Portland Women’s Foundation Funds Crucial New Service at Home Free
Nearly 60% of the women served by Home Free each year report a history of mental health problems, with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) being two of the most common.
In fact, survivors of domestic violence have been found to have higher levels of PTSD than combat veterans. These issues go largely unaddressed because the majority cannot access mental health services, and greatly undermine efforts to help these women maintain permanent housing and attain self-sufficiency.
The Portland Women’s Foundation’s Martha Washington Impact Grant presents a unique opportunity to leverage resources from Home Free’s Housing First Services to make a deeper and longer-lasting impact in the lives of over 70 women and their children and families. This grant will fund the critical addition of mental health treatment to our existing services to ensure that more women will overcome mental health barriers to more quickly stabilize in new homes, heal from trauma, benefit from overall improved health, and suffer from fewer setbacks.
The combination of permanent housing, long-term advocacy and access to mental health services will strengthen and solidify survivors’ ability to maintain self-sufficiency and a life free from violence.
Portland Women's Foundation has been a vital, long-standing partner to Home Free and has supported our work for almost 20 years. We thank them for this special grant and their ongoing support!