Domestic violence has risen worldwide due to COVID-19.[1] Domestic violence is a pattern of intentionally violent or controlling behavior used by a person against a family member or intimate partner to gain and maintain power and control over that person, during and/or after the relationship. The Compass Center for Women and Families is working to prevent domestic violence and to empower domestic violence survivors on their journey towards self-sufficiency.
The Compass Center for Women and Families is the only organization in Orange County that offers comprehensive domestic violence services. The Compass Center operates a 24/7-hour domestic violence hotline. Trained advocates offer crisis counseling services, assistance with safety planning, legal support, and more. The Compass Center also assists survivors with finding safe, stable housing. Recently, the Compass Center opened its first domestic violence shelter site in Orange County, and the micro-grant housing program assists survivors with long-term housing costs. The Compass Center also offers mental health resources to survivors, including a variety of support groups and the mental health access program (MHAP). MHAP helps under-insured survivors and their families connect to individual counseling sessions.
The Compass Center also offers self-sufficiency services to all individuals, regardless of residency or background. Compass Center’s self-sufficiency services include financial and career counseling, legal services, and more. A large part of Compass Center’s mission is prevention and education services. The Compass Center believes that prevention requires lifelong education. The Compass Center currently offers two youth-based empowerment programs. Teens Climb High offers medically-accurate, inclusive, and comprehensive sexual health education to ninth-grade students and Start Strong is a middle-school based program that focuses on teen dating violence prevention and conflict resolution. The Compass Center also raises awareness about domestic violence in the community through extensive adult education and professional training. During COVID-19, staff members are working remotely and have adapted agency services.
The Compass Center continues to empower individuals on their journey towards self-sufficiency. To speak with an advocate, please call the 24/7-hour hotline at 919-929-7122, and to access self-sufficiency or information and referral services, please call 919-968-4610. To learn more about the Compass Center’s mission and work, please visit https://www.compassctr.org/.
[1] Amanda Taub, “A New Covid-19 Crisis: Domestic Abuse Rises Worldwide.”