About Us...

The Bernie House, a transitional housing program, is part the solution of homelessness due to domestic violence in Maryland helping one family at a time. We provide the non-offending parent and children a genuine family environment while they receive counseling and additional human services. Allowing the time necessary to heal and build confidence to move on to a better life. Families are accepted through the referral of local agencies. The Bernie House complements existing programs to ensure the success of the victims.

Often times, victims of domestic violence are placed in temporary shelters to focus on immediate needs. After a short period of time, some of these families return to their abuser because they lack the resources and support needed to become self-sufficient and provide their children a safe home. The violent cycle often starts again. The Bernie House is a transitional home for family victims who have left an abusive situation. We only work with those who are in shelters, or fleeing a domestic violent situation who would otherwise be homeless. Bernie House provides a longer-term situation, which is crucial to their success. We believe that the longer a family stays in a home, the better chance they have of obtaining the proper resources needed to be completely self-sufficient. Time is given to build important support structures, and the feeling of stability for both the parent and the child increases.

The primary goal of The Bernie House is to provide a safe home to domestic violence victims, one family at a time, while empowering them to make a permanent transition to stability, self-sufficiency and a healthy future. We have been told by many agencies The Bernie House provides intense case management that just isn’t found anywhere else.

Our objectives are to:

• Increase the family’s problem-solving, decision making, and relationship skills and their sense of self-esteem and competence
  
• Enhance children’s self-esteem, sense of safety, relationship skills, and the ability to solve conflicts non-violently
  
• Help families access community resources to meet their daily living needs and increase their self-sufficiency
  
• Increase financial resources of victims by providing a home for up to 2 years allowing them to save money while working for a down payment on a house or apartment of their own
  
• Increase the amount of social support received by the victims
  
• Providing transportation to various appointments such as life skills counseling, Abused Person Program counseling, meetings at the Laurie Center, MAXIMUS, Families Foremost, doctor appointments and employment interviews
  
• Assist in career counseling, job placement as well as skill building and meeting educational needs to become employable