Nothing makes one feel so strong as a call for help – Pope Paul VI
Our Services
House of Ruth has been providing life-saving domestic violence services for residents of eastern Los Angeles and western San Bernardino counties since 1977. Participation in House of Ruth programming is open to all battered women and children. Many of House of Ruth’s services are available in both Spanish and English and are free of charge. There shall be no discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, age, disability, ancestry, religion, national origin, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, or sexual orientation.
Our services are divided into the following programs:
- Residential Programs: Emergency and Transitional Shelter
- Children’s Programs
- Counseling
- Community Services
- Prevention and Outreach
We also provide comprehensive case management, ongoing education for minor children, and assistance with access to healthcare. In addition, House of Ruth provides transitional housing for up to two years and a counseling program for children exposed to violence in their homes, communities, or schools.
House of Ruth operates independently with one outreach and administrative office in Los Angeles County, one outreach office in San Bernardino County and an emergency and transitional shelter facility in an undisclosed location.
Residential Programs
Emergency Shelter
The prospect of homelessness for a battered woman and her children is often the major contributing factor to her decision to remain in a violent relationship. House of Ruth’s emergency safe shelter provides programs and support for battered women and their children, including food, clothing, personal care items, group and individual counseling, legal and social services advocacy, employment assistance, and life-management skills. In the safe and caring environment of the shelter, battered women begin to heal physically and emotionally while they work on regaining their self-sufficiency. The shelter is staffed 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.
Transitional Living Program
House of Ruth’s transitional shelter provides residence, case management and other services free of charge for up to two years. Clients are required to save 30% of their income in order to attain permanent housing, purchase a car or furniture, or pursue educational goals after leaving the program. The program addresses the longer-term needs of battered women and their children, providing the opportunity to work toward their goals of establishing independent, non-violent homes.
House of Ruth’s shelter program is unique in its capacity to serve women and children with disabilities, families with teenage sons, and women with mental health and substance abuse issues.
Children’s Programs
A five-day-a-week program assists children in both the emergency and transitional shelters to reduce the trauma and self-blame they experience from witnessing their mother’s battering or as victims of violence themselves. Advocates help children explore their feelings, learn alternatives to violence and constructively manage their anger. Children are able to continue their education through the Pomona Unified School District.
Counseling
To address the trauma experienced by battered women and their children, House of Ruth offers comprehensive counseling programs. Counseling services are available for battered women and their children at the emergency and transitional shelters and at House of Ruth’s outreach offices. Individual and group sessions assist women as they explore their options, plan for a future free of violence and develop methods to achieve the goals they have set. Weekly counseling groups include Domestic Violence Support Groups, Journaling Groups, Children’s Groups, and Healthy Relationship Groups.
All counseling is offered in English and Spanish.
Child Abuse Treatment Program
The Child Abuse Treatment Program (CHAT) provides no-cost counseling and case management services to children from birth to 18 years of age who have experienced abuse, neglect or violence in their homes, schools or communities.
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an intensive treatment program designed to help caregivers and children address problem behaviors. The focus of the program is to improve the interaction between caregivers and children through coached play techniques, teaching caregivers the skills needed to handle problems in a healthy manner.
Community Services
With outreach offices in both Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties, House of Ruth’s Community Services Program offers counseling, crisis intervention, housing assistance, and a range of services that help victims of domestic violence work toward their goals of self-sufficiency. Through this program, we also seek to create
community awareness and improve community response to domestic violence. Services provided include:
- 24-Hour Emergency Hotline with a 24-Hour Spanish Pager Response Team
- Housing assistance
- Career counseling
- Classes include Resume Writing, Parenting, Domestic Violence 101, Computer Skills and others.
- CalWORKS (welfare) case management
- Legal advocacy and temporary restraining order assistance
- Community education
- On-site child care
- Volunteer programs
Prevention and Outreach
House of Ruth has developed a comprehensive school-based program to educate about and promote healthy relationships. For students in early primary grades, we focus on bullying and teasing, a painful source of trauma and alienation for some children. In middle school, we begin to address relationship violence and sexual harassment. In high school, our program on Teen Dating Violence emphasizes healthy relationships and conflict resolution skills. A new program on cyber-bullying addresses current concerns surrounding technology safety.
House of Ruth staff members have also met with various parent groups, social service agencies, and law enforcement agencies in the communities we serve to increase awareness of domestic violence as a family tragedy and costly social problem.
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