Human Options

The mission of Human Options is to ignite social change by educating Orange County to recognize relationship violence as an issue that threatens everyone, advocating for those affected by abuse, extending a safe place for victims, and empowering survivors on their journey of healing. We are committed to a future in which every person and family in Orange County experiences safe, healthy relationships and lives free of fear.

Founded in 1981, Human Options is a 501(c)(3) that has impacted the lives of more than 500,000 people affected by relationship violence in Orange County, CA. Human Options provides comprehensive domestic violence services to address the critical needs of survivors and their children. The agency focuses on three critical components to break the cycle of domestic violence—emergency crisis services, community-based counseling and support, and prevention education. Originally started as a hotline and six-bed shelter, the organization has grown to a 36-bed emergency shelter, transitional housing, legal advocacy, counseling, community-based services, and prevention education to more than 10,360 adults, children, seniors, and families annually. Human Options provide services in 14 locations across Orange County including our headquarters, eight Family Resource Centers, two justice centers, two transitional housing facilities, and one emergency shelter.

1. In Fiscal Year 2021-2022, Human Options served over 2,270 families in our residential (emergency shelter and transitional housing programs) and community-based programs; assisted more than 4,850 callers through our emergency hotline requesting crisis intervention, information and referrals; and reached more than 4,274 community members through educational violence prevention presentations and awareness campaigns.

2. Relationship violence is not inevitable, it is preventable and Human Options can break the cycle. Through our extensive community partnerships, innovative programs, and our deep involvement in statewide efforts, we are uniquely positioned to lead countywide efforts to end domestic violence in Orange County.

3. Investment in prevention is the path to the future of a nonviolent community. We continue to advance our domestic violence education and awareness efforts in Orange County. In order to create a safe, supportive environment for victims and their families, we are leading the county-wide effort to educate First Responders, such as healthcare providers, who often feel ill-equipped to respond to the needs of domestic violence victims, on the impact of domestic violence and the importance of integrating regular domestic violence screenings of patients in their daily routine. First Responder trainings are also presented to law enforcement agencies, courts, community clinics, beauty care professionals, human resource professionals and employers.

4. Homelessness prevention – Homelessness is the second most important concern for victims of domestic violence, next to fearing for their safety. In order to increase our clients’ ability to live violence free in stable and affordable housing, we seek to prevent homelessness by connecting victims to rapid re-housing providers and local support networks of housing community partners and landlords, in addition to connecting them to employment and educational resources. In this past year, Human Options was selected to lead an Emergency Housing Voucher partnership in Orange County which provides supportive services and housing navigation for survivors receiving housing vouchers. This is the first time that the county has earmarked vouchers specifically for domestic violence survivors.

5. We aim to inspire and educate our supporters - our volunteers, donors and community-minded companies - so they can articulate a case for giving, promote philanthropy, and become ambassadors for social change.

Domestic violence is a growing problem in Orange County. One in four Orange County women and one in seven men report that they have experienced physical or sexual violence from their intimate partner as an adult. Orange County law enforcement agencies received 20,772 domestic violence-related calls for assistance in 2021.

Domestic violence has devastating physical, psychological, and economic consequences for victims and their children. In addition to physical injuries and increased risk of acute and chronic illness, domestic violence victimization is associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, suicide ideation, and substance abuse. Economic consequences of abuse can include disrupted education, job loss, homelessness, and financial ruin. The potential consequences of childhood exposure to domestic violence are also becoming increasingly evident and include serious trauma, anxiety, problems at school, aggressive behavior, as well as short-term and long-term health problems.

Human Options serves individuals and families from all areas of Orange County, and occasionally from adjoining counties.

Human Options is distinguished in several ways:  professional staffing, innovation, collaboration, and formal research to document the impact of our services. We monitor program outcomes on an ongoing basis by conducting pre- and post-testing at the beginning and end of a series of services. Human Options partners with six Family Resource Centers and is the lead agency in two. We are also the lead agency in a multi-agency partnership focused on improving housing outcomes for survivors of relationship violence. Our programs are staffed by skilled professionals who are deeply committed to the mission of Human Options. We have developed multiple collaborations which enable us to provide a variety of services without additional cost. We have partnered with UC Irvine and Chapman Law Schools to provide legal advocacy services for our clients and training for their students, and we have developed a team of volunteer attorneys who provide pro-bono legal services. In addition to our licensed clinical social workers and marriage family therapists, Master level Interns (social work and marriage family therapy) from USC, Cal State University Long Beach and Fullerton enable us to provide supervised intensive counseling to our clients and to train the next generation of leaders.  Human Options was voted “outstanding field placement” for USC students in 2012. Our children’s therapy programs provides trauma-informed counseling services and curriculum which help children heal from trauma and develop resilience and self-confidence. Parenting education gives the parent the tools to support their children’s healthy development. Our men’s task force “Men in Motion” raises funds specifically for our community education and awareness programs annually and involves men in becoming educated about domestic violence and educating their peers. 

Human Options is 40 years old. We are a vital mission-driven board of directors, a well-structured organization with dedicated professional staff that serve clients on a continuum of care. Human Options has done something four times since opening our doors that few domestic violence programs have done: formal research on the impact of our programs by contracting with university academics to follow shelter and transitional housing program participants one year or more after program completion. Each time, 90 - 93% percent of the graduates reported a violence free life. We not only have a strong program, but we have strong leadership.  Human Options continues to design new programs to heal trauma and strengthen the women and children who walk through our doors. Human Options' clients, donors, staff and volunteers - all are motivated by a passion to empower and support those who have the strength and the courage to walk away from everything they know, difficult as it may be, but still the reality they are living. These women start all over - they build a totally new life, a better, peaceful life for themselves and for their children and ultimately for their grandchildren. Every time I see a woman walk through the shelter door, or hear a program participant speak, I know that without a doubt, the work we do is making a difference, now and forever. Our goal is a community where EVERY home is a safe place for EVERY member of EVERY family.