Crisis Center North Incorporation

THE MISSION OF CRISIS CENTER NORTH IS TO EMPOWER VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND (SEE SCH O) TO CULTIVATE COMMUNITY ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS THAT BREAK THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE.

CRISIS CENTER NORTH (CCN) IS A NON-PROFIT COUNSELING AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER SERVING VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (DV), THEIR CHILDREN, AND TEENS INVOLVED IN VIOLENT DATING RELATIONSHIPS IN THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN COMMUNITIES OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY TO ANY INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. SERVICES INCLUDE: (1) A 24-HOUR HOTLINE; (2) A TEXT/CHAT LINE; (3) INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP COUNSELING FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN; (4) MOBILE COUNSELING; (5) CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES; (6) ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND MICRO LOAN SERVICES; (7) EDUCATION PROGRAMS (TO EMPLOYERS, CHURCHES, AND COMMUNITY GROUPS); (8) PRIMARY PREVENTION PROGRAMS (TO LOCAL SCHOOLS, HOPSITALS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES); CONTINUED ON SCH O (9) LEGAL ADVOCACY (PROVIDING VICTIM ASSISTANCE IN THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM; (10) MEDICAL ADVOCACY (PROVIDING HOSPITAL ACCOMPANIMENTAND 24-HOUR ON-CALL SERVICES); (11) MICRO LOAN PROGRAMMING TO HELP VICTIMS ESTABLISH ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE (THE FIRST PROGRAM OF ITS KIND IN PA'S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE MOVEMENT); (12) THE DV UP HOUSING PROGRAM; (13) THE OVC HOUSING PROGRAM FOR VICTIMS AND THEIR COMPANION ANIMALS; (14) THE PAWS FOR EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM, (PA'S FIRST COMPREHENSIVE CANINE ADVOCACY PROGRAM PROVIDING ANIMAL ASSISTED THERAPY, CANINE COURT ACCOMPANIMENT, VETERINARY STIPENDS FOR BATTERED PETS; TRAINING TO VETERINARIANS AND ANIMAL RELATED PROFESSIONALS ON THE INTERSECTIONALITY OF HUMAN AND ANIMAL ABUSE; AND SPECIALIZED HOUSING FOR VICTIMS AND THEIR COMPANION ANIMALS. CCN'S PAWS FOR EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM WAS RECOGNIZED WITH A GOVERNOR'S AWARD FOR PA'S MOST INNOVATIVE PROGRAM IN 2020. CCN HAS CONTINOUSLY PROVIDED FREE SERVICES TO THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN AREAS OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY FOR 44 YEARS, RESULTING IN AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS DEEPLY ROOTED IN THE COMMUNITY. IN FY 21/22, CCN PROVIDED SERVICES TO 2,735 UNDUPLICATED SURVIVORS, A 36% INCREASE OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THESE SURVIVORS WERE OFFERED A TOTAL OF 38,536 SERVICES. IN ADDITION, CCN RECORDED 2,227 HOTLINE CALLS THROUGH THE AGENCY'S 24-HOUR CRISIS HOTLINE WHILE LEGAL SERVICES (E.G. ASSISTANCE WITH PROTECTION FROM ABUSE (PFA) ORDERS; COURTROOM ACCOMPANIMENT; AND FOLLOW-UPS) TO 1,731 INDIVIDUALS, A 15% INCREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. IN ADDITION, CCN'S COMMUNITY BASED EDUCATION PROGRAMMING REACHED 1,541 COMMUNITY MEMBERS. ITS PREVENTION PROGRAMMING REACHED 12 DIFFERENT DISTRICTS OR PRIVATE SCHOOLS SPREADING THE MESSAGE TO 14,043 STUDENTS, A 56% INCREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THE ORGANIZATION'S MEDICAL ADVOCACY PROGRAM OFFERED TRAINING TO 1,596 INDIVIDUALS IN THE HEALTHCARE FIELD. CCN'S DV UP PROGRAM RESULTED IN HOUSING FOR 1,596 INDIVIDUALS NESTED IN APARTMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTY; AND AS A PILOT PROGRAM, THE OFFICE OF VICTIMS GRANT PROGRAM FOR VICTIMS AND THEIR COMPANION ANIMALS PROVIDED SERVICES TO 55 UNDUPLICATED INDIVIDUALS WITH HOUSING, TANGIBLE ASSISTANCE AND VETERINARY STIPENDS. CCN WAS AWARDED THIS GRANT AS ONE OF FIVE PILOT PROGRAMS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.THIS INCREASE IN DEMAND FOR DV SERVICES UNDERSCORES THE CRITICAL NEEDS THAT VICTIMS AND THEIR CHILDREN FACE DURING THE POST COVID LANDSCAPE. CCN'S 24-HOUR HOTLINE AND TALK CHAT LINE PROVIDES ROUND-THE-CLOCK ACCESS TO CRISIS COUNSELING AND IS A DIRECT CONNECTION TO 24-HOUR ON CALL ADVOCACY SERVICE PROVIDED BY CCN'S ADVOCACY TEAM. CCN PROVIDES ALL SERVICES FREE OF CHARGE TO OUR CLIENTS. ADDITIONALLY, THE ORGANIZATION PARTNERS WITH A NUMBER OF LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES TO ENSURE THAT ALL CLIENT NEEDS ARE MET BEYOND THOSE PROVIDED BY OUR AGENCY. THE ORGANIZATON PLACES A HIGH PRIROITY ON THE WISE UTILIZATION OF GOVERNMENTAL, FOUNDATION, AND PRIVATE RESOURCES, THUS AVOIDING ANY UNNECESSARY DUPLICATION OF SERVICES. CCN IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT WAS RECOGNIZED ON BOTH THE STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL FOR EXCELLENCE. THIS YEAR, THE ORGANIZATION RECEIVED A GOVERNOR'S PROGRAM AWARD FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE'S MOST INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING. ONLY ONE AWARD A YEAR WAS GIVEN AND THIS YEAR, IT WENT TO CCN'S MOBILE PROGRAM. CCN WAS ONE OF THE FIRST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROGRAMS IN PENNSYLVANIA TO PRIORITIZE RESEARCH INITIATIVES. IN ITS 23 YEAR HISTORY, CCN HAS COLLABORATED ON OVER 50 PEER REVIEWED RESEARCH ARTICLES WITH PENN STATE UNIVERSITY FACULTY. THIS YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HONORED THIS COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH WORK WITH THE NATION'S FIRST EVER CRIME VICTIMS RESEARCH AWARD. THE AWARD PRESENTED TO DR. JOHN R. CHAPIN FROM PENN STATE UNIVERSITY RECOGNIZED INDIVIDUAL RESEARCHERS OR RESEARCH TEAMS THAT MADE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE NATION'S UNDERSTANDING OF CRIME VICTIM ISSUES. FINALLY, THIS YEAR, ALSO ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL, THE PAWS FOR EMPOWERMENT LEAD CANINE, PENNY, WAS FEATURED ON ESPN FOR HER LIFE'S WORK IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AS AN AKC ACE FINALIST. PENNY HAS BEEN A TWO TIME NATIONAL HERO DOG NOMINEE AND APPEARED ON COURT TV FOR HER WORK IN THE FIELD OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. CCN HAS BEEN A MEMBER PROGRAM OF THE PENNSYLVANIA COALITION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (PCADV) SINCE ITS INCORPORATION. THE COALITION IS A STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION OF 59 COMMUNITY-BASED DOMESTIC VIOELNCE PROGRAMS. PCADV ENSURES MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS MAINTAIN THE HIGHEST STANDARDS, WHILE PROVIDING PATHWAYS TO SAFETY AND JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS OF DOEMSTIC VIOLENCE IN AN EFFORT TO END THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PANDEMIC IN PENNSYLVANIA