Our philosophy focuses on empowering individuals and families to make healthy decisions that will lead to productive lifestyles.
Clients participate in all services on a volunteer basis. Immediate crisis intervention and advocacy are available on a walk-in basis during our regular business hours (9am-4pm). Call the 24 Hour Hotline at (713) 473-2801 for more information and/or to schedule an afterhours appointment.
Domestic violence is behavior in which one person attempts to control another through threats or actual tactics.
Statistically, the most dangerous time for the abused person is when they are fleeing the violent situation.
Contact your local crisis center to speak to an advocate; The Bridgeâs 24-hour hotline is 713-473-2801
Sexual Violence is any behavior of a sexual nature that is committed without consent. When individuals think of sexual violence our first thought is often of rape, but sexual violence consists of many more behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs. A few examples of sexual violence includes verbal violence, cat calling on the street, sending or receiving unwanted explicit photos, believing that physical affection is âowedâ after a date, or unwanted touching. Call Jessica Bellant, our Education and Prevention Director to request a presentation or professional training concerning sexual violence.
The goal of the Emergency Shelter program is to empower families to achieve safety, understand their options, break the cycle of domestic violence, sexual assault, homelessness and rebuild their lives.
Frequent referral partners include:
Law Enforcement: Pasadena, La Porte, Galena Park, Channelview, Deer Park, Jacinto City, Baytown, and South Houston Police Departments and Harris County Sheriffâs Department Â
Health Services: Harris County Hospital District, Pasadena Health Center, AIDS Foundation Houston, Prevent Blindness Texas, Baylor College of Medicine, and Texas ChiropractorsÂ
Mental Health Services: Family Service Center, MHMRA-Mobile Crisis Outreach Team, Innovative Alternatives, Neuropsychiatric Center, Mental Health America of Greater Houston, Montrose Counseling Center, and Bay Area Council on Drugs and Alcohol
Employment Assistance: Workforce Solutions and the Texas Workforce Commission
Mainstream Resources: SNAP Food Benefits, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Childrenâs Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Medicaid
Emergency Shelter and Basic Needs: The emergency shelter can accommodate up to 100 individuals each night in a combination of dormitory-style rooms and family rooms. Immediately upon entering the shelter, a Resident Advocate conducts an orientation, provides a shelter guide, and helps meet clientsâ immediate needs. Throughout the duration of their stay at the shelter, residents have their basic needs met.
Crisis Intervention 24 Hotline: Shelter staff provide crisis intervention by meeting the immediate needs of clients upon entry into the shelter. Immediate needs include food, emergency medical attention, advocacy and accompaniment, legal assistance, protective order assistance, crisis counseling, and transportation assistance. Crisis intervention is also provided throughout the clientâs residency at the Emergency Shelter as crisis situations arise.
Case Management and Support Services: Within 24 hours of entry into the shelter, clients meet with their assigned Caseworker. The Caseworker assesses the clientâs immediate needs and provides the appropriate services or referrals. Caseworkers provide options to help clients increase their residential stability providing case management services including goal-setting, advocacy, accompaniment, domestic violence education, safety planning, lethality assessments, and information and referrals. Clients meet with their Caseworker a minimum of twice per week, but may meet every day depending on the needs of the client and the immediacy of the clientâs crisis situation. All case management services utilize evidence-based practices, including trauma-informed care. All residents of the Emergency Shelter have access to agency support services, which include individual counseling, substance abuse counseling, support groups, life skills/parenting classes, and job readiness training. Clients are assessed for one of the housing programs, including transitional housing, rapid rehousing, or permanent supportive housing.
Coordination with Other Service Providers: The Bridge collaborates with many community partners to coordinate with and access mainstream resources and other community resources for domestic violence victims, sexual assault and homeless.
The Bridge offers a variety of supportive services to help with housing.
The Childrenâs Program, known as The Bridge for Kids, provides a holistic approach to trauma-informed services to all families with children ages birth to 18 years of age participating in any of our programs. Our childcare learning center is N.A.E.Y.C. accredited and staffed with child development teachers who work collaboratively with child advocates, youth specialists and parenting educators. The Bridge for Kids impacts lives for generations by breaking the cycle of violence and providing hope and healing.
All children and youth within our program receive the following services:
Parents receive a trauma focused family assessment and are offered parenting classes and free childcare.
Advocates also act as liaison between the parents and various organizations such as Pasadena ISD, CPS, ECI, and others.
The Advocates provide school advocacy to all school age children within our agency. Each of the Advocates have been trained by the Texas Homeless Education Office to inform each parent of the McKinney-Vento Act, and to offer support to each school we work with. With the help of school administrators, Advocates help coordinate uniform assistance, supply assistance, transportation assistance, and educational advocacy.
Our support groups utilizes a trauma sensitive approach centered around the effects of trauma. Groups are provided weekly to all children in our programs. The groups are broken up by ages ranging from two years to eighteen years old. The group discussion topics consist of: safety, effective communication, healthy relationships, healthy boundaries, selfâ esteem, coping skills, identification of emotions, empathy building (caring for animals), and self-regulation techniques (expressive dance, yoga, Brazilian Jiu jitsu, boxing, art expression, and so on).
Develops individual service plans by assessing childrenâs development, temperament, coping skills, medical needs, and available support services using independent discretion and utilizing CANS Assessment.
Provides services to minors with extensive exposure to trauma residing in our emergency residential shelter, Permanent supportive housing, and non-residential program by providing psycho-educational sessions, life skills, peer counseling and trauma informed support groups.
Just as every child is different, every family has different needs. The Bridge offers Parenting classes as well as One on One Parenting sessions with our Parent Educator. Parenting classes are centered on a reflective parenting approach. Parents who are struggling with their daily lives, or having difficulties understanding certain aspects of child rearing can benefit from the preventative aspect of a parenting educational program. Parenting classes can help parents gain the problem solving techniques that are necessary to deal with situations that they might face in a healthy way.
Help stop the generational cycle of violence. Donate to The Bridge for Kids.
Our team provides professional trainings, community workshops, psycho-education groups, and facilitated discussions concerning domestic and sexual violence and how to prevent these forms of violence. All of the trainings, workshops and groups that we provide are free and tailored to the group requesting the workshop.
We provide a significant amount of our education and prevention programming to students in schools, as young as 5th grade.
If you are interested in requesting a workshop or training please complete the workshop request form.
The Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Inc. is dedicated to not only educating the community about domestic and sexual violence, but we also strive to eliminate these forms of violence through primary prevention programming. The Bridge offers 7-10 weeks of psycho-educational groups to all young people ages 9-22 concerning the root causes of violence.
Each of our groups are tailored to meet the age, needs, and interests of the students in the group. Topics of the group include community and trust building, defining healthy relationships, understanding boundaries, self-esteem, communication, gender socialization, media literacy, and bystander intervention. Please contact Jessica Bellant, Director of Education & Prevention for more information concerning our prevention programming.
Jessica Bellant, Prevention & Education Director
jbellant@tbotw.org
713-472-0753
To review some of our workshops and schedule a presentation, please visit: Workshops and Trainings
*All workshops can be adjusted for virtual presentations.
The Bridge offers a variety of supportive services to help with advocacy.
The Bridge Over Troubled Waters recognizes that domestic and sexual violence can have a significant and long-lasting impact on survivors. The therapy department is here to help you understand what has happened to you, how it has affected you and how to heal. Our goal is to walk alongside you as you pursue your mental health goals.
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