November 3, 2011 | Policy Guidance, Practice Guidance
Working With Teens In Shelter
Organization:
Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Publication Date:
2011
This resource created by the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence focuses on working with teens in shelter and is adapted from Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence‘s Model Protocol on Working with Battered Women and their Teenage Boys in Shelter.
An advocate’s first contact with a survivor—whether on a crisis line, during an in person interview, or during intake for the shelter—is a critical opportunity to provide information and support to both the survivor and her teenage son or daughter. During the initial contact with the survivor and her teenage son or daughter, advocates should:
1. Communicate the program’s policy and procedures for sheltering survivors with teenage sons/daughters.
2. Ask the survivor to describe any behavioral issues with her teenage son/daughter that the program might be able to help with or should know about.
3. Prepare the survivor for what the shelter environment might be like at that time (e.g. younger children, other teen boys or girls, single women, shared bedrooms/bathrooms, etc.) and discuss how she thinks her teen would adjust to that environment.
