Cornerstone Advocacy Service

Programs: Emergency servicescornerstone's emergency services program addresses the need for life saving crisis intervention and safe housing for those in imminent danger of interpersonal violence. Crisis advocates maintain a 24 hour/7 day a week phone line and ensure callers receive the resources they need, including transportation to our shelter. If pets are in need of boarding and safety, we utilize our pets for protection program. Cornerstone's 35-bed emergency shelter is a departure from the traditional communal-living model, instead designed with family living spaces, one of which is wheelchair accessible. This allows for privacy, respects cultural diversity and provides a home-like environment in a time of crisis. Having the shelter connected to cornerstone's comprehensive community-based programming allows families full access to our complete continuum of services for adults and children. In addition to regular meetings with their primary advocate, shelter residents work with youth counselors and a parenting specialist. When the shelter is full or when shelter is not an appropriate option, cornerstone partners with local hotels and motels in order to provide immediate safe housing to victims. In 2017, we provided 126 adults (women, men and transgender individuals) and 127 children with 11,851 nights of safe housing and 35,553 meals.

community and economic empowerment servicesthe community services program focuses specifically on helping victims achieve both safety and long term economic security. The program includes individual economic advocacy, financial literacy, matched savings accounts, employment planning and a variety of group supportive and educational services. All of our community services advocates work to help support victims as they deal with the practical problems of living that have resulted from the violence and abuse. Cornerstone's supportive housing component, core (centered on results everyday), combines two years of affordable housing and intensive supportive services for 13 families. Core families receive affordable housing as they work with cornerstone staff to address their goal plans, participate in job readiness training, empowerment courses and financial literacy workshops. Our supportive housing specialists also work on-site at two affordable housing complexes, providing advocacy and resources to low-income families in order to help ensure they are able to maintain their housing.

children, youth, and families (cyf) and clinical servicescornerstone has earned a reputation as a leader in implementing innovative services to assist survivors of interpersonal violence. Since the beginning, the agency has recognized the profound long term effects experiencing abuse has on children. In 1992, cornerstone began the first comprehensive program for children in minnesota. Today, the cyf program provides services through our youth advocacy and counseling services, our school based education services and our mental health clinical services. Components include direct services to parents and youth through individual advocacy and mentorship; youth, adult and family therapy; support groups; parenting education; preschool; and youth afterschool programming through recreational and enrichment activities. Our school based education services provided violence education and prevention presentations to over 18,000 students on issues related to domestic violence, sexual assault and bullying.

day one minnesotaday one is a statewide program that operates a 24/7 call center, providing immediate access to safety and services for those affected by domestic violence, sexual assault or human trafficking. Day one maintains a secure and confidential online database allowing victim service agencies the ability to share information about available bed space and services. The minnesota day one crisis line immediately connects the caller directly to a safe location; 23,896 victims or concerned persons were immediately connected to the nearest safe housing and services. Day one also provides transportation for victims to reach safety throughout the state and provides leadership through collective victim service agencies, other professionals and community members to decrease barriers to access. Day one leads four collective initiatives, including a partnership with communication services for the deaf. Victim advocacy servicescriminal and civil justice intervention services: advocates function as a liaison between victims and the judicial system in criminal court proceedings as well as at the civil level. Cornerstone also facilitates partnerships in the criminal justice system with local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and the courts to improve the justice process and protect victims by utilizing a lethality screen, increasing offender accountability and developing best practices for law enforcement response to domestic calls. General crime services: provides immediate 24/7 crisis phone response through our general crime line and links victims of both property and crimes against persons with advocacy, support, therapy, and emergency fund assistance. Volunteer programcornerstone's robust volunteer program helps the organization build capacity to better serve the community. Individuals and groups contributed 7,312 hours of volunteer service to cornerstone in 2017, providing childcare, facility maintenance, event assistance and skilled support to the agency.