The Office of Domestic Violence & Emergency Intervention Services (ODVEIS)

The Office of Domestic Violence & Emergency Intervention Services (ODVEIS) is comprised of two components through which it provides emergency shelter and social services to victims of domestic violence. It also provides services to victims in crisis through emergency intervention or food assistance.

The Office of Domestic Violence (ODV) provides temporary housing, emergency shelter and supportive services for victims of domestic violence and their children. ODV directly operates one emergency domestic violence shelter, oversees the reimbursement of 38 private emergency residential programs, and oversees and provides client referrals for eight transitional housing programs for victims of domestic violence. All programs provide a safe environment as well as counseling, advocacy and referral services.

The Office of Emergency Intervention Services (OEIS) includes Crisis and Disaster Services, which responds to Citywide emergencies such as hurricanes and snow storms; Heatline; the Utility Assistance Program; and the federally funded Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), which provide energy related services to low-income households. OEIS also includes the Office of Food Programs and Policy Coordination and administers the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which supplements the food supply in nearly 550 food pantries and soup kitchens Citywide. In addition, this office runs a Food Stamp and Nutrition Outreach Program (FSNOP). The unit conducts Food Stamp Outreach to emergency feeding programs, health fairs, and community based organizations.