Mission:
WEAVE works closely with adult and teen survivors of relationship violence and abuse, providing an innovative range of legal, counseling, economic and educational services that leads survivors to utilize their inner and community resources, achieve safety for themselves and their children and live empowered lives.
WEAVE works closely with adult and teen survivors of relationship violence and abuse, providing an innovative range of legal, counseling, economic and educational services that leads survivors to utilize their inner and community resources, achieve safety for themselves and their children and live empowered lives.
WEAVE's History
Women Empowered Against Violence, Inc. (WEAVE) was founded by American University law school students to provide holistic services to domestic violence victims in the District of Columbia. Having previously worked with domestic violence victims from a social work perspective, WEAVE's founders became interested in law to fill a gap in the services available to battered women. While they were student attorneys in the domestic violence clinic, the founders represented clients in civil protection order proceedings. They quickly learned that their clients needed more than temporary protection orders. Their clients needed long term legal representation for divorce and custody, as well as social service intervention for counseling, housing, and public assistance.
In 1996, WEAVE's founders conducted a community needs assessment of domestic violence victims in Washington, D.C. which confirmed their suspicions. The survey results revealed that many women were not receiving the wide range of legal services that they needed to achieve self-sufficiency and freedom from their abusers. Four specific gaps were identified: (1) no domestic violence legal services for the working poor who earn a salary above the poverty line; (2) a lack of support services that are targeted to non-immigrant domestic violence victims; (3) insufficient legal services for domestic violence victims who need long-term representation in divorce, custody, visitation, and other legal proceedings; and (4) an absence of counseling and social services specifically geared toward domestic violence victims.
Women Empowered Against Violence, Inc. (WEAVE) was founded by American University law school students to provide holistic services to domestic violence victims in the District of Columbia. Having previously worked with domestic violence victims from a social work perspective, WEAVE's founders became interested in law to fill a gap in the services available to battered women. While they were student attorneys in the domestic violence clinic, the founders represented clients in civil protection order proceedings. They quickly learned that their clients needed more than temporary protection orders. Their clients needed long term legal representation for divorce and custody, as well as social service intervention for counseling, housing, and public assistance.
In 1996, WEAVE's founders conducted a community needs assessment of domestic violence victims in Washington, D.C. which confirmed their suspicions. The survey results revealed that many women were not receiving the wide range of legal services that they needed to achieve self-sufficiency and freedom from their abusers. Four specific gaps were identified: (1) no domestic violence legal services for the working poor who earn a salary above the poverty line; (2) a lack of support services that are targeted to non-immigrant domestic violence victims; (3) insufficient legal services for domestic violence victims who need long-term representation in divorce, custody, visitation, and other legal proceedings; and (4) an absence of counseling and social services specifically geared toward domestic violence victims.
Drawing upon the community needs assessment and their own experiences working with shelters and social work organizations, the founders created WEAVE, a non-profit that provides holistic services to victims of domestic violence. WEAVE officially opened its doors on September 22, 1997. WEAVE grew at first as a legal service provider, adding full time case management and counseling programs in 1999 to achieve the founders' vision of providing holistic services.
Philosophy
Holistic Service
Holistic Service
In addition to diverse legal needs victims also face numerous economic barriers, such as securing public benefits, receiving employment training, entering or returning to the workforce, and finding adequate and affordable child care and housing. Moreover, victims are in crisis and need emotional support in the form of individual and group counseling. In order for victims to free themselves of the violence safely, all of the above obstacles must be addressed concurrently.
The holistic services model combines legal representation with counseling and social services so that clients can concurrently address their legal, emotional, and economic needs. Employing this holistic program ensures services are readily accessible and coordinated between attorneys, licensed clinical social workers, and mental health professionals. Through the holistic services model, WEAVE provides clients with the full range of tools necessary to achieve safety and self-sufficiency.
EmpowermentThe empowerment model emphasizes respect for clients. Clients must decide what course of action is best for them and be highly involved in their cases. This ownership is an essential part of empowering victims of domestic violence and providing them with a sense of control over their lives.
Although the holistic services and empowerment models are more time-consuming and labor intensive for both client and staff, WEAVE is committed to giving women tools to break the cycle of violence. The holistic services and empowerment models are also the first step toward self-sufficiency for many victims of domestic violence who have been emotionally, and often financially, dependent on their abusers.
Services Without Income RestrictionsMany legal service providers impose income restrictions on their clients. This leaves very few resources for women who earn a salary above the poverty line, but do not have the resources to retain a market-rate attorney. WEAVE utilizes a modest sliding scale for clients with incomes above the poverty line, and will help battered women, regardless of their income level.
Although the holistic services and empowerment models are more time-consuming and labor intensive for both client and staff, WEAVE is committed to giving women tools to break the cycle of violence. The holistic services and empowerment models are also the first step toward self-sufficiency for many victims of domestic violence who have been emotionally, and often financially, dependent on their abusers.
Services Without Income RestrictionsMany legal service providers impose income restrictions on their clients. This leaves very few resources for women who earn a salary above the poverty line, but do not have the resources to retain a market-rate attorney. WEAVE utilizes a modest sliding scale for clients with incomes above the poverty line, and will help battered women, regardless of their income level.
