24 Hour Crisis Counseling
Over 10,000 calls are handled by our professional staff members every year, including more than 5,100 hotline calls. Information about domestic violence/ domestic abuse and referrals to resources are provided, including information on shelters located outside Collier County. All conversations are confidential. Call (239) 775-1101.

Emergency Safe Shelter
Forty emergency shelter beds are provided, as well as food, clothing, counseling, and advocacy. Emergency shelter stays are typically 45-49 days. More than 500 victims of domestic abuse and their children call the Shelter home every year. It is a place of hope and healing. An on-site kennel also provides safe shelter for the pets of our residents.

For more information on the relationship between animal cruelty and domestic violence, including ways you can protect your pets, please visit The Humane Society of the United States website at www.hsus.org ( This link is provided for informational purposes only, the Shelter is not affiliated with The Humane Society of the United States; linking does not imply endorsement of programs or services by either party).

Counseling Center
We provide more than 27,000 total hours of counseling each year. Trained advocates and licensed masters level counselors provide counseling for adults, teens, and children in both Naples and Immokalee. Counseling specialists are also available for same- sex domestic violence and elder abuse. These services are available free of charge to anyone who has experienced abuse in a relationship. All client communications (even their name) with the Shelter and the Counseling Center are strictly confidential and privileged information. There is no charge for counseling services.

Transitional Living
Twenty beds in the Shelter are designated for those residents and their children in our transitional living program. The program is tailored to each resident’s needs and includes assistance on subjects such as completing education/training, employability, resume preparation, basic living skills, housing, child care, nutrition, etc. Transitional living residents may be able to stay at the Shelter for an extended length of time.

Support Groups
Support groups for adults and children, facilitated by professionals, meet several times a week in Immokalee, Naples and Bonita Springs. Groups are offered in both English and Spanish. Childcare and children’s counseling are available at the same times. There is no charge. All conversations are strictly confidential. We also offer creative counseling for those interested in an alternative, nonverbal and holistic counseling, child care is not available for this group.

Children's Services
The Shelter offers numerous programs for both children in-residence and outreach participants to help them deal with the painful effects of domestic violence. Every child receives an assessment to determine what services are needed. Individual and group counseling sessions are held weekly, in both English and Spanish. Children are taught to develop their individual safety plans. They are given essential needs such as school supplies, clothing, food, teddy bears, and books. Holidays and birthdays are celebrated with gifts and parties. Counselors also work with the schools, child protection agencies, the courts, healthcare groups, and other service agencies to ensure every child’s well-being through a support network.

Direct Assistance
Clients from all of our programs are given assistance in the form of food, clothing, personal hygiene items, household goods, furniture, transportation, health care, relocation expenses, new door locks, cell phones, etc. During the holidays, free gifts and food baskets are provided to more than 800 victims and children.

Court & Legal Services
Our advocates assist victims through the court process. Domestic violence arrest reports are forwarded to our staff. We contact each victim, offering information, support, and help. A victim of domestic violence can file for an Injunction for Protection. In an injunction, you can request that no contact be made by the abuser; custody of minor children and child support; possession of your residence; and that all firearms be removed from the abuser. Our advocates are available to accompany you to court. There is no charge for our services, and all communications are confidential. We also can direct you to attorneys to assist in court, with custody issues, and immigration issues. Another legal resource is the American Bar Association’s website link: http://www.abanet.org/domviol.

Special Populations
Trained advocates and counselors specialize in services to a variety of special populations, such as elders, children and youths, public benefit recipients, immigrants and farm workers, Haitians, and men. Our clients are all ages, races, ethnicities, physical abilities, sexual orientations, genders, socio-economic and educational backgrounds, and religions. Our staff are diverse and receive ongoing training in the special needs and concerns of all our clients.

Elder Abuse Response
Trained advocates and volunteers assist elder victims of domestic abuse with safety planning, public benefits, housing, medical referrals and legal advocacy. Direct assistance in the form of food, clothing, personal care items, household goods, furniture, transportation, 911 emergency cell phones, and other necessities is available through community donations to the Shelter. Another resource is the State Elder Abuse Hotline: 1-800-96-ABUSE.

Women of Means
A masters level counselor and a team of specially trained advocates assist upscale, educated and/or professional victims of domestic violence through confidential peer-to-peer relationships, counseling, access to a network of professionals and supporting organizations. Services are confidential and provided free of charge.

'Gentle' Men Against Domestic Violence
Still in its infancy, a gathering of concerned men from across the area are working to create resources that allow the Shelter for Abused Women & Children to develop and implement educational programs directed towards young men in an effort to break the cycle of abuse. The 'Gentle'men Against Domestic Violence Program is presented to groups of boys and young men throughout the community. For more information, please call 239-775-3862.

Immokalee Program
Our bi-lingual licensed clinical social worker and our outreach advocates provide counseling and case management to victims of domestic violence and their children in the Immokalee area. Our partnerships with the Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA) and many other social services provide domestic violence information to child care providers, parents, and children; and they provide after school and summer care for the children of our adult clients.

Speakers Bureau & Community Education
More than 200 presentations are made annually by our dynamic and professional speakers on a variety of topics. We distribute literature on domestic violence and Shelter services throughout the county and provide training for clergy, employers, students, educators, attorneys, physicians, health care providers, and mental health specialists. Our website receives more than 64,700 visits a year. We also maintain a comprehensive lending library of books, videos, and research articles. Call 239-775-3862 if you would like a speaker for your group.

Options Thrift Shoppe
A "department store" of donations, Options is the place where our clients can shop free of charge for clothing, furniture, and household goods they need. The store's inventory is provided completely by donations and is open to the public. Revenue from the store represents a significant portion of the Shelter's operating funds. The store is located at 968 Second Avenue North in Naples. It is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Donations of clean fashions, housewares, and furniture are welcome. Furniture may be picked up by our drivers. Telephone 239-434-7115.

Another Option
Scheduled to open in early 2008, the Shelter's second "department store" of donations, Another Option, is located on Golden Gate Parkway, Naples. The new store will join Options in providing our clients the opportunity to shop free of charge for clothing, furniture, and household goods they need. Call 239-775-3862 to learn more about Another Option thrift store.

Emergency Cell Phone Program
The Shelter saves lives by collecting new and used cell phones (and chargers) as a way to provide emergency access to police for victims of domestic violence. Phones are reprogrammed and given to women and children in danger, allowing them to make emergency 911 calls only. Collection boxes are located a more than 50 locations throughout Collier County and Bonita Springs, including Options Thrift Shoppe. For more information, call 239-775-3862.

Services are provided free of charge and communications are confidential.