Kissy’s Stay Put Services

Our Mission

Kissy's Stay Put Services meets women’s needs by using client-centered approaches and trauma-informed care. We strive to help women experience healthy, safe, and equitable relationships by building communities free of domestic violence, one woman at a time. 

Our Vision 

Kissy’s Stay-Put Services (KSP) is a non-profit organization that exists to provide essential support services to women in Minnesota that have been victim-survivors charged or convicted of domestic abuse. We are committed to understanding circumstances that contributed to unhealthy relationships and providing participants with needed community support to safely lead productive lives. All services are delivered with dignity and respect.

Work to be Funded

Women are increasingly being charged with domestic abuse, and disorderly conduct, and being served with protection and harassment orders. Many of these women have experienced domestic abuse and are being criminalized while trying to keep themselves safe from their abusers. In her work as a Domestic Violence Advocate, KSP founder Kissy noticed a significant gap in re-entry services specifically for women who have been charged with domestic violence, disorderly conduct, and other low-level offenses. KSP offers re-entry services specifically for women who have been charged with domestic violence, disorderly conduct, and other low-level offenses. KSP uses an empowerment model approach that gives women the skills and encouragement needed to make their own decisions and decide what type of life they want to live by focusing on identifying where there could be a potential harm to themselves, their family, and others that may cause continued interaction with law enforcement. All services are delivered with dignity and respect by providing culturally specific services. Our goal is to ensure program participants receive support in attaining equitable services in the following areas: 

• Income: KSP’s goal is to teach financial literacy curriculum, checks, and balances, debt-to-income ratios, and locate sustainable employment to help women meet their financial needs.

 • Self-Advocacy: The self-advocacy program educates women on the power of speaking up to get the support they need. Delivering best practices in self-advocacy gives women the crucial skills to identify their rights, needs, and interests, and to then seek solutions to address the stigma and anxiety that may come from having a criminal record as it relates to domestic violence. We support and provide services to help women reach a positive outcome in a non-judgmental way.

 • Education: In small group settings of 10-15 women, we emphasize education on domestic abuse, childhood experience, and causes of domestic abuse. Meeting individuals where they are will help participants come to a place of understanding of how past trauma and domestic violence significantly impact the whole family if not properly addressed. KSP provides the understanding of how critical it is to heal from past trauma and abuse to help women and families experience healthy, safe, and equitable relationships. 

• Housing: KSP will help empower participants to self-advocate for clean safe affordable housing for them and their families.