2012-018 RES APPROVING/AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH FAMILIES IN EAST TEXAS, INC (SAFE-T)

Home Browse Search

Shelter Agencies For Families in East Texas, Inc. To: The Citv of Paris: This document will provide you some information regarding SAFE-T and it's achievements over the past years. We realize that we are new to this area, although we have been providing domestic violence and sexual assault senrices for the past 15 years. Historv and Backaround: SAFE-T was founded in 1995 in Titus County in order to provide shelter to abused women and children in a four county area: Titus, Camp, Franklin and Morris. Funds were raised and grants awarded allowing the opening of the first shelter in August 1996. Since that time, many new programs were added along with increased Federal and State funding. SAFE-T currently has a domestic violence program along with shelter for 30 persons, a Sexual Assault Program, Anger Management and Child Visitation Programs. Services include crisis intervention, transportation, a 24 hour hotline, housing assistance, legal assistance and advocacy, many groups for women, men and teens, community education programs in local schools and for civic groups, counseling, and translation. What began as an emergency shelter is now a multi program agency that hosts a variety of monthly trainings for many groups, including CPS and law enforcement. This past February over 40 law enforcement officers and advocates attended the training provided by Texas Association Against Sexual Assault at the Paris Junior College hosted by SAFE- T. Three years ago at the persuasion of a volunteer group from Lamar County, SAFE-T opened an outreach office for victims of family violence in Paris, Texas. The opening of this office was done on a conditional basis: that an office could be located that was rent-free and that it be manned by volunteers trained by SAFE-T staff. This office was operated on a month-to-month basis, as the victim services to this county and surrounding counties had been reduced and continuation of services was uncertain. SAFE-T Board of Directors committed to temporarily assist victims as long as needed, but the outcome of making this office permanent was dependent upon the completion of an investigation into the shelter providing services in this region. This investigation now over will allow SAEF-T to open a domestic violence shelter in Paris. Texas Department of Human Services which currently funds SAFE-T domestic Violence program will consider awarding an additional $45,000 for a satellite shelter in Paris. HHSC requires 24/7 staffing, along with many other requirements. It is estimated that operating a Paris shelter will cost approximately $110,000 per year. This is based on the estimated expenses SAFE-T incurred for the Mount Pleasant shelter services. The Child Advocacy Center has offered to donate property to SAFE-T to build new offices/shelter complex. This offer is still under discussion and may be the stepping stone to building a shelter in Paris. This will take much community support, financial and other. SAFE-T staff and volunteers continue to transport clients from Paris to Mount Pleasant for services for shelter services. Maintaining a volunteer office in Paris for over one year had it's obstacles. Volunteers with all good intentions gradually stopped coming to the office which was opened daily Monday-Friday 10:00-4:00 p.m. There was illness and financial hardship. In spite of this, the office continued to be manned by basically three volunteers. Each evening the local phone was transferred to the SAFE-T hotline which is answered in Mount Pleasant by trained staff. SAFE-T had decided that the commitment 1