Emergency Shelter Program

“Focusing Families Shelter Program provides survivors of Domestic Violence and/or Sexual Assault and their families a peaceful, safe and non-violent living environment and makes available tools and resources to help empower them to move beyond the barriers of abuse.”

Focusing Families offers a temporary emergency domestic violence/sexual assault shelter for women and children residing in Waller, Austin, Grimes, NW Harris and Washington counties who are fleeing from physical, sexual and psychological abuse. Individuals/families can stay at the shelter for up to 30 days and receive supportive services in a safe, anonymous, and confidential environment.

Focusing Families Women’s Shelter provides a safe and secure environment that empowers residents through its services to form the beginning of independent lifestyles. Residents obtain crisis intervention, supportive counseling, children’s services, food, clothing, support group counseling and advocacy. All agency services are provided free of charge and are made available to shelter residents.

Supportive Services

Counseling Services:
Counseling services are available and dedicated to helping victims deal with crisis on a long or short-term basis through outreach, individual, or group services. Victims with mental health issues are appropriately referred.

Case Management:
An action plan is developed by the client/resident with the support of the advocate. Safety is assessed and a plan to meet the safety needs of the client/resident is formulated and goals are outlined. Case Managment services include: a client’s needs assessment, continual development of a service and safety plan, the provision for information and referral, and transportation for survivors with multi-needs, ongoing review of social, mental, physical, and legal needs. Case managment plans are reviewed and changes made in service and safety plans as the needs of the client/resident change. Plans and updates are designed to include the unique needs of all children involved.

Advocacy:
Survivors receive referrals and supportive assistance to use both the civil and criminal justice system. Advocacy within the legal and human services systems is provided for any resident in need of such support.

Transportation Services:
Waller County has no regular systematic means of affordable transportation. Focusing Families provides residents limited local transportation to medical, court/legal related, child related, job related, etc. appointments.

Information and Referral:
Information and referral information is available at Focusing Families Crisis Center during scheduled outreach hours. The hotline can be accessed 24 hours a day.

Nutrition Classes:
The nutrition class is an eight week program available to clients and residents which teaches the importance of healthy eating and exercise. It provides exciting new ideas of how to prepare a nutritious meal for them and their families.

Positive Parenting Classes:
The primary purpose of this class is to help parents learn to understand their children’s needs: physically, psychologically and emotionally. The goal is to work on parents strengths in building new skills that will help them communicate with each child as an individual.

Financial Management:
This program is designed to quickly access the financial needs of the client/resident and provide information and tools necessary to become financially independent.

Domestic Violence is abusive acts within an intimate relationship and can include emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, and destructive acts to threaten you. Sexual assault and sexual abuse refer to rape, incest, attempted rape, unwanted touch or any sexual contact without your consent. You can be any age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or economic status. Acts of violence, power and control do not discriminate. If you would like more information about our emergency shelter and the other domestic violence help services and programs we provide, please call us at (979) 826-3290.