SOUTHERN MARYLAND CENTER FOR FAMILY ADVOCACY INCORPORATED

What SOUTHERN MARYLAND CENTER FOR FAMILY ADVOCACY INCORPORATED does

The Southern Maryland Center for Family Advocacy Incorporated (SMCFA) is an independent nonprofit organization founded in September 1979 (originally as the St. Mary's Women's Center) and headquartered at 23918 Mervell Dean Road in Hollywood, Maryland. The organization provides highly individualized legal advocacy and representation, case management, crisis management, and emergency shelter services — all free of charge — to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault across St. Mary's, Calvert, and Charles Counties in Southern Maryland. Its ten-person staff comprises a full-time director and deputy director, three full-time attorneys (one serving as Supervisory Attorney), three full-time court advocates (managed by a Supervisory Advocate), and a full-time office manager/Intake Specialist.

SMCFA delivers its services through a coordinated multi-channel network: a 24/7 crisis hotline (240-925-0084), full-time court advocate offices embedded in all three county District Courthouses, on-site legal and case management services at the Hollywood headquarters, and virtual group programming via GoToMeeting. The organization is integrated into the Maryland Model Lethality Assessment Program (LAP), through which law enforcement directly connects high-danger domestic violence victims to its hotline. It also serves as the St. Mary's County Rape Crisis Center and operates the St. Mary's Domestic Violence Support Group. Service offerings include a Crisis Hotline, Legal Advocacy, Rape Crisis Center services (medical and court accompaniment), Legal Services (protective orders, family law), Case Management, Crisis Support, a 26-week virtual Abuser Intervention Program ($680/participant), a 12-session Anger Management program ($330/participant), a free virtual Support Group, and Emergency Shelter (currently limited to St. Mary's County only).

The organization's underlying technology platform is minimal — a Squarespace website, GoToMeeting for virtual programs, and a Clover donation portal. Revenue is generated through three streams: donations and grants (the primary funding source enabling free survivor services), modest program fees from court-ordered or self-referred participants in the AIP and Anger Management programs, and in-kind community support. SMCFA maintains an extensive referral ecosystem spanning law enforcement, county Departments of Social Services, housing authorities, multiple domestic violence shelters, behavioral health providers, MCASA, SALI, MNADV, and the Maryland Safe at Home Address Confidentiality Program.

Name

SOUTHERN MARYLAND CENTER FOR FAMILY ADVOCACY INCORPORATED

Legal name

Southern Maryland Center for Family Advocacy Incorporated

Website

https://smcfa.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Southern Maryland Center for Family Advocacy is a 10-person nonprofit providing free legal advocacy, case management, crisis support, and emergency shelter to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault across St. Mary's, Calvert, and Charles Counties in Southern Maryland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Victim Advocacy and Crisis Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM), Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Legal Aid) (BPADADAH)

Keywords

• Domestic violence advocacy
• Sexual assault services
• Rape crisis center
• Legal advocacy representation
• Abuser intervention program

Headquarters

HQ city

Hollywood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Free Services to Survivors: All core services — legal advocacy, case management, crisis support, emergency shelter, and protective order representation — are provided free of charge to survivors of domestic and sexual violence. The organization does not charge clients for services.
2. Program Fees — Abuser Intervention Program & Anger Management: The Abuser Intervention Program costs $680 total (26 weeks). Anger Management costs $330 total (12 sessions). An initial payment of $80 is required for intake and first two sessions. These fees are paid by court-ordered or self-referred participants.
3. Donations and Grants: The organization relies on community donations and grant funding to sustain operations and keep all victim services free of charge. A secure online donation portal is available on the website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Southern Maryland Center for Family Advocacy provides free, individualized legal advocacy and representation, case management, crisis intervention, and emergency shelter services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence in St. Mary's, Calvert, and Charles Counties. The organization also delivers structured fee-based programs — a 26-week Abuser Intervention Program and a 12-session Anger Management program — for court-ordered or self-referred participants.

Product overview

The Southern Maryland Center for Family Advocacy provides a comprehensive suite of free services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault across St. Mary's, Calvert, and Charles Counties in Southern Maryland. The organization operates as a coordinated network of services including a 24-hour Crisis Hotline, Legal Advocacy with court advocates in each county courthouse, Rape Crisis Center with medical and court accompaniment, Legal Services for protective orders and family law, Case Management, Crisis Support with safety planning resources, Abuser Intervention Program (26-week virtual group), Anger Management (12-session program), virtual Support Groups, and Emergency Shelter. Services are delivered both independently and in collaboration with the judicial system, law enforcement, shelter providers, and counseling services. The core mission focuses on providing lay advocacy services, legal advice and representation, information and referral, and related services to promote zero tolerance toward interpersonal violence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Crisis Hotline 24-hour, seven-day-a-week crisis hotline serving community members struggling with violence at home or who have experienced rape or sexual assault, connecting survivors with access to local programs and resources including legal advocacy, case management, crisis intervention, and emergency shelter.
• Legal Advocacy Court advocates help victims navigate the protective order filing process, weigh benefits and drawbacks of protection orders, and guide them through the court system across St. Mary's, Calvert, and Charles Counties.
• Rape Crisis Center St. Mary's County Rape Crisis Center providing 24/7 crisis response via hotline, hospital accompaniment for treatment, medical accompaniment across the tri-county area, legal advocacy, case management, crisis intervention, long-term therapy, court accompaniment, and emergency shelter.
• Legal Services Legal representation for protective orders and family law matters including divorce and custody for eligible residents of St. Mary's County, with intake processes for protective order petitions and modification requests.
• Case Management Short or long-term trauma-informed case management services for survivors of domestic violence and rape/sexual assault, providing support, resources, and guidance in decision-making while ensuring safety is paramount.
• Crisis Support & Domestic Violence Comprehensive domestic violence support including education on abuse patterns, safety planning for home/work/children/online, stalking awareness, and resources explaining the cycle of abuse and why victims stay.
• Abuser Intervention Program 26-week virtual group program focusing on identifying abusive behaviors, accountability for violent behaviors, and learning alternate non-abusive actions, utilizing GoToMeeting platform and Wheels of Abuse & Equality handouts. Costs $680 total.
• Support Group St. Mary's Domestic Violence Support Group meeting virtually on 1st and 3rd Thursday each month from 6-7:30pm, free and open to women 18 years and up, providing group setting support for domestic violence survivors.
• Emergency Shelter Emergency shelter services for survivors of domestic violence and/or sexual assault, providing up to 3 nights at undisclosed local hotel with accommodations for children and pets, food and toiletries; currently only available in St. Mary's County.
• Anger Management 12-session virtual program for those with negative outcomes related to anger or violence without domestic violence involvement, teaching participants to understand anger as an emotion and make better decisions under stress. Costs $330 total.

Quantifiable outcome

• Services provided free of charge to all survivors regardless of ability to pay

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Law Enforcement (Maryland — Lethality Assessment Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMCFA partners with law enforcement through the Lethality Assessment Program—Maryland Model (LAP), an evidence-based strategy to prevent domestic violence homicides. When officers identify a high-danger victim using the lethality assessment instrument, they immediately connect the victim via a hotline call to SMCFA for emergency safety planning and access to services.
• Department of Social Services (St. Mary's, Charles, Calvert County)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMCFA partners with all three county Departments of Social Services to coordinate comprehensive support for survivors of domestic violence, connecting clients with broader social services including housing, financial assistance, and child welfare resources.
• Domestic Violence Shelters (Lifestyles of Maryland, Gayles House, Three Oaks Center, Angels Watch, Safe Harbor)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMCFA works with a network of domestic violence shelters across the tri-county area to connect survivors with emergency shelter, transitional housing, and ongoing support services beyond what SMCFA provides directly.
• Housing Authorities (St. Mary's County, Charles County, Calvert County)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with all three county housing authorities to assist survivors with long-term housing solutions following emergency shelter, including public housing applications and housing assistance programs.
• MCASA (Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMCFA serves as the St. Mary's County Rape Crisis Center and partners with MCASA, the statewide coalition that provides training, advocacy, and resources for sexual assault programs across Maryland.
• SALI (Sexual Assault Legal Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Sexual Assault Legal Institute (SALI), a program of MCASA, which provides specialized legal services for sexual assault survivors across Maryland.
• Center for Abused Persons (Charles County)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBehavioral health and advocacy partner serving Charles County residents. SMCFA provides referrals to and coordinates with this partner for services outside SMCFA's direct scope.
• Center for Change (Calvert County)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalvert County's rape crisis center and behavioral health provider. SMCFA provides referrals to and coordinates with this partner for Calvert County residents.
• Southern Maryland Community NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBehavioral health partner providing mental health and community-based services that SMCFA connects clients with for ongoing counseling and support.
• Pathways Mental Health ClinicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health services provider partnered with SMCFA to connect survivors with therapeutic services following crisis intervention.
• MNADV (Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide advocacy network for domestic violence. SMCFA is a member program and works with MNADV for statewide training, resources, and policy advocacy.
• Maryland Safe at Home (Address Confidentiality Program)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMCFA refers survivors to Maryland's Address Confidentiality Program (ACP), which allows victims of stalking, sexual assault, and domestic violence to receive mail at a substitute address to prevent offenders from locating them through public records.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA): Statewide coalition that supports SMCFA's St. Mary's County Rape Crisis Center work; serves as the umbrella advocacy and funding body for sexual assault programs across Maryland, comparable as a coordinating authority.
• Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence (MNADV): Statewide advocacy network for domestic violence of which SMCFA is a member program; provides training, resources, and policy advocacy comparable to the broader DV ecosystem in which SMCFA operates.

Direct peers

• TurnAround Inc. Baltimore-based nonprofit providing DV and sexual assault services including legal advocacy, crisis intervention, and counseling — a directly comparable full-service survivor support model in Maryland.
• Lifestyles of Maryland: Domestic violence shelter partner in SMCFA's network providing emergency shelter and transitional housing for survivors in the tri-county area, competing for the same county and state grant funding.
• Center for Abused Persons: Charles County-based behavioral health and domestic violence advocacy partner explicitly listed in SMCFA's referral network as a comparator serving the same population with overlapping services in SMCFA's service area.
• House of Ruth Maryland: One of Maryland's largest domestic violence and sexual assault service providers, offering a comprehensive suite of legal, shelter, and counseling services comparable to SMCFA's full-service model but at scale in the Baltimore region.
• Center for Change: Calvert County's rape crisis center and behavioral health provider, listed as a SMCFA referral partner; directly comparable as a county-level DV/SA service agency in the same Southern Maryland region.

Regional players

• Domestic Violence Center of Howard County: Howard County, MD-based nonprofit providing crisis intervention, legal advocacy, and shelter — directly comparable service model to SMCFA but serving a different Maryland county with overlapping state funding sources.
• YWCA of Annapolis & Anne Arundel County: Regional YW chapter operating DV/SA services including shelter and crisis response in central Maryland — comparable in service mix and survivor-focused mission to SMCFA, though operating in a different Maryland geography.
• HopeWorks of Howard County: Howard County-based DV and sexual assault service provider offering hotline, counseling, legal advocacy, and shelter — closely comparable operating model to SMCFA in a different Maryland sub-region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southern-maryland-center-for-family-advocacy-incorporated

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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