WomenShelter of Long Beach
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Domestic violence is a pervasive social and health problem: 25% of women and 7.6% of men experience physical violence and sexual assault by a partner (National Violence Against Women Survey); it's the leading cause of injury, homelessness, and poverty for women (National Alliance to End Homelessness; 75% of DV deaths occur from escape attempts. DV is not a one-time incident but a pattern of coercive and abusive behaviors; the number of victimizations far exceeds the number of victims. Many have been kept in isolation and lack employment and social skills. Most clients have low/very low income levels; may be immigrants facing unique challenges and cultural barriers to seeking assistance.
Two overarching goals drive all programming at WSLB: to facilitate clients' self-sufficiency, empowerment, and well-being; and to prevent recidivism of domestic violence through community outreach and education.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Emergency Shelter & Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Outreach
WSLB provides assistance for victims of domestic violence and their children. Services include a 24-hour bilingual crisis hotline, safe confidential emergency shelter, food and clothing, case management, health assessment and referral, legal advocacy, life skills training, parenting classes, individual and group counseling, and free safe child care for victims while they are at court or doctor.
The Domestic Violence Resource Center (DVRC) holds adult and child group and individual counseling for non-shelter victims with free childcare while parent is in counseling. Counselor-advocates make presentations throughout the community to educate adults and children about domestic violence and its long-term effects. DVRC has a strong Building Healthy Relationships program to combat dating and relationship violence delivered in schools, colleges and service clubs.
Building Healthy Relationships
Domestic violence prevention program aimed at elementary - to - college age children and youth that helps them recognize dangerous behavior and give them age-appropriate tools build healthy relationships with others.
Where we work
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of briefings or presentations held
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Emergency Shelter & Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Outreach
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Community domestic violence awareness and prevention presentations, include "Building Healthy Relationships" in middle and high schools and college campuses.
Number of individuals attending briefings and presentations
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Emergency Shelter & Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Outreach
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Domestic violence awareness and prevention presentations, including "Building Healthy Relationships" in middle and high schools and college campuses.
Number of participants counseled
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Adults and children receive counseling at the WSLB confidential emergency shelter and the walk-jn Domestic Violence Resource Center.
Number of participants reporting change in behavior or cessation of activity
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Adults and children measured for behavior criteria after counseling at WSLB emergency shelter and walk-in Domestic Violence Resource Center.
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Victims of domestic violence and their children receiving direct services at WSLB emergency shelter and the walk-in Domestic Violence Resource Center
Number of youth who demonstrate that they have developed social skills (e.g., interpersonal communication, conflict resolution)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Children and youth after completing counseling at WSLB emergency shelter and Domestic Violence Resource Center.
Number of youth who identify, manage, and appropriately express emotions and behaviors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Children and youth after completing counseling at WSLB emergency shelter and Domestic Violence Resource Center.
Number of direct care staff who received training in trauma informed care
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Emergency Shelter & Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Outreach
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
All staff who deliver direct services to victims of domestic violence and their children at the WSLB shelter and the Domestic Violence Resource Center must complete trauma-informed training.
Number of youth who demonstrate that they have developed healthy relationships
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This is the percentage of children counseled in shelter and walk-in DVRC that exhibited improvement in interpersonal and social behavior through counseling.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Within the two overarching goals stated above, lies the heart of the work WSLB does to develop strategies that are adopted by domestic violence victims to aim them at a safe and healthy violence-free life. We address all the issues of a victim with trauma-informed care. There are so many barriers for victims to get help and our model eliminates many of these.by removing as many barriers as possible to leaving a dangerous home, providing opportunities for them to stop the violent cycle. WSLB is committed to making the ongoing services and programs available at no charge to the victims of domestic violence in the greater Long Beach community. We must make escape from a life-threatening situation a safe option for all victims in need. Domestic violence knows no economic or social divide. Our clientele is primarily at or below poverty level. They have nowhere else to turn for safety for themselves and their children.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Fleeing a violent home is a courageous act. The confidential shelter ensures immediate safety, security, legal advocacy, medical and nutritional needs, and services to promote long-term self-sufficiency, empowerment and well being. Rebuilding a life is a complex process. Health and safety of victims and their children is a priority. Counselors assist them in creating a viable safety plan. Adults and children are given a health assessment and referrals to appropriate healthcare partners. Legal needs are determined and the WSLB Legal Advocate assists in issues like restraining orders, child custody, and more. Once safe, WSLB offers a range of services and programs: individual and peer counseling; life skill and parenting classes; meditation, yoga and exercise classes; sewing classes; art therapy; and more. WSLB is piloting a collaboration with spcaLA called the Compassion & Communication Workshop: This pilot program is a partnership between a Long Beach animal shelter, spcaLA and WomenShelter of Long Beach. The goal of the program is to help clients, especially the children, develop their communication skills while expanding other valuable life skills such as patience, understanding, trust, and compassion. Parent and child will work with a trainer and train a puppy that has experienced a similar tragic life. Clients will feel a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment knowing that they are improving the animal's life. Our Youth counselors work with children who are victims or witnesses to violence using art therapies that enable expression of emotions hidden and unexpressed. WSLB is committed to prevention as a powerful tool in stopping the cycle of violence, and our youth, with guidance, can be the “super-powers" of prevention. A national study found nearly 50% of youth who received prevention education used the information to help themselves or a friend and 88% were more likely to discuss dating relationships with parents or trusted adults; disclosing violence or potentially dangerous dating abuse. We have a successful program making presentations in schools on building healthy relationships and avoiding dangerous behavior. Last year, we made 81 presentations in middle and high schools, and college campuses, reaching close to 2,500 students. WSLB is developing curriculum tools that resonate with teens to communicate a message of empowerment in their life choices. Studies show that 80% of a child's brain is developed by 3 years. A child brought up in a violent home is either a witness or a victim. Dangerous behavior is modeled for the child, and without intervention, many children will become victims or batterers, unaware their interactions are harmful. Our curriculum teaches young people to recognize the “red flags" of dangerous behavior and understand the signs of healthy relationships as they make decisions on relationship building and independence that will affect the rest of their lives.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
WSLB is celebrating its 40th year of serving victims of domestic violence and their children in greater Long Beach. Our organization is committed to delivering the highest quality and most effective programs and services available. With this commitment comes the responsibility to be informed on new thought and methodology in the field. Our counselor advocates attend pertinent training and conferences. A segment of our monthly all-staff meetings is devoted to a presentation by an expert in one of the many areas of DV. Examples are trauma-informed care and cultural competency, The WSLB Board Directors and leadership staff have been attending the year-long "Developing Development" training by Executive Service Corps through a scholarship funded by the generosity and wisdom of the John Gogian Family Foundation. Education and improved fundraising skills strengthen our organization's capacity to stop the cycle of violence.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In Fiscal Year 2016 - 2017, all of WSLB's programs and services combined touched over 5,000 people in our community. This included: close to 7,000 counseling sessions; close to 3,000 bed-nights at Shelter; over 1,000 crisis hotline calls; and putting on 46 community Health Fairs and awareness events.
An Angel Donor has purchased a new shelter for WSLB! Their generosity is unprecedented and will bring the quality of life for our victims and staff who care for them to the next level. The building is in a safe residential neighborhood near a public park and public transportation. All the rooms will be accessible, unlike our existing situation.Our current shelter is in a declining area and the 1920s building is in disrepair. It will take some time for the new building to be remodeled, but it will be a welcoming beacon on our horizon.
To meet the needs of our community, after the new shelter is completed and operating (2018-19), we will renovate the old shelter and have the option (most need) to continue as a temporary shelter or become transitional housing.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
WomenShelter of Long Beach
Board of directorsas of 12/24/2019
Kristi Fischer
Retired
Tom Angell
Carol Grabowski
The Children's Clinic
Scott Apel
California State Universtiy, Long Beach
Stephanie Dowds
City of Long Beach
Mary Hancock Hinds
June Magilnick
City of Los Angeles
Sharon Panian
Felipe "Mike" Vela
Los Angeles County
Freeman Welch
Wells Fargo Investment Advisor
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
No data