The emergency shelter is a safe, cozy and welcoming place for adults and children. The shelter includes a large kitchen, laundry facility and ADA bathrooms. Families have their own bedroom, bathrooms and living areas, in addition playground areas are available for children. PENDING TO RE-OPEN. 

We provide transitional housing for adults and their children who have been in our emergency shelter services. During a stay in transitional housing we work alongside participants to find long-term housing solutions, connect with community resources, and ensure each participant has a transition plan for exiting our shelter services. 

Our court advocates can assist domestic abuse survivors in filing a restraining order, order of protection, child custody papers and/or divorce proceedings. Court advocates are not attorneys. However, our court advocates can help prepare a survivor for a court hearing, as well as accompany participants to court for moral support.

Abusers often threaten to expose participants to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) for deportation and to have their children taken away. However, immigrants have protections under the law. We provide any victim of domestic violence with a safe place to stay regardless of status. We also refer participants to free immigration lawyers at the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center, which can be reached at 505.247.1023.

We help survivors gain life skills so that they can become more independent and feel empowered to move forward. Examples of the education we offer are safety planning, nutrition and cooking, budgeting, financial management, parenting skills, accessing resources, healthy relationships, aspects of seeking and maintaining employment. 

These services are offered in the residential and non-residential programs. Individual therapy for adult survivors of domestic violence residing in our emergency shelter. Path to Hope groups are available for adult female survivors of domestic violence and individual counseling is available for child survivors of domestic violence.

The Path to Peace program is for adults that use violence in their intimate partnerships and families. These groups help participants understand the pain and suffering caused by their abusive behavior, take responsibility for their behavior and make healthy changes in relationships. Most of the Path to Peace participants are court-ordered into the program; however, some realize they need help and call us directly. 

Participants attend a 52 session course in order to successfully graduate. This is the only program in which participants have to pay assessment and session fees as a way to take responsibility for their abusive behavior. The collected fees become a form of restitution as they are added to our Hope and Comfort fund which provides emergency funds for survivors in our program. 

If you have been abusing others and want to change:  Call 505.474.5536 option 2 to register for the Path to Peace Program. 

Esperanza charges fees for the Path to Peace Program; click here for details.

The Child and Adolescent Therapist conducts trauma-informed play, sand tray and/or art therapy to help children communicate experiences, feelings and needs.  Treatment goals may include safety planning, secure attachment, identifying strengths, increase self-esteem, resilience and the ability to trust. The child therapist also helps the child safely manage her/his feelings and deal with trauma-related memories.  In addition, the therapist works with the non-offending parent and other children in family therapy sessions.  Our Life Skills Coordinator offers resource assistance to parents in our shelter services, as well as works directly with the children and teens to build their life skills and resilience.  We also offer Infant Mental Health (IMH) interventions to pregnant women and young children ages 0-3. Domestic violence interrupts important brain development and developmental milestones. IMH interventions help moms understand the impact of domestic violence, skills for secure attachment and opportunities for the young children to heal. 

The Community Navigator helps connect participants with doctors, schools, court advocates or attorneys, mental health professionals and other community services that are needed. 

We believe that educating our community about domestic abuse is an important part of our mission. We attend many events and gatherings in our community. Our Education and Outreach Coordinator speaks to volunteers, the community at large, local colleges and schools, businesses, law enforcement offices, medical professionals and other organizations. If you are interested in attending or want to request a presentation, please click here.