Our Program: The Betty Ann Krahnke Center
BAK provides safe,
Living at the Center
Women come to BAK from the Montgomery County Crisis Center, where they undergo an initial intake interview before being referred to the center. Within the first three days of the stay at BAK, a more thorough assessment and intake is completed, and each resident begins to set goals with assistance from her clinical team. While at BAK, residents are encouraged to work on safety planning, including finding appropriate housing, securing employment, and addressing other issues important to them.
Our Services
Our compassionate, trained team helps with these goals while also providing counseling services for the women and their children. We know that many of the children we serve have been exposed to trauma, and we take care to ensure they receive the care they need. We also provide:
- Comprehensive
case coordination including referrals to community resources, such as legal services (protective orders, custody concerns, etc.), housing, and health care - Financial literacy and employment resources
- Drop-in
child care (for use when our residents have court appearances, work, interviews, etc.) - Child activities, some led by volunteers, include parties, arts and crafts, and more
- Coordination for school transportation
- Transportation assistance (to appointments, court, etc.)
- Support groups: topics depend on resident needs, and may include job skills, moms’ empowerment, survivor group, yoga, and more
- Weekly community meetings to discuss any house issues
- Friday family fun night
- Private rooms for each family (single women may share a room depending on capacity)
- All meals, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks
- “Family style” kitchen for families who choose to buy their own food to cook
While BAK is a temporary refuge, we want residents to feel at home while they are here. We have created a “Night Owl” room for women who are awake at night and need a quiet place to be on their own. Our facilities include a lounge space and a computer room where women can work on resumes and look for employment, or just use the internet.
When families are with us at back to school time or over the holidays, we take extra care. Our children are treated to back-to-school shopping for supplies and clothes to minimize any additional disruption in their lives. We host a Thanksgiving feast, and for the winter holidays, we have a festive Santa’s Workshop, ensuring as much joy as possible for our families in a difficult time.
Continuing Support
We ensure that when women are ready to leave, they have worked on a discharge and safety plan and have gathered as many resources as possible. Our goal is for women to come to BAK when they need it, feel supported and empowered when here, and move towards taking control of their lives.