NCJ Number
92751
Date Published
1984
Length
19 pages
Annotation
The crisis intervention provided by shelters for battered women is an important service, but it should be viewed as only a beginning in the establishment of a comprehensive network of services for abused women.
Abstract
The 89 crisis shelters included in a national survey generally shared three objectives: providing a safe and secure environment for abused women and their children, providing emotional support and peer counseling and providing information on such areas as legal rights along with welfare and court advocacy and exploration of future life goals. All shelters need to broaden their goals and to provide comprehensive service delivery through the use of professionally trained staff, multimodal treatment options, and strong interorganizational linkages to their community's health and social service agencies. While self-help and peer counseling groups are an important component of programs for abused women, professional therapists also need to be available on either a full-time or a consulting basis. Funding is also a crucial issue. Although Federal funds have been cut back, some States are trying to improve funding, and corporate gifts may increase. Needs for the future include primary prevention programs and long-term data collection to permit the assessment of the impact of the shelter services. Footnotes and 46 references are provided.