INCLUDE: PROCEDURES AND SUPPORT RESOURCES FOR ADDRESSING CHILD CUSTODY MATTERS AND IMPLEMENTING SAFETY MEASURES DURING CUSTODY EXCHANGES PROCEDURES AND RESOURCES FOR SECURING SUPPORT AND DIVORCE AS APPROPRIATE PROCESSES FOR ACCESSING PUBLIC BENEFITS AND HEALTHCARE, WITH SPECIAL CONSIDERATION FOR DISABILITIES, AGE OR LGBTQ STATUS. ACCESS TO AVAILABLE SAFE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, INCLUDING EMERGENCY HOTEL STAYS AND RELOCATION ASSISTANCE. REFERRALS TO APPROPRIATE AGENCIES FOR SURVIVORS FACING IMMIGRATION CONCERNS. PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT VICTIM'S COMPENSATION, PA-SAVIN AND ADDRESS CONFIDENTIALITY.DURING OUR 'RECOVERY' FROM PROLONGED COVID CLOSURES AT OUR COURTHOUSE, OUR ADVOCATES ADAPTED TO VIDEO CONFERENCING FOR TEMPORARY ORDERS, NEW PROCEDURES IMPLEMENTED BY COURT ADMINISTRATION THAT INCLUDES CHANGES TO THE ROTATION OF AND THE ONGOING CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW JUSTICE COMPLEX, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE NEXT TWO TO THREE YEARS. OUR STAFF PROVIDES COVERAGE NOW AT TWO DISTINCT LOCATIONS FOR THE INITIAL FILING OF A TEMPORARY ORDERS IN FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022, WE ASSISTED WITH 37 EMERGENCY PFA CONTACTS, 417 TEMPORARY PFA ACCOMPANIMENTS, 1,280 FINAL ORDERS AND 280 CRIMINAL COURT ACCOMPANIMENTS, INCLUDED INDIRECT CRIMINAL CONTEMPT (ICC) HEARINGS FOR VIOLATIONS OF PFA ORDERS.TO MEET THE INCREASING NEED FOR LEGAL SERVICES AND THE ALARMING SEVERITY AND INTENSITY OF THESE CASES OVER THE PAST YEAR, WE EXPANDED STAFFING IN OUR COURTHOUSE LOCATION TO INCLUDE A THIRD PAID STAFF MEMBER, WORKING WITH OUR TRAINED VOLUNTEERS. OUR LEGAL ADVOCATES WORKED DIRECTLY WITH COURT ADMINISTRATION, THE PROTHONOTARY'S OFFICE, AND OUR JUDGES TO STREAMLINE AND ENHANCE SERVICES TO KEEP THE FOCUS ON SURVIVORS TRAUMA INFORMED AND INCLUSIVE.

MEDICAL ADVOCACY: THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC, ONSITE IN-PERSON SERVICES CONTINUED UNINTERRUPTED AT OUR HOSPITAL-BASED LOCATIONS, WITH OUR MEDICAL ADVOCATES (MA) REMAINING RESILIENT IN THEIR EFFORTS TO PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES, TRAINING AND ADVOCACY DESPITE THE CHALLENGES. AT OUR HOSPITAL SITES, WE WITNESSED AN INCREASE IN THE BRUTALITY AND EGREGIOUSNESS OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE, WITH MORE HOMICIDES, ATTEMPTED HOMICIDES, AND STRANGULATIONS OCCURRING IN OUR COUNTY THAN EVER BEFORE. MOREOVER, OUR MA'S WERE FREQUENTLY CALLED UPON TO WORK WITH SURVIVORS WHO CO-PRESENTED WITH COVID SYMPTOMS AND PHYSICAL ABUSE. TO ADDRESS THE DEMAND FOR MEDICAL ADVOCACY SERVICES, WE EXPANDED OUR PRE-PANDEMIC STAFFING FROM ONE FULL-TIME AND TWO PART TIME MEDICAL ADVOCATES TO THREE FULL-TIME (40 HOURS A WEEK) MEDICAL ADVOCATES. THROUGH FVPSA MOBILE ARP FUNDING, IN JUNE 2022 WE ADDED A BIRTH ADVOCATE AND AN ELDERCARE ADVOCATE. FOR THE PURPOSES OF REPORTING ON TRADITIONAL MAP FUNDING, SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: EXPANDING HEALTHCARE PROVIDER OUTREACH AND TRAINING TO INCLUDE NEW HEALTHCARE AUDIENCES URGENT CARE, PHARMACIES, SPECIALTY PHYSICIANS(SUCH AS CHIROPRACTORS AND OPTOMETRISTS);CREATING AND DISTRIBUTING MORE THAN 500 INFORMATION PACKETS TO THESE PROVIDERS; CREATING AND DISTRIBUTING A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER THAT FEATURES ARTICLES ON TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI), STRANGULATION, IMPROVED PRACTICES FOR UNIVERSAL SCREENING AND REFERRAL PROTOCOLS FOR IPV CASES; DEVELOPING NEW RELATIONSHIPS WITH HEALTHCARE PARTNERS SUCH AS JEFFERSON/LANSDALE FAITH COMMUNITY NURSING PROGRAM, DREXEL UNIVERSITY FAMILY INTERVENTION SERVICES, AXIS WOMEN'S HEALTH CARE, AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL NURSES; CONDUCTING TRAINING AND OUTREACH TO SENIOR CENTERS, SUCH AS THE PEAK AND ENCORE. REVIEWING AND UPDATING HOLY REDEEMER EMERGENCY ROOM PROTOCOLS FOR IPV SCREENING CREATING TRAINING CURRICULUM AND MATERIALS ON STRANGULATION AND TBI; CONDUCTING TRAININGS ON THESE TOPICS IN HEALTHCARE SETTINGS.DURING FY 2021/2022 OUR MEDICAL ADVOCATES CONDUCTED 19 TRAININGS, REACHING 817 PROVIDERS. THEY PROVIDED 494 HOURS OF DIRECT SERVICES THROUGH 572 CONTACTS WITH SURVIVORS IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE HOSPITAL SITE.AS PART OF OUR OUTREACH EXPANSION WITHIN THE HOSPITALS, OUR MAS HAVE ALSO INCLUDED THE WORK OF OUR DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL/UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS, INTEGRATING A HEALTHCARE PERSPECTIVE ON SUPPORTIVE LGBTQ+ SURVIVOR INTERVENTIONS. TO FURTHER THEIR OWN AWARENESS ON THIS SUBJECT, OUR MA'S ATTENDED THE VIRTUAL MAZZONI CENTER TRANS WELLNESS CONFERENCE.