Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services of the San Juan Islands Programs
Advocacy-Based Counseling: Advocacy-Based Counseling involves a client with an advocate counselor in an individual, family, or group session with the primary focus on safety planning and on empowerment of the client through reinforcing the client's autonomy and self-determination. Advocacy-Based Counseling uses problem-solving methods and includes identifying the barriers to safety; developing safety checking and planning skills; clarifying issues; solving problems; increasing self-esteem and self-awareness; and improving and implementing skills in decision making, parenting, self-help, and self-care.
Therapy for Sexual Abuse/Assault Victims: Advocates and therapists have important roles in promoting the healing of survivors of sexual abuse, as well as survivors' non offending family members. When we work together, we can develop strong partnerships that ensure survivors have therapy options that are relevant to their needs. This offers survivors and their families a continuum of care that can help ease, and possibly hasten, the path of healing.
Family Options Prevention Program: Family Options Prevention Program is a child abuse prevention program that assists high conflict families before their behavior escalates into violence and arrests. High conflict families with children are especially vulnerable. Children witnessing violence through sight and sound internalize the family tension and unstable and abusive patterns. Family Option's specialized counseling can help families undo negative patterns and increase healthy modeling for their children through appropriate and healthy attachment. Requirements for the program are: no ongoing pattern of physical and sexual abuse, or any previous domestic violence or sexual assault/abuse arrests or convictions. Funding received for this program is from community supporters, ongoing DVSAS donors and fundraising.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
Recent Success: A client has thanked us for saving her life. She shared the joy her abuser experienced in controlling her, and how that brought such unbearable hopelessness, helplessness and uselessness, that she had planned her suicide all out. Now her life is wonderful. She is married to her best friend, living her passion every day, and she wanted us to know how important we are to the many we've helped...how once helped, they can live lives full of joy, instead of fear. There is no greater gift than stories like these.
Current Needs: We currently need funding for our Family Options Prevention Program, a child abuse prevention program that assists high conflict "at-risk" families and individuals before their behavior escalates into violence and arrests. High conflict families with children are especially vulnerable. Children witnessing violence through sight and sound internalize the family tension and unstable and abusive patterns. Family Option's specialized counseling can help families undo negative patterns and increase healthy modeling for their children through appropriate and healthy attachment.