Houston County Victim Services can provide training and continuing education programs to other agencies in the community regarding the needs of victims and witnesses of crimes.

Provide support to those who have been affected by domestic violence or sexual assault. Services may include: - 24-Hour Crisis Hotline: Provides a hotline for advocacy, resources, and shelter for all victims of violence. The hotline provides information and safety planning to support victims. - Advocacy: Legal advocates can help victims navigate and explain the legal system in criminal and civil protective order cases. Helps victims work with local police, city, and county attorneys to advocate on the victim's behalf. Assist in filing Orders for Protection and Harassment Restraining Orders. Attend court hearings with victims to provide information and support and more. - Emergency Shelter: A 24-hour domestic violence and sexual violence emergency shelter within Carlton, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, and Pine counties. The Black Dog Hill Shelter provides secure emergency shelter and access to basic needs to survivors and children. Basic needs include meals, toiletries, clothing, linens, diapers, laundry facilities, and access to a food shelf. - Intervention: Offers a Batterers Intervention Program to those interested and/or court-ordered to participate in a psycho-educational group led by trained professional facilitators. Participants learn to identify abusive behaviors and are taught to react to situations non-abusively and communicate with their partner. - Support Groups: Provides support groups to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault through empowerment, conversations, and activities. Meetings are held in-person and virtual and times will vary by county office.

Provides public speaking opportunities for schools, churches, and community organizations to educate and promote awareness of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and homelessness within the community.

Offers a variety of advocacy programs including: - Counseling for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse - Community education and professional training - Support groups: Topics include violence education and self-sufficiency - Volunteer program: Roles may include community education, fundraising, office operations, and client services

- Refugee resettlement services to clients resettled through World Relief - Employment counseling, with language help for Somali, Russian, Spanish and French speakers, for any refugee or asylee who has been in the U.S. less than 5 years - Refugee cash assistance - Immigration services for refugees and asylees including family reunification assistance, green card applications and citizenship - Educational outreach to congregations to share information about refugee issues and encourage involvement in local resettlement work - Links volunteers to refugees in the Twin Cities. Churches and individuals are involved through sponsoring refugees, building friendships, assisting with employment, donating furniture, etc.

Services are victim-centered, which means individuals will guide their own process, make their own decisions, and have staff provide information, support, and referrals. Services include: - Advocacy: Assistance in obtaining Emergency Protective Orders, Permanent Restraining Orders, Stalking/Harassment Orders, Temporary Restraining Orders, housing, community services, and medical appointments - Community education and professional training - Confidentiality - Crisis line - Emergency Services: Transportation to medical facilities, law enforcement, safe housing, etc. - Individual and group support - Safety planning

- After-hours for emergency food. Also, refers to the Housing Resource Line for shelter resources and housing information. - Crisis intervention for mental health crises by phone and face-to-face including psychiatric crisis intervention, outreach services, short-term crisis counseling, emergency psychiatric hospitalization, after-hours adult protection, child endangerment reporting, and after-hours child protection reporting - Diversion from out-of-home placement - Mental health crisis assessment is completed within 90 days or less to find out what option is available to the individual. One option might include case management, as choices may vary depending on the assessment. - Public speaking regarding mental health crisis - Parent-child conflict resolution

HIV Education and Support Services for Youth: - HIV prevention, education and counseling for young men and women who have sex with men ages 13 - 30, high risk people of any age who report having sexual and needle-sharing partners between the ages of 13 - 30. - Free HIV testing for anyone of any age. - Case management for any HIV+ youth age 13 - 30 and their families, including support and referrals to community resources as needed. - Group education and consultation about AIDS and HIV-related health issues of gay and bisexual youth for professionals, community members, and schools.

Provides a broad range of counseling, referral, and other services to help veterans, service members, and their families in a non-medical setting. - Bereavement counseling - Community engagement (provides education on the Veteran community and military culture, and builds referral networks to expand support for Veterans, service members, and their families) - Couples and family counseling - Group counseling - Individual counseling for spouses, children, and significant others - Intimate partner violence support - Military sexual trauma counseling - One-on-one counseling for issues including PTSD, depression, grief, anger, or trauma - Referral services to appropriate resources in the community, including addiction and substance use, homelessness, suicide prevention, and veteran connections - Significant others support group - Telehealth - Transitional counseling - Workshops and classes (Veterans recreational groups)

The Winona Human Rights Commission will review complaints about discrimination based upon race, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, age, creed, disability, public assistance, or family status. In addition this office will review legal rights violations at work, in housing, and in all public accommodations (including schools, governmental offices, and voting sites). After a complaint is filed, the office will try to mediate a settlement between or among the parties involved. The settlement must be approved by all of the parties and by the Human Rights Commissions. Referrals are made if further action is needed. In addition this office can provide public education on the laws concerning discrimination through a speakers bureau with presentations for employers and organizations on request.

Targets potential perpretators of sexual violence as it is the perpetrator's responsibility to prevent sexual violence. Prevention efforts focus on the entire spectrum of prevention which includes strengthening individual knowledge and skills, educating providers, and changing organization practices to best prevent sexual violence. School-Based Prevention Programs - And Then It Changed: 50 minute presentation that demonstrates healthy ways of talking about challenging topics relevant to 5th grade students including how the media influences body image, how people can use tricks and lies to get what they want, and how to respond when someone does something that makes an individual uncomfortable or that they don't like. The majority of the content demonstrates positive ways to handle situations. - Can I Kiss You?: Educational 50 minute presentation for middle school and high school students. Helps schools: - Increase the number of teens who intervene to stop alcohol-facilitated sexual assaults at parties and events - Reduce sexual violence among teens by giving males and females "How-To" skills for making better choices with intimacy and relationships - Show teens how to better support classmates and loved ones who may be survivors of sexual assault - Slow down the speed at which teenagers often engage in unhealthy relationsips and intimacy - Exploitation Through Technology: 50 minute interactive proram that focuses on what exploitation is and how it is used through technology. The presentation defines exploitation bringing awareness to students on how exploiters target and trick teens into exploitative relationships. It shows that exploitation can range from being asked to send revealing pictures, to sex trafficking. Students are also given information on what they should do if they experience a risky online situation, and how they can prevent exploitation from happening in their lives. - The Mask You Live In: 50 minute interactive program helps students better understand how society and media has created a false picture of masculinity and understand its harmful effect on society - The Spectrum of Violence: Interactive 50 minute lesson that can be presented to middle school and high school students. Presentation focuses on - Consent and age of consent - Criminal versus wrong - Impact of media, advertising and society has on sexual violence - Various forms of sexual violence - What to do and where to go if it happens

- Child and teen check-ups (Eligible children ages 0 - 20 years who are enrolled in Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare) - Dental, hearing, and vision screening for school children - Growth, development assessments, and physical exams - Maternal and Child Health Programs offering home and office visits for pregnant women and families with children - Referral and follow-up services for children with special needs - Reproductive and Sexual Health Services include: - Birth control options and reproductive health consultations, free condoms, and pregnancy testing - Cervical cancer, Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and Syphilis screening - Routine Gynecological and breast examination - Sexual health education, testing, and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STI) - Vaccinations Other services include: - Activities to reduce child abuse - Foot care (Visit website for location hours and services) - Health screenings for individuals such as blood sugar, cholesterol, and hemoglobin - Minnesota Senior Health Options - Nursing home visits - Public health preparedness activities/information including infectious disease outbreaks - Presentations for students about health issues - Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) interventions to prevent obesity by implementing policy, systems, and environmental changes to increase physical activity and intake of healthy food choices

Training and education for healthcare professionals, law enforcement officials, members of the clergy and other faith-based leaders, community organizations, corporations, and professional associations on the dynamics of domestic violence and sexual violence.

Provides speakers to groups about battered women and related topics including: - Cultural facilitators of domestic violence - Effects of violence on children - Barriers battered women face in escaping violence - Battering and church response - How the medical community can better serve victims - Primary prevention of domestic violence

Group of community members and professionals who meet monthly to discuss issues facing older adults and offer information about resources for older adults - Medicare counseling

- Free online webinars on topics affecting individuals with autism and their families - Online digital library, downloadable toolkits, and print resources related to autism - Provides information on autism, signs, safety facts, wandering, bullying prevention, local chapters and resources for first responders, caregivers, and educators - Yellowpages website offers a resource directory for locating support groups, professionals that work with individuals living with autism, special education schools, learning centers, treatment programs, education consultants, therapists, advocates, and many more within the state

14-week intensive outpatient program assisting adults in the implementation of recovery strategies for chemical health by applying recovery principles and integrating mental health services to establish and promote symptom management and recovery stabilization. Providing: - Comprehensive assessments - Crisis intervention available for clients as needed (for health conditions as well as mental health) - Diagnostic assessments - Family education on co-occurring disorders - Psycho-education on co-occurring disorders - Referrals to agencies assisting with ARMHS workers - Specialized co-occurring psychotherapy groups - Tutors (interns or staff) provided for individuals seeking additional assistance - Weekly treatment plan reviews and case management coordination NOTE: Assessment is not required and can be provided for co-occurring disorders treatment.

Staff are available for speaking engagements pertaining to Tamarisk, Inc.'s mission specifically or issues regarding the consequences of life-threatening illness for the individual and family from a non-medical perspective, caregiver wellbeing, or grief and loss

Monthly support meetings: - Guest speakers from the professional fields of medicine, education, and family support - Online resources - Outreach events providing education

Services are victim-centered, which means individuals will guide their own process, make their own decisions, and have staff provide information, support, and referrals. Services include: - Advocacy: Assistance in obtaining Emergency Protective Orders, Permanent Restraining Orders, Stalking/Harassment Orders, Temporary Restraining Orders, housing, community services, and medical appointments - Community education and professional training - Confidentiality - Crisis line - Emergency Services: Transportation to medical facilities, law enforcement, safe housing, etc. - Individual and group support - Safety planning

- Emotional support - Information and referral to appropriate resources for families of missing children - Information on prevention - Public education

Provides presentations to organizations, agencies, community groups, and others interested in mediation and conflict resolution.

- Controls and observes wetland activities - Education to the public on environmental issues such as recycling, solid waste, and solid waste reduction - Enforcement and investigation of complaints - Hazardous waste information - Presentations regarding recycling, solid waste reduction, and hazardous waste issues - Water planning

Information and resources for veterans, individuals, family members and professionals concerning post traumatic stress disorder. No direct clinical care or advice provided. - Fact sheets - Reviews of best treatments for PTSD - Videos - Online courses

Services are victim-centered, which means individuals will guide their own process, make their own decisions, and have staff provide information, support, and referrals. Services include: - Advocacy: Assistance in obtaining Emergency Protective Orders, Permanent Restraining Orders, Stalking/Harassment Orders, Temporary Restraining Orders, housing, community services, and medical appointments - Confidentiality - Community education and professional training - Crisis line - Emergency Services: Transportation to medical facilities, law enforcement, safe housing, etc. - Individual and group support - Prevention and/or Rapid Rehousing: Services provided by the Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program - FHPAP - Safety planning