An Assessment of Option House, a Shelter for Battered Women

Every member of the agency's staff had to go to the aforementioned 10-week domestic violence class, and then spent time shadowing the more senior staff. Even when the agency's budget forced it to cut positions to less than 20, the staff is diverse, with Black, Hispanic, Caucasian members. Applicants are recruited from newspaper ads, volunteers, and interns from colleges (mostly social work & case management majors). Sometimes former clients get involved as volunteers or staff, but not often. They have to be experienced, and, of course, fully recovered. A couple works with the agency right now.
The agency's housing clients are battered women with or w/o children (no age limit) in fear of their life; anybody can take classes. There are no qualifying criteria, but to qualify for one of the 3 transitional housing projects, the mom will be required, upon successful completion of the Temporary Program, to either be enrolled in school and/or employed; most other services are free, aside from the $20 payment for the 40-hour training.
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