Avda

TO END FAMILY VIOLENCE BY ADVOCATING FOR THE SAFETY AND SELF-DETERMINATION OF VICTIMS, PROMOTING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ABUSERS, AND FOSTERING A COORDINATED COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO ABUSE.

LEGAL ADVOCACY PROGRAM (LAP) - AVDA'S LAP PROGRAM IS COMPRISED OF NINE STAFF PARALEGAL/ATTORNEY TEAMS (SEVEN TEAMS IN HARRIS COUNTY, ONE TEAM IN FORT BEND COUNTY AND ONE TEAM IN HEMPSTEAD), WHO PROVIDE TRAUMA-INFORMED LEGAL ADVOCACY AND REPRESENTATION FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS IN AUSTIN, GRIMES, HARRIS, FORT BEND, WALLER, AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES' FAMILY CIVIL COURTS. THE RURAL SERVICE SATELLITE OPENED ITS DOORS IN NOVEMBER OF 2019. IN 2021, THE LAP TEAM REPRESENTED 6,205 ADULT AND CHILD VICTIMS WHO ARE SEEKING TO OBTAIN PROTECTIVE ORDERS, DIVORCE, CHILD CUSTODY, CHILD SUPPORT, AND IN CASE OF PARENTALFATALITY, ADOPTION. ADDITIONALLY, HOUSED UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE LAP, THE ORGANIZATION'S TRAUMA COUNSELOR PROVIDES BOTH ADULT AND CHILD DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVOR COUNSELING, AND DOES SO IN BOTH GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL FORMATS. THE ORGANIZATION'S COUNSELOR IS BILINGUAL AND A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR, PROVIDING THERAPEUTIC AND PEER COUNSELING FOR SURVIVORS TO ADDRESS THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL DAMAGE CAUSED BY EXPERIENCING DOMESTIC ABUSE.

BATTERING INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION PROGRAM (BIPP) - AVDA'S BIPP PROGRAM IS THE LARGEST BIPP IN THE STATE, AND THE FIRST TO BECOME STATE ACCREDITED. ITS EIGHT-PERSON BIPP TEAM PROVIDES PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL COUNSELING FOR ABUSERS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE TO PROMOTE ACCOUNTABILITY AND CHANGE. THE CLIENTS ARE LARGELY COURT MANDATED AND MUST ATTEND A MINIMUM OF 16 WEEKLY SESSIONS FOR COURSE COMPLETION. FACILITATORS ARE LARGELY LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS AND THE PROGRAM HAS SIGNIFICANT VICTIM SAFETY COMPONENTS. GROUPS ARE HELD WEEKLY AT 18 LOCATIONS ACROSS HARRIS, GALVESTON, AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES. IN 2021, THE BIPP TEAM PROVIDED INTERVENTION TO 921 INDIVIDUALS.

FAMILY VIOLENCE PROGRAM (FVP) - AVDA'S FVP PROGRAM IS COMPRISED OF FIVE BILINGUAL CLIENT ADVOCATES AND THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR WHO PROVIDE LEGAL INTAKE, NEEDS ASSESSMENT, SAFETY PLANNING, INFORMATION/REFERRAL, ASSISTANCE WITH CRIME VICTIMS COMPENSATION, CRISIS INTERVENTION, AND MORE FOR SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. THEY FIELD CALLS FOR ASSISTANCE AT THE MAIN OFFICE OF THE ORGANIZATION, HELPING TO CONNECT SURVIVORS WITH SAFETY-PROMOTING ADVOCACY AND SERVICE. IN 2021, THE FVP TEAM PROVIDED LEGAL INTAKE AT THE OFFICES OF THE ORGANIZATION, FAMILY VIOLENCE UNITS OF HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER, AND THE HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND PREVENTION PROGRAM (CAPP) - AVDA'S CAPP CONSISTS OF A COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, OUTREACH DIRECTOR AND TWO YOUTH SPECIALISTS, EACH PROVIDING AWARENESS, PREVENTION AND EDUCATION TO YOUTH AND ADULTS ACROSS THE HARRIS AND FORT BEND COUNTY COMMUNITIES. KEY PROGRAMMING FOR YOUTH INCLUDE COACHING BOYS INTO MEN, SAFE DATES, AND THE TEEN ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAM. THESE PROGRAMS ARE GENERALLY HELD AT PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND AT FACILITIES WITHIN THE HARRIS COUNTY JUVENILE PROBATION DEPARTMENT (I.E., THE DETENTION CENTER). IN 2021, THE CAPP TEAM HAD AN IMPACT ON 14,166 ADULTS AND YOUTH THROUGH PREVENTION PROGRAMMING.