Clients often come to Catholic Charities for help in their moments of deepest crisis, and for Catholic Charities’ domestic violence programs, this is no exception.
Susan reached out to Pathways in the height of the pandemic seeking support. The Pathways program is a community-based resource provider that helps victims of domestic violence in Maricopa County. This three-part team helps survivors by providing free counseling, support groups, and mobile victim advocacy.
Emotional, Physical and Financial Abuse
Susan’s partner had been emotionally and physically abusing her for several years. The latest incident left her in dire need of guidance as she tried to figure out her next steps with her children.
Fearing for her safety, Susan was also on the brink of being evicted from her apartment due to the financial abuse incurred from her partner. She had been prevented from working for the last few years, a common tactic that abusers use to maintain power and control.
Planning for Safety and Self-Sufficiency
Pathways worked with Susan to immediately focus on client safety by assisting her with completing an order of protection. Susan was able to have a victim advocate present at court with her to help navigate the maze of rooms and myriad of procedures that can seem foreign and intimidating to many clients already facing trauma.
After successfully obtaining an order of protection, Susan worked with Pathways to keep identifying her self-sufficiency goals. Her main priority now shifted to stability on her own.
She worked with her advocate to search for employment and prepare her resume to get back out into the work force.
Along with that, Susan also learned how to access Arizona’s Department of Economic Security (DES) public benefits to get much-needed additional support. Pathways also helped Susan apply at her local community action program’s office for emergency rent assistance to avoid an eviction on her record. Susan’s hard work and persistence led her to reach a point where she was ready to move out on her own to a more affordable place to regain control of her finances.
The Pathways program was further able to lend support with specific financial move in assistance. The program even connected her with a resource within the community willing to help her move.
Support and Guidance
Susan’s path to healing reflects many client’s journeys and can be full of setbacks as well as victories, both small and large. Through it all though, Pathways was able to walk by her side during these moments of crisis and provide the support and guidance survivors need to start a new chapter in their lives.
