Our Services
At Samuella’s House we support women reach autonomy! We know they have reached autonomy when they have access to established permanent housing, stable employment, and are living sober and an emotionally healed life.
Support for our clients happens in 3 steps: Crisis —> Evolution —> Autonomy
Crisis
When the client is in crisis they are actively using and are still interacting with an abusive partner as well as struggling with their mental health.
Our primary services include:
- Crisis Counseling
- Safety Planning
- Child care
- Assistance in meeting basic human needs
- Accompanied to a detox facility, emergency shelter or hospital.
Evolution
Evolution is a transition process where we support our clients with the necessary coordinated care to help our ladies reclaims their life. This may include taking steps to hold their abuser accountable in order to gain a protective order, creating a new goals in living the sober life, reunification with their family and friends.
Our primary services include:
- Assistance with personal development
- Economic empowerment service
- Mental health counseling
- Employment support
- Housing support
- Emotional support groups
Autonomy
Our clients have reached autonomy when they have established permanent housing, stable employment, are living sober and are feeling emotionally healed and empowered.
Ladies who have reached autonomy are still followed up quarterly or semi-annually and are invited to mentor other survivors.
“Violence against women is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and women, which have led to domination over and discrimination against women by men and to the prevention of the full advancement of women...”
Substance Abuse
Studies have shown women who abuse alcohol and other drugs are more likely to be victims of domestic violence. As a result, a failure to address interpersonal violence issues among survivors who are suffering from addiction with substance abuse interferes with the effectiveness of substance abuse treatment and increases the likelihood of relapse.
At Samuella’s House we take steps to ensure our clients can enter treatment and focus fully on their own sobriety. Examples of the steps we take are:
- Signing a ‘no-contact contract’ agreeing not to communicate with their abuser/perpetrator for the duration of treatment.
- Ensuring children are in a safe place and away from the abusive partner.
- We advocate for specialized counseling so treatment counselors can respond effectively in a crisis.
- Ensuring her safety - we work with treatment centers to prevent perpetrators from circumventing program rules and threatening our clients through phone calls, email or sending messages through other individuals.
We also work with our clients to validate her stories of victimization and identify her treatment option as part of her safety plan. While our clients are in treatment we have three main goals:
- Stabilize the detoxification process, which may include mediation management
- Referrals for treatment of any health concerns including pregnancy.
- Attend and refer to immediate emotional and psychological challenges that may interfere with treatment for substance abuse
Interpersonal Violence
Interpersonal violence, also known as intimate partner violence, domestic violence or battering, is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another person through fear and intimidation, often including the threat or use of violence.
The abuse is not always physical and can be emotional, sexual, economic it can also appear as constant threats, stalking, manipulated into isolation leave the victime with a feeling of intimidation.
Although women are more likely to be targeted, anyone can be a victim of interpersonal violence including those in the LGBTQ communities, men, disabled persons, seniors, and elders.
In Washington DC, 40 percent of women and 25 percent of men have experienced intimate partner physical violence, sexual violence and/or stalking in their lifetime
Warning signs of abuse:
If you or someone know is experiencing any of the following:
- Being constantly worried about making their partner angry.
- Being insulted or put down by their partner.
- Living in a state of fear or feeling scared when their partner loses his/her temper quickly.
- Making excuses for their partners behavior.
- Having unexplained marks or injuries.
- Feeling pressured to have sex or being forced to engage in sexual acts?
- Being threatened to disclose personal/sensitive information (LGBTQ status, immigration status).
- Losing access to money.
- Changes in behavior such as no longer spending time with friends or family.
- Change in personality such as anxiety or depression or avoidance such as not talking as much.