Shelters & Agencies — DVSupport.Network Directory
A directory overview describing how shelters, advocacy groups, and agencies integrate into the DVSupport.Network ecosystem.
Agencies in the Directory
What Agencies We List
The directory is designed as a coordination tool for organizations that intersect with domestic violence response, prevention, and recovery systems. It focuses on agencies rather than individual practitioners.
Typical eligible entities include:
- Domestic violence programs and coalitions
- Emergency, transitional, and longer-term shelter providers
- Legal aid and civil legal services organizations
- Prosecution, court-based advocacy, and court-linked programs
- Community-based advocacy organizations
- Behavior change and intervention program providers
- Social service agencies with defined domestic violence-related services
- Housing, homelessness, and rehousing partners
- Mental and behavioral health organizations with formal DV-related programs
- Child and family services agencies engaged in DV-related coordination
- Health systems and clinics with designated DV response roles
- Law enforcement-linked victim services units
Agencies listed are generally:
- Formally established entities (public, nonprofit, or qualified community organizations)
- Operating within defined geographic or jurisdictional boundaries
- Providing services relevant to domestic violence systems coordination
- Reachable through stable, organizational contact points (not personal contact details)
The directory does not function as a comprehensive public health, social services, or private practice index. Inclusion focuses on agencies that have a clear operational role within coordinated domestic violence responses.
Data Verification
Directory records are maintained through a combination of agency-supplied information, cross-checks with public records, and partner confirmations. Verification emphasizes organizational legitimacy, service focus, and contact reliability.
Typical verification sources and methods may include:
- Review of official agency websites and published materials
- Confirmation through recognized coalitions, funders, or oversight bodies
- Matching against public registries or licensing databases where applicable
- Direct outreach to designated agency contacts for confirmation
- Periodic validation of key fields (name, address, phone, email, web presence)
Verification cycles and depth can vary by region and agency type. When information cannot be verified to a reasonable operational standard, records may be held, limited, or removed from the active directory until clarification is obtained.
How Updates Are Managed
Agency data is treated as a shared infrastructure resource for coordinated responses. Updates are managed in ways that balance accuracy, workload, and interoperability with existing regional systems.
Common update pathways include:
- Agency-submitted updates: Authorized personnel from listed agencies may provide updates to core record fields such as organizational name, contact channels, services offered, service regions, and key coordination roles.
- Partner-initiated corrections: Coalitions, funders, and system coordinators may flag discrepancies (e.g., a closed office, new program, or changed jurisdiction) for review and adjustment.
- Scheduled data reviews: Periodic audits of high-impact fields (main contact, intake channels, referral contact points) support continuity for partner referrals and cross-agency workflows.
- De-duplication and consolidation: When multiple entries describe the same entity or closely related units, records may be aligned or merged for clarity while preserving relevant local or program-level distinctions.
Change management typically follows these steps:
- Receipt of update request or detection of a discrepancy
- Verification against at least one independent or official source
- Adjustment of fields and internal change logging
- Notification to relevant partners when changes affect coordination workflows
Agencies are encouraged to designate a stable point of contact responsible for directory information to support consistent updates over time.
Benefits for Shelters & Social Workers
The directory is structured to support front-line and systems-level coordination in shelters, advocacy programs, and broader social services.
Key benefits for shelters, housing programs, and crisis-oriented agencies include:
- Clear identification of regional partners by role (legal, housing, health, child services, behavior change, etc.)
- Up-to-date organizational contact points for inter-agency consultation and referrals
- Visibility into jurisdictional coverage to avoid misdirected referrals
- Support for inter-agency protocols, MOUs, and program-specific coordination agreements
- Structured data that can align with internal case management and referral tracking tools
For social workers, advocates, and case coordinators, the directory can:
- Reduce reliance on informal contact lists and personal networks
- Surface lesser-known but relevant agencies within a service system
- Clarify organizational functions, eligibility focus, and coordination roles
- Support standardized referral pathways defined across multiple organizations
- Contribute to regional mapping and gap analysis projects led by coalitions or funders
Additional coordination resources and ecosystem overviews are available through the broader infrastructure hosted at DV.Support, which can complement local and regional directory use.
How the Directory Integrates with Partner Systems
The directory is intended to complement, not replace, existing regional and organizational tools. Integration focuses on data consistency, standard fields, and repeatable exchange patterns rather than a single mandated technology stack.
Common integration models include:
- Reference directories: Agencies and coalitions use the directory as a shared reference source for official names, locations, and core contacts, then mirror key fields in their own systems.
- Data import/export: Standardized field structures (e.g., organization type, jurisdiction, service domains, contact roles) can be mapped into local databases, case management tools, or referral platforms through periodic imports or exports managed by partners.
- Regional overlays: Coalitions, funders, or coordinated entry systems can align their region-specific registries with directory identifiers to support cross-system reporting, analysis, and planning.
- Specialized workflows: Task forces or cross-agency initiatives may use subsets of directory data (such as high-priority contact roles) to support specific protocols, pilots, or time-limited projects.
When integrating with partner systems, agencies often consider:
- Which fields are authoritative locally versus sourced from the shared directory
- Update frequency and mechanisms for reconciling discrepancies
- Internal governance for approving changes to organization-level data
- Alignment with existing MOUs, data governance policies, and regional standards