Our Programs

Emergency Shelter

The Women's Center of Rhode Island's Residential Services Program provides short-term emergency shelter to victims of domestic violence. Clients of the program receive assistance with basic needs including shelter, food, toiletries, medications and clothing. Clients work with Case Managers to develop individualized goals to work on during her stay. The goals typically include housing, legal, and medical needs as well as literacy and education, job training and employment needs and child/parenting education if applicable. The goal is to help the client define her own plan in becoming self sufficient including planning and budgeting for the future. As part of our support services, each clients is required to attend the group sessions offered including expressive arts therapy, domestic violence support and education, financial empowerment, parenting education and the weekly house meeting.

Transitional Housing Second Step Program

The Women's Center of Rhode Island offers longer-term shelter for clients who may need longer stays. The program works to provide clients with the support and guidance while they work toward their future goals and achieve self-sufficiency.

Children's Enrichment Program

The goal of the Children's Enrichment Program at the Women's Center of Rhode Island is to help the children heal from the violence they have experienced or witnessed in their homes. We do this by creating a safe, supportive learning environment for children in our residential program to enhance their social, emotional, cognitive, physical, and linguistic development. During their shelter stay, a Child Advocate works with each family to set goals and develop an individual plan for her children regarding emotional, medical, educational and social needs.

Support Groups

The Women's Center offers group sessions for victims of domestic violence who are in need of support to leave their abusive relationships or to heal from the abuse they've suffered. The sessions are open-ended and participants can come at any other after an initial introductory interview.

Community Education and Prevention

The Women’s Center of Rhode Island’s through its Community Education and Outreach Program is committed to engaging the community in not just dialogue, but also action, in the prevention of intimate partner violence, teen dating abuse, and unhealthy relationships.

Outreach

The Women's Center provides resource materials for the community. If you’re in need or brochures and other forms of information about domestic violence, please contact us and we’ll deliver it or arrange for you to get the materials. Requests come most commonly from doctor's offices, schools, youth organizations, community centers, housing authorities, places of employment, etc. Other outreach initiatives include but are not limited to health/wellness fairs, volunteer fairs, college campuses, and religious based groups. We primarily focus on the communities of Providence and East Providence for our outreach efforts.

Men's Initiative

The Men’s Initiative is a volunteer based program at WCRI. The Men's Initiative is a platform for men who wish to be a part of the prevention and intervention of to interpersonal violence in our communities. Male volunteers are trained on domestic violence prevention strategies, to become strong voices in the community on teaching other men on how to end the violence.