Clackamas Women’s Services Evolves to Meet the Needs of the Community

Clackamas Women's Services' Promotoras graduation

Among the Justice Reinvestment Equity Program (JREP) grantees, Clackamas Women’s Services (CWS) is one of the most established organizations. Founded in 1985 and based in Clackamas County, CWS offers services for survivors of all genders experiencing or healing from domestic and sexual violence, stalking, child abuse, elder abuse, and sexual exploitation and trafficking. Originally an all-volunteer group, CWS now has more than 65 positions. Their services include crisis intervention and advocacy, emergency shelter and housing, counseling and support groups, parenting support, community education and prevention, community building, youth services, and more.

For over 40 years, CWS has evolved to meet the needs of their community. They recognize the importance of community leadership and feedback. CWS wrote in their application for JREP, “we consider it essential to engage survivors in shaping services and defining program goals and outcomes specific to their communities.”

CWS’s staff and board reflect the communities they serve. 70% of staff are survivors of domestic or sexual violence. 20% have experienced homelessness. 42% of staff identify as living with a disability. 35% are Latinx, and 10% come from the immigrant community. In addition, over 75% of the current members of CWS’s board of directors have lived experience with domestic or sexual violence. And CWS is always striving to become more reflective and build stronger relationships with the community.

For example, Clackamas County’s overall population grew 12% from 2010 to 2020, but its Hispanic population grew 39%. In response, CWS has expanded its Latinx services program, and in 2017 they launched their Promotoras program.

Promotoras outreach table at Festival Latino

From CWS’s website: “Promotoras are Latina leaders dedicated to building safe and strong communities. As neighbors, family members, co-workers, and members of the faith community, Promotoras work within the Latinx community to help domestic and sexual violence survivors and act as liaisons between survivors and community resources. Promotoras elevate Latina voices to inform community service providers. CWS Promotoras receive training in domestic violence, sexual violence, community safety resources, supporting survivors, outreach, and leadership development. They participate in community outreach, one-on-one support, and systems advocacy work.”

With JREP funding, CWS has been able to hire a Latinx coordinator and grow the Promotoras training program. Last year they graduated 11 Promotoras, and this year they’re on track to certify another 10-12. Previously, they had one Latinx Support Group and now they have two groups with 20 participants. Additionally, outreach efforts have increased, reaching 1,300 people at community events in 2023.

CWS sees huge benefit in providing culturally specific, trauma-informed services like the Promatoras program. From CWS’s JREP application: “CWS has had a language access plan in place for years and has bilingual staff who speak Spanish, Russian, Swahili, French, Kirundi, Kinyarwanda, and Portugese and contracts with interpreters for other spoken languages. In 2022, CWS led the process for A Safe Place Family Justice Center to adopt a center-wide Language Access Plan for the provision of linguistically responsive services for survivors who are Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, blind, visually impaired, and/or LEP. As a result, the Center and its partners respond to 100% of requests for language-accessible services. CWS works toward cultural competence through language access, visual representations, and cultural adaptations of services, cultural foods, holidays, traditions, rituals, and cultural practices.” By focusing on language access and cultural competence, they’re able to reach survivors who would otherwise not be able to get the help they need.

It is clear that Clackamas Women’s Services is a critical and welcoming resource for Clackamas County and beyond. We’re honored to support their work through the Justice Reinvestment Equity Program.

The Justice Reinvestment Equity Program (JREP) supports culturally specific organizations and culturally responsive services in communities most harmed and least helped by Oregon’s criminal legal system. JREP seeks to elevate organizations that have been overlooked by traditional funding streams with the goals of reducing incarceration and racial disparities in the criminal legal system, promoting healing and advancing community safety in Oregon. Learn more about JREP.