“It’s so difficult for these abuse victims to reach out in the first place. One wrong word can shut them down, and then they’re left behind.”—Dheeshana Jayasundara, PhD , MSSW, consultant/evaluator
Peace in the Home
Dates of Project: February 1, 2011 through January 31, 2014
Description: The Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation expanded its services to victims of domestic violence focusing on Muslim and immigrant communities in the greater Dallas area, where abused women and children faced numerous barriers to accessing traditional services.
The project included a broad range of culturally specific social services; a crisis hotline; a 24-hour emergency shelter; extensive community education; and active networking with religious leaders, mainstream domestic violence service providers, and interfaith organizations.
Key Results
During the grant period, the Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation:
- Built a staff of 21 paid employees familiar with Muslim culture and fluent in more than 15 languages
- Offered a social services program, available five days a week, that helped over 700 clients with case management, counseling, legal services, and referrals to appropriate agencies
- Enlisted active support from the community’s imams (religious leaders), provided community education, and increased mutual understanding with mainstream domestic violence agencies, local police departments, professional associations, and the interfaith community
- Started a crisis hotline that received approximately 600 calls during the grant period, and opened a 24 hour emergency shelter, “Peaceful Oasis,” which served over 122 clients in its first year
Recommended
-
Related
- Muslim Patients and Cross-Gender Interactions in Medicine January 1, 2011
- Religious Values and Healthcare Accommodations January 4, 2012
- Preventing Partner Violence in Refugee and Immigrant Communities October 1, 2011
- Meeting the Needs of Immigrant and Refugee Victims of Intimate Partner Violence, by Providing Comprehensive, Confidential and Holistic Services July 8, 2009
- Strengthening What Works: Preventing Intimate Partner Violence in Immigrant and Refugee Communities September 19, 2014
- About this grant
In Dallas, Muslim women get help with domestic violence; imams play a role in changing customs.