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Support Services
No matter what stage the victim is at in terms
of recognizing and acting on the abusive relationship, SAVE’s
support services can assist them and empower them to be safe from
abuse.
Children's Program
Up to 10 million children in the U.S. are
exposed to domestic violence annually. Boys that are exposed to
domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their partners as
adults. Girls who grow up with domestic violence are more likely to
be victims as adults. Because violence is a learned behavior, the
cycle continues to the next generation unless it is stopped.
The Children's Program at our Emergency Shelter
and WINGS strives to break this pattern of learned violence. SAVE
recognizes that every child from a violent home has been traumatized
and works to heal both the child and the parent. When children
enter our shelter, oftentimes this is their first opportunity to
feel safe and to actually be a child. They do not need to have fears
that children should not have. Nor do they need to take the role of
parenting their parent, who has been so occupied with just surviving
that they were unable to parent and nurture their child.
Our Children’s Program includes individual and
group counseling for children, domestic violence and abuse
prevention training, and child development groups. We also offer
individual and group parenting services.
Support Groups
You are not alone. This is an important
message to hear for those who have been a victim of domestic
violence, especially those whose batterer kept them isolated from
friends, family, and the community.
Support groups offer a safe setting where women
whose lives are affected by domestic violence can come together to
encourage, support, and empower each other. SAVE’s support groups
are facilitated by a trained and certified domestic violence
counselor. They are drop-in – just come on by – and free.
Support groups are held at SAVE’s
Community Office in Fremont.
Tuesday and Thursday
7 pm to 9 pm.
For information, directions or immediate
support please call our 24-Hour Hotline (510) 794-6055.
Individual Counseling
Whether a victim thinks “I need to talk to
someone” at the onset of violence, or many years after leaving an
abusive relationship, individual counseling is an effective method
for treating the long-term effects of domestic violence.
SAVE offers individual counseling at our
Community Office, on a sliding scale fee basis, by a licensed
clinical therapist or by interns working under the supervision of
the therapist. This service is available to any victim of domestic
violence.
Court Accompaniment
The
legal system can be an effective means to protect and keep the
victim safe. Yet the courts can be intimidating, especially if the
process entails confronting the batterer. When available, SAVE
staff will accompany the victim to a Fremont or Hayward court
hearing to provide emotional support and assistance through the
legal proceedings.
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