Karla fled from out-of-state with her five children. She had no family or close friends in

Rhode Island. She applied at the Department of Human Services for “everything” available and requested a Child Support Waiver and Work Waiver while locating resources and services in the community. Karla and her children were able to go into the Women’s Resource Center’s shelter, providing a safe haven from the chaos that was their lives.

Within the work waiver period, the Family Violence Option Advocacy Program (FVOAP) staff assisted Karla; the children were registered and started to attend school, and Karla took the TABE test and enrolled in CNA classes. Because she was doing so well securing independence, Karla requested the closing of her Work Waiver one month earlier than the reassessment date. She felt that she finally was on the path to get back on her feet, take control over her circumstances, and overcome what she and her family had endured while living with her abuser.

The FVOAP remained constant in the family’s lives while Karla moved forward and worked toward her goals.

Tiffany arrived early in the morning at the Department of Human Services (DHS), after driving for more than a day with her children in the car, because she was told it was her only option to get into a safe home/shelter after fleeing her abuser.

Tiffany and her family had reached the end of their stay at a 30-day shelter. Her abuser had located her several times over the past months,  and the police were unsure what to do to keep her safe. She was told by a Detective and Domestic Violence Advocate that they had run out options; her advocates recommended they leave the state.

Tiffany was scared – she had run away before, and the abuser had found her. What would she do if he found her and her children again? So, she drove until she couldn’t drive anymore and found herself sitting at the Providence DHS office.

Tiffany, overwhelmed by the long drive and her situation, sat crying with the advocate for more than six hours trying to find a shelter with beds for her and her children. The DHS called Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey to no avail. The family was tired, hungry, and felt hopeless. The advocate ordered pizza for the children and continued to make calls; something had to help this family.

Running out of options, the advocate decided to contact the Women’s Resource Center’s (WRC) Executive Director for help. By the end of the day, Tiffany was on her way to a safe place for her and her children. Thanks to WRC, she found herself in more permanent housing within days.

Tiffany and her children are finally stable. They have beds, clean clothes, are enrolled in school, and have a safe place to live. And, most importantly, they are finally far away from abuse and fear.

The Family Violence Option Advocacy Program (FVOAP) specifically serves victims and survivors of domestic violence throughout the State of Rhode Island.  As FVOAP advocates, we assess the client’s situation closely and provide Work and Child Support Waivers within the Department Of Human Services.  The goal of our program is to assist our clients in preventing recurring violence from the dangerous party, as well as keeping an open communication if community programs or services are needed and meet with the client as needed throughout the year.Ms. P was referred to the program because she was in need of a Work Waiver. Ms. P finally filed for divorce after fifteen years, in which she endured emotional, financial, verbal and sexual abuse,  isolation, and withheld medical care. By receiving the Work Waiver, she was able to collect cash assistance benefits and to obtain mental health counseling, find housing, apply for health insurance, and secure an attorney for the divorce.

At the time of the first assessment, Ms. P and her four-year-old daughter were staying in a safe home.  They were placed in a domestic violence shelter the very first day Ms. P went to the Family Court to file for divorce, due to the severity of her situation.  Ms. P also reported feeling hopeless and very afraid of ending up back with her abuser, because she was feeling guilty for her daughter having to go through such tough times at her young age.

It was hard for a very intelligent and well-educated woman with a college degree to acknowledge how the domestic abuse she endured for fifteen years had severely impacted her ability to function.  Ms. P was grappling with sleeping problems, anxiety, and depression, but she also acknowledged that the first and hardest step had been taken: leaving her abuser. The plan from there was to attend the weekly support group session at the safe home, start individual counseling, and to obtain health insurance to be able to continue with psychiatric treatment. These services were all provided free-of-charge by the Women’s Resource Center.

In our last meeting with Ms. P, she stated she is temporarily staying at a friend’s house after having spent two months at the safe home. The approval of the medical assistance allowed her to consistently attend to counseling appointments and to receive the psychiatric treatment she needed. She states that her self-esteem and feeling of independence has grown tremendously and she feels stronger and more confident in herself.

In addition, Ms. P managed to secure a part-time job as she continues to take care of her mental health. Having been in counseling, Ms. P feels that it was an essential part of her journey forward. She is determined to become independent.  She is saving as much as she can to pay back her friend, who is financially assisting her with her divorce expenses, and to be able to move out to her own place – another goal.