Today, only four domestic violence agencies exist to serve our county, the sixth largest in our nation with nearly 3.2 million residents.
In Orange County, about 1 in every 3 women, 1 in 5 men and 1 in 3 adolescents will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes.
Of these four agencies, only one has dedicated sites to serve South Orange County’s nearly 600,000 residents—the Laura’s House Counseling and Resource Center in Ladera Ranch and Laura’s House emergency shelter, whose location cannot be disclosed for safety reasons. The latter offers a 45-day program at a 52-bed residential shelter for abused women, men and children. Laura’s House also provides transitional housing (6-12 months) and supportive services that extend the amount of time for clients to work towards overall stability and goal-oriented planning in their lives.
Though great strides have been made to provide hope and healing to those suffering from domestic violence through the development and enhancement of domestic violence-related services and prevention programs, data-driven reports and firsthand testimonials point to new gaps and unmet needs for domestic violence survivors.
For example, a 2018 study led by Chapman University and Laura’s House revealed that 2 out of 3 adolescents attending high school in Orange County experience hurtful behavior in their dating relationships, a number twice the national average. More should be done to ensure the critical needs of this population continue to be met as this issue is becoming more prevalent.
Another source of concern is that the number of clients requiring services will increase substantially over the next five years. Last year, Laura’s House served 432 children, a 45% jump over 2017; provided 1,650 nonresidential services, up 18%; and answered 2,337 hotline callers, a 12% increase.
Perhaps the most critical gap that Laura’s House identified based on feedback from our partners and statistical data is the dire need for an agency that incorporates domestic violence programs and complementary services like education, health and legal under one roof. Currently, domestic violence-related services are scattered across the county and are not centrally managed.
As a result, domestic violence survivors face barriers with transportation and the need to take extended periods of time away from work to meet with service providers who can provide much needed access to the gamut of necessary services—from shelter to health to legal support—that work in concert to help them break free of the cycle of abuse.
The 33 Journey
To address this gap, Laura’s House is developing the Domestic Violence Resource Center, Orange County’s first multiservice and collaborative facility.
At 33 Journey in Aliso Viejo, the 19,000-square-foot campus will provide a safe space for domestic violence survivors seeking help. The center will offer supportive services including legal advocacy, prevention, support, health and wellness and community education and workshops.
With the help of a few friends, Laura’s House was able to purchase the site. We are now raising $10 million to pay off the $6 million mortgage and create the operating cushion we need to meet this larger need. The Domestic Violence Resource Center is slated to open in March.
Domestic Violence’s Community Issue
Domestic violence is not just a plague for the individuals and families who are directly affected—it impacts our community, too. Domestic violence is a catalyst for other social issues, including California’s growing homelessness crisis.
Nearly 10% of Orange County’s homeless population reported domestic violence as the cause of their situation, according to the Everyone Counts 2019 Point in Time led by the County of Orange earlier this year.
Beyond its devastating social impact, domestic violence is also hurting our economy. Estimates show that family violence costs the nation $5 billion to $10 billion annually in medical expenses, police and court costs, shelters and foster care, sick leave, absenteeism and more. Sick leaves and absenteeism alone cost the nation 8 million days of paid work each year, the equivalent to more than 32,000 full-time jobs.
The profound impact we’re aiming to achieve with The Laura’s House Domestic Violence Resource Center does not happen without substantial investment. Given the compelling data on the social and economic impacts of domestic violence in our county, it’s imperative that we succeed in providing better and more adequate services for those in need. While the required investment is significant, the return on investment extends far beyond economic benefits to build a safer, healthier and thriving community.
Editor’s Note: A group of citizens led by Sandy Condello and Helen Kendall gathered Âin 1994 to create Laura’s House; in honor of Laura who died at age 38 at the hands of her abuser. Margaret Bayston is chief executive at Laura’s House, which has serviced nearly 60,000 people through shelter, support services, counseling, life skills, education and legal advocacy. This week’s Business Journal list features the largest nonprofits based in Orange County (see list, page 25).
