Our Programs http://www.tessacs.org/newsroom-copy Programs and Services Our Programs CURRENT PROGRAMS 24-Hour Crisis Line at 719-633-3819: Staff and trained volunteers provide intervention, information, and community referral services to domestic violence and/or sexual assault victims. We receive approximately 1,100 calls per month on the Crisis Line.  Safehouse: TESSA’s Safehouse provides emergency shelter, food, case management, counseling and support to female victims and their children who have become homeless because of domestic violence. Women and children can stay up to six weeks, during which time an assessment of their needs (therapeutic and non-therapeutic) is conducted. Women and their children can participate in educational activities while in the safehouse including domestic violence education and life skills classes. Once such life skills class partners with Care and Share Food Bank to provide “Cooking Healthy on a Budget” classes for families in the safehouse. In 2008, we provided more than 9,231 nights of shelter for 337 women and children at the Safehouse. Children’s Program (residential and non-residential): Our Children’s Program offers therapeutic and non-therapeutic services and support to children who have witnessed and/or been victims of domestic violence. The program reaches both the children living in our Safehouse as well as community based children. Children residing in the Safehouse receive advocacy and support, therapy, and play/recreation.  For children not in our residential program, TESSA provides psycho-educational, developmentally appropriate support groups called DoVE Kids and Teen DoVE (DoVE stands for Domestic Violence Education) as well as support and safety-planning from trained child advocates. In late 2007 TESSA launched a Kids Crisis Line staffed 24 hours a day so that children facing crisis can access counselors. We served 250 children in 2008. Victim Advocacy: Staff and trained volunteers provide advocacy, information, support, and referrals for victims in a safe and supportive environment where the client can discover options for moving into a brighter future. TESSA advocates provide crisis counseling, help victims develop safety plans, assist victims filing temporary protection orders, share information and referrals, and respond to the hospital 24 hours a day for assistance to sexual assault victims.  In addition, advocates offer court support as well as help to clients navigating the criminal justice and other organizational “systems.”  Individual advocacy is also available for Spanish speaking victims.  In 2008, we provided confidential advocacy to 1,114 victims. Counseling Program: TESSA offers group and individual psychotherapy to people involved in domestic violence, as well as to victims of sexual assault. We have bilingual counselors who provide individual and group counseling to Spanish-speaking clients. Although there are other agencies and private therapists in our community, TESSA’s counselors are specifically trained to treat the psychological problems resulting from domestic violence and sexual assault.  The Counseling Program offers psycho-educational support groups for adult victims of domestic violence to provide education about self-esteem, healthy relationships, goal setting and problem solving, as well as therapeutic support groups.  In 2008, 133 people participated in group counseling and 233 received individual counseling (figures are in addition to Safehouse client counseling sessions). Domestic Violence Enhanced Response Team (DVERT): DVERT is a community-wide response to high-risk domestic violence cases. It involves more than 35 organizations and applies intensive multi-disciplinary case management to the most lethal domestic violence cases in our community. TESSA was an integral part of starting DVERT in 1996, which is now recognized as a national model.  We have three victim advocates who are co-located at DVERT to provide confidential victims advocacy while working directly with a team that includes the Colorado Springs Police Department, Sherriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office and the Department of Human Services.  Department of Human Services: In partnership with the El Paso County Department of Human Services, two TESSA advocates are co-located in the Department's TANF division.  People applying to the Department for economic self-sufficiency resources are asked if family violence is a barrier to gaining or re-gaining self-sufficiency. If they respond "yes" then they are offered the option of working with one of TESSA's advocates stationed at DHS.  This program is innovative because it addresses the fact that economic control and disenfranchisement is a technique that abusive partners commonly used to control or dominate their partners.   Rural Program: TESSA employs two advocates/clinicians who work in rural areas of our community to provide victims with advocacy, support and counseling.  We have an office in Eastern El Paso County and an office in Teller County.  In addition, we have a Rural Educator who travels between both of these locations providing community awareness, education and consultation to other professionals in the area. Prevention & Education: Staff and trained volunteers are available to any group requesting a presentation about domestic and sexual violence.  TESSA provides training and education to businesses, community associations, and faith-based organizations. We also work closely with many schools in our community to provide education and outreach to teachers, staff and students around violence prevention and dating violence. In 2008, we reached 5,083 people during community presentations and trainings.