Welcome to the BESS Consortium Website

The goal of the BESS project is to enhance economic security for survivors, enabling them to achieve independent, safe and secure lives, for themselves and their children, free of the violence, coercion and intimidation.

BESS works with state domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions in the Northeast to build economic infrastructure, enhance resource distribution systems, provide advocacy, and promote economic opportunity for suvivors of stalking, dating violence, sexual assault, and domestic violence.

Economic security is a key element of independence, and this is especially true for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Economic abuse can be a particularly harmful form of violence and economic dependency can limit a survivor's ability to leave an abusive situation. Achieving economic self-sufficiency means to the survivor has the financial means to leave a violent partner and the income and savings required to survive on her own. Ensuring the safety and well-being of survivors and transitioning them to self-sufficiency and independence then requires programs and policies which strengthen a survivor's economic security, provides her a safe work environment, affordable housing, and opportunities for her to build assets and financial knowledge.

This website library provides relevant research, information, and links to helpful resources and programs.

BESS is a project at the Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine, in Portland.