The Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County (CAP) is comprised of many programs and individuals working to help low income families move toward self-sufficiency.

We’re working on showcasing and  highlighting various individuals, programs and the hard work that is done on a daily basis. It’s time to get ‘Up Close with CAP’!

Domestic Violence Services of Lancaster County, a program of the Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County, is a catalyst to eliminate domestic violence through direct service, advocacy, and social change.

Over the past forty-three years, 75,593 survivors of abuse have received 379,513 nights of shelter and 572,050 hours of counseling, among other supportive services. DVS hosts regular community education and prevention sessions for many agencies, schools and faith-based organizations.

The Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County’s Domestic Violence Services team is thrilled to announce the hiring of Sabrina Torres as the Children’s Advocate.

Though she has begun her tenure at a unique time, she is dedicated to digging into the role, conducting prevention education programming for children and youth in the community, providing individual support counseling to parents in the safe house, and supervising and implementing children’s programming during Kids’ Group Activity Time.

Meet Sabrina Torres, Children’s Advocate

• Tell us a little about your role! What do you do?
  • I am the Children’s Advocate for the Domestic Violence Services of Lancaster County. My primary responsibilities include conducting prevention education programming for children and youth in the community, providing individual support counseling to parents in the safe house, and supervising and implementing children’s programming during Kids’ Group Activity Time. Unfortunately, I have not been able to work the full capacity of my position due to COVID-19.
• Where were you before working at CAP-DVS?
  • Before DVS, I was working for the Children’s Crisis Treatment Center (CCTC) in Philadelphia as a Behavioral Health Navigator. It was a brand new position under a grant from SAMSHA. I really enjoyed my work, because I got to help underserved populations navigate and receive behavioral health services in the community. CCTC was also an amazing employer, they are also a trauma-informed organization which I appreciated.
• What brought you to DVS?
  • I was attracted to DVS because I saw that this position (Children’s Advocate) was open and I knew I would enjoy all the responsibilities it came with. I’ve always had a passion for mental and behavioral health and serving vulnerable populations, and I really wanted to practice this within my community. Having a public health degree, my experience, and my passion, I knew I would be a good fit for the position. Now, I’m grateful to be a part of the team!

• What do you love about working at DVS?
  • Although I haven’t physically worked in-person with any coworkers or at the Safe House, I love working for a trauma-informed organization. Trauma-informed means taking into consideration a persons’ emotions, trauma history, boundaries, and many other things that allows you to best interact with them in a safe and healthy manner. Also, my supervisor and coworkers have been very supportive in my training process and I look forward to working with them further.
• Of all the CAP values, which one resonates with you the most and why?
  • Of all the CAP values, Integrity is the one that resonates most with me because without it, it would be very hard to fulfill your work to your best capability. Having integrity means being honest, having strong morals, and being ethical.
• What have you learned from the individuals and/or families you’ve served?
  • Although I have not personally worked with our individuals or families we serve. From my past experience, I have learned that to always be non-judgmental and be empathetic. Those two things go a long way when serving vulnerable populations and working in trauma-informed settings.

• What is DVS’s Children’s Program?
  • The DVS Children’s Program is composed of the Kids’ Group Activity and Teen Curriculums. The program is a mission-based service to the children of the domestic violence victims residing at the safe house. This is different from our DVS’ Prevention Education Programs which are delivered to youth and schools within the community.
• And what does the Program do/goals?
  • DVS’ Children’s Program goals are to: to educate children on domestic violence, common reactions to trauma, safety planning, and emotional coping skills; to teach pro-social skills and attitudes to promote healthy future relationships; and to support the restoration of the relationship between the victim parents and their children through fun activities.
• Why is your role Important?
  • My role is important because I am responsible for supervising and implementing our Children’s Program, providing individual counseling for victims, and conducting prevention education programs
• How has COVID-19 changed the way you do your role? How have you been overcoming it?
  • COVID-19 has drastically changed the course of my role as Children’s Advocate. From training to the children’s activities, everything has had to become virtual or be done online. As of last month, I have begun conducting our Kids’ Group Activities through a YouTube video, which come out every other Wednesday. Along with those videos, we send out parent newsletters. Also, many of our interactions with our participants are currently done over the phone. It’s been a hard adjustment, but I have been able to overcome it by incorporating lots of self-care. During quarantine, I picked up rollerblading, running, and planting. I think it is important to have balance between work and personal time.
• What do you like to do for fun?
  • For fun, I rediscovered an old passion for rollerblading. Now, you can find me in parking lots, hiking trails, or any smooth road, skating.
• Fun fact about Sabrina?
  • Fun fact about me is I am obsessed with anything having to do with the moon- I love looking at the moon through my telescope, reading about its effects, and teaching others about it. I also have 2 separate moon tattoos.
• Anything else you want people to know?
  • Last thing you should know is that I am bilingual- I speak, write, and read in both English and Spanish.
• How can someone get a hold of you?
  •  I can be contacted via email or phone. My email is storres@caplanc.org and my office number is 717-299-9677 ext. 3117

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Interested in joining the team? Visit CAPLanc.org/Careers for more information.

About Domestic Violence Services (DVS) of Lancaster County Domestic Violence Services of Lancaster County, a program of the Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County, is a catalyst to eliminate domestic violence through direct service, advocacy, and social change.  Over the past forty-three years, 75,593 survivors of abuse have received 379,513 nights of shelter and 572,050 hours of counseling, among other supportive services. DVS hosts regular community education and prevention sessions for many agencies, schools and faith-based organizations. For more information, visit CAPLanc.org/DVS.