SUPPORTIVE SERVICES

Legal Advocacy Program

Opened in 1991, the Legal Advocacy Program seeks to address
the unmet legal needs of victims of domestic violence by serving as a
culturally competent point of access for individuals who, due to
linguistic, cultural, and economic barriers, would not be able to
access representation through normal channels. Initially established to provide emergency legal services, the program has expanded its capacity to include critically needed full representation in Probate and Family Court matters. Casa Myrna is one of the few programs in Massachusetts to provide clients with representation beyond the initial restraining order hearing, and provides ongoing comprehensive family law representation, as well as a Legal HelpLine. The program serves between 400 and 500 clients a year and has bilingual staff who speak Spanish and English.
Legal HelpLine (617) 521-0146 Legal Fax Line (617) 521-0181
legal@casamyrna.org

Counseling Services

Counseling Services provides individual, family and group counseling to victims of domestic violence, as well as referrals to outside therapeutic resources. Support groups in both Spanish and English are facilitated by the Counseling Services Coordinator. The Coordinator also provides trainings to other human-services provider groups, from faith-based organizations to community health centers, on the issue of domestic violence. The program is staffed by a licensed social worker and interns from area universities who are majoring in social work or clinical psychology.
counseling@casamyrna.org

Housing Advocacy

A bilingual Spanish-English Housing Specialist works with program participants who have been made homeless by domestic violence, or who are at risk of ongoing injury in their current living situations due to domestic violence. Program participants are helped to assess their housing needs, and given guidance in identifying, applying for and securing permanent, affordable housing. The program also helps them secure donations of household items and assistance with moving expenses.
housing@casamyrna.org

SOAR (Stability, Opportunity, Achievement, Results)

Casa Myrna’s economic development program helps program participants set and pursue educational, vocational and employment goals, and teaches them to budget, save and plan for their financial self-sufficiency. The program provides 5-week workshops and individual counseling sessions that help victims of domestic violence learn to review their credit histories, repair bad credit, open savings or checking accounts and master the realities of budgeting and sound financial planning. Services are provided in English and Spanish.
soar@casamyrna.org

Community Advocacy

Casa Myrna’s bilingual Spanish/English Community Advocacy Specialist works two days a week on site at Dorchester District Court providing advocacy to victims of domestic violence coming in for initial restraining order hearings and 10-day continuation hearings. She also spends a day on site at a local community health center, where physicians and nurse practitioners make referrals from their consultations. Casa Myrna has another bilingual Spanish/English Community Advocate on site two days a week at the Family Justice Center in Brighton, a multi-service center where victims of domestic violence have access to a multitude of programs in one location, and which is also home to the Boston Police Department’s Domestic Violence unit.