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 an order of protection, child custody papers, and/or divorce proceedings. Court advocates can also assist survivors with the criminal justice process. 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. 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.

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, budgeting, financial management, parenting skills, accessing resources, healthy relationships, and aspects of seeking and maintaining employment. 

Support groups are offered in the non-residential programs, as well as individual therapy. Path to Hope virtual groups are available for adult survivors of domestic violence. Path to Hope is not a therapy program, but a 26-session psychoeducational support program for those who have experienced violence. If you would like to know more about support groups, call 505.474.5536

The Path to Peace program is for adults who 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, we also accept self-referrals. 

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. The 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 would like to know more about the Path to Peace program, 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. 

Educating our community about domestic abuse and the support services that Esperanza Shelter provides is an important part of our mission. Our Education and Outreach Department provides free classes, presentations, trainings for volunteers, local colleges and schools, childcare agencies, businesses, law enforcement offices, medical professionals, emergency responders, other social service organizations, and the community at large. If you are interested in attending or want to request a class, training, or presentation, please click here.