Domestic Violence
Drug and/or Alcohol
Consulting Services
History and Case Stories
Non-Residential
Non-residential services are provided at the Lighthouse Training Center offices located in Pueblo, in Canon City, and in homes throughout the counties of Pueblo, Fremont, and Custer. Any family who has experienced family violence is welcome to participate in non-residential services which include support groups for women, prevention group for children, (includes Cognitive Skill development), and outreach services. Many women are not in a stage of readiness to exit from their homes and/or relationships. Many, after they do leave, have housing resources but lack supportive services. Mi Casa has recognized the tendency for victims to isolate in their "secret shame." Mi Casa provides specialized outreach services to at-risk families which provides the opportunity to establish informal safety plans and establish rapport with the non-residential staff and volunteers. The families identified as high-risk or in serious financial need are included in the surplus food outreach program. Mi Casa at are non-threatening and not seen as Social Workers checking up on them, but rather as bearers of gifts coming to call. Even when the batterer is still in the home, Mi Casa representatives are welcomed in with their gifts. Lower risk families are provided outreach as needed in their homes and phone outreach calls for ongoing support. When a family recycles to crisis, one on one counseling is provided in the Mi Casa office or in the resident's home on an as needed basis. Children who have experienced family violence are provided athletic scholarships within the community to provide an opportunity to learn "I CAN."
Other non-residential services include transportation services, surplus furniture and clothing donations and personal advocacy as needed. Mi Casa also provides a 24 hour voice mail with Spanish as well as English capability and a 24 hour crisis pager that is always staffed by a qualified counselor of at least BSW level. Mi Casa currently services twenty to thirty families monthly in the non-residential program. Mi Casa stresses that there is never an excuse or use for abuse and the victim is never to blame. "Anger is an emotion and violence is the choice of the perpetrator."
Mi Casa’s individualized treatment planning provides assistance, including outreach visits and surplus food delivery to all survivors of family violence, regardless of a decision to stay in the relationship with the perpetrator or a decision to leave. Mis Casa serves three to four times as many individuals in the non-residential program as those living in the safehouse. For the woman whose choice is to stay with the perpetrator, Mi Casa’s non residential program provides an effective, supportive safety net. Mi Casa’s assessment instrument was developed to measure the "stage of cognitive readiness to change" and has been validated as an effective resource instrument to assist survivors to determine whether they need a safety plan or wether they are ready for transition. Mi Casa helps all survivors in all stages of readiness. This assessment instrument was developed in collaboration with the original (Colorado Domestic Violence Coalition) CDVC Survivors’ Committee, and with assistance from Connie Platt, a former CDVC employee, and so with consultation from William Miller original author of the Socvates. Without this instrument, victims service providers must rely only on subjective data in providing referrals and in planning supportive services. Mi Casa believes that when lives are at risk, it is important to rely on proven objective data. Use of assessment instruments is common in treatment of substance abuse.
Domestic Violence