United Family ServicesPGWC

Charity Vetting Questionnaire10-14-2012

• What issues are you addressing and what results are you committed to achieving?

United Family Services provides a continuum of critical crisis services to thosevictimized by domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse or homicide. We offer24 hour crisis lines, shelter, a children's advocacy center, safety planning services,hospital accompaniment, case management, systems advocacy, support groups,court advocacy jaccompaniment and legal representation. We also specialize intrauma informed counseling for those struggling with emotional crisis and deliverthese services to individuals, couples and families. Over 25,000 people are assistedannually throughout our geographic footprint that includes Cabarrus, Mecklenburg,South Iredell and Union counties. We also reach thousands more through oureducational and prevention programs as well as institutional advocacy efforts.

• How do you measure success? Provide recent information if available.Agency Outputs for FY 12

Victim Services(8,088 for direct client service and 9,822 for hotline calls)Economic IndependenceClinical ServicesPartners In ParentingPresentation Attendees

17,910

5,6716,8631,70921.739

Total community members reached by UFS 53,892

Sh It S if 0 te er .peci IC u comes:

Outcome Goal

Clients who stay in the Shelter two weeks or longer will increase their self-sufficiency as indicated on theself-sufficiency scale in the CSN Database. 80%

Clients who stay in the Shelter two weeks or longer will increase their safety by completing 3 or moresteps of their service plan. 70%

Clients who stay in the Shelter two weeks or longer will be living without physical violence 6 months afterreceiving services. 75%

Children participating in support groups at the Shelter will have an increase in their pro-social behavior asindicated by their ability to identify their feelings and name steps of their safety plans. 80%

• How does your organization move vulnerable populations from crisis to stability?

Women entering domestic violence shelters often prioritize immediate goals - safety,shelter, food - for themselves and their children. Most are in a state of crisis, disconnectedfrom themselves and their surroundings. Cognitive processing is disrupted.

At this stage, effective therapeutic intervention aims to provide women with the tools theyneed to move out ofthe 'crisis brain' so that they can begin to problem solve, movingthrough a crisis rather than reacting to it. If we are successful in achieving this short termgoal, then even women who stay in shelter for a short period of time will leave will toolsthey can use if and when the violent incident occurs.

Once the short term goals are achieved, we aim to engage clients in the long term counselingprocess. Victims of Intimate Partner Violence have often learned self destructive behaviorsand cognitive patterns that interfere with their ability to access services, includingcounseling. To disrupt these negative patterns, we seek first change the behavior. Weencourage women to participate in support groups, thus normalizing both counseling and anindividual's response to their trauma. We remove all barriers to accessing services,providing child care, for example; and we provide positive incentives to rewardparticipation.

In the long term, victims will commit to counseling and begin their journey toward healing.They will learn the cognitive-behavioral skills to manage their PTSD. They will learn tochallenge and disrupt self destructive thinking patterns, to manage triggering events, and toemploy healthy self-soothing strategies. In short, this sequential therapeutic model, victimslearn the strategies needed to lead healthy, safe, and productive lives.

• Who are your community partners? Are they Profit or Non-Profit?• UFS continues to strengthen our partnership with Mecklenburg County Women's

Commission. We have a formalized partnership through an MOU which includesprovisions for j oint staff training, case reviews, co-location of staff and a sharedvolunteer speaker's bureau.

• -UFS Staff serves on the local Domestic Violence Advocacy Council. This is amultidisciplinary team of professionals, advocates and community members whocollaborate to help ensure domestic violence victims are supported and perpetrators areheld accountable for their actions.

• -UFS has an MOU with other DV shelters in the region including Turning Point inUnion County and CVAN in Cabarrus County to establish a coordinated system to helpvictims across the region.

• -The UFS Director of Residential Services currently serves as the Treasurer of the localHomeless Services network which is made up of advocates, professionals andcommunity members who meet to work toward a plan to end homelessness inMecklenburg County. Through HSN, UFS has forged stronger relationships with theother emergency shelters in the County. We are currently collaborating on a shared reliefstaff pool and joint training for our residential services staff.

• -United Family Services is also an inaugural member of the local Domestic ViolenceFatality team. This pilot program is the first in North Carolina. The DVFRT meets

quarterly to review local DV -related homicides to identify patterns and suggest serviceimprovements to help prevent future fatalities. The results are shared both locally and ona state-wide level.We also work closely with local law enforcement in a variety of ways, to secure thesafety of victims of violence.

• Is the organization a SOlc3 charity?

Yes

• What are existing funding sources?United Way, Government Grants, Government Contracts, Service Fees, Fundraising,Special Events, Individual Donations, Corporate Donations, Civic Group Donations,Private Foundations, etc.

• What percent of contributions/budget go to administration vs. recipients ofbenefits?13.7

• What is your current financial budget?See attached.

• Provide a copy of your most recent Annual Report.See Attached.

• Who are recipients of benefits from the organization?Shelter Specific--Our target population is victims of domestic violence and their childrenwho live, work or children attend school in Mecklenburg County. We assist victims fromother counties, when immediate safety necessitates the client coming into the county.Many of the individuals seeking assistance arrive by police car in the middle of thenight. Our mandate is to provide safe emergency shelter for all victims of intimatepartner violence regardless of their socio-economic status, ethnicity, educationalbackground or other circumstances. Domestic violence impacts all people.

• What geographical area do you serve? Must recipients reside in the area?The Shelter is specific to Mecklenburg County. We ask that a client either live, work orchildren attend school in Mecklenburg County. However, the agency as a whole servesclients in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Union and Lake Norman areas.

• What type donations would you need/want?

o Products -meals, personal care items, sheets, towels, paper products, householdpants, landscaping, etc ...

o Volunteer jobs - unlimited. We are a 24/7 shelter. Kitchen help, mealsprepared, child care, office, cleaning, watering plants, answering hotline

o Financial-donations of any size are always welcome.

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• Volunteer Coordinator Name and Contact Number. Other contact numbersapplicableJennifer Lange. Jlange@ufsc1t.org 704-332-2734Kelly Coyne kcoyne(a{ufsclt.org 704-367-2706

• Volunteer schedule - Monday thru Friday only 8AM-5PM and/or evenings? Do youneed week-end volunteers? Are there any requirements for volunteer, i.e., backgroundcheck, drug test? If so, who pays for these? UFS incurs the costs ofthe necessaryvolunteer training and paperwork. We do utilize both a criminal background check anda DSS screen as well. We are a 24/7 facility so a variety of schedules can beaccommodated.

• Do they need interpreters? If so, what languages? Not usually.

• Are there other ways to "plug in", i.e., Luncheons or Events? Yes--multiple!