The Center for Safety & Change, Inc. (“the Center”) is a nonprofit agency whose mission is to provide critical services and support to women and all victims and survivors of gender-based violence and other crimes while working toward justice by creating social change. The Center is the sole provider of services to domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and all other crime victims in Rockland County, NY—there are no other resources for victims in the county. The Center is the sole domestic violence residential and non-residential services certified by NYS Office of Children and Family Services in Rockland County, NY (“Rockland”) and is Rockland’s only NYS Office on Victim Services designated Victim Assistance Program. In addition, all of the Center’s staff are certified and trained by the NYS Department of Health, all staff and volunteers are certified rape crisis counselors, and the Center serves as Rockland’s only Rape Crisis Program and operates Rockland’s Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner services. Finally, the Center is the largest non-profit provider of immigration legal services in the county, and the largest provider of family law services specifically for victims in the county.
The Center offers a comprehensive continuum of programs and services that are available in multiple languages to all victims, free of charge, regardless of age, citizenship, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, national origin, marital status, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status. These services include, but are not limited to:
• Information and Referrals: information about the criminal justice process, information about victims’ rights, referrals to other victim service programs, and referrals to other services, supports, and resources;
• Advocacy and Accompaniment: victim advocacy/accompaniment to emergency medical care, victim advocacy/accompaniment forensic exams, law enforcement interview advocacy/accompaniment, individual advocacy, performance of medical forensic exam or interview, or medical evidence collection, immigration assistance, intervention with employer, creditor, landlord, or academic institution, childcare, transportation assistance, and translation/interpretation services;
• Emotional Support and Safety Services: crisis intervention, hotline/crisis line counseling, on-scene crisis response, individual counseling, support groups, therapy, and emergency financial assistance;
• Shelter and Housing Services: emergency shelter, transitional housing service, and relocation assistance; and
• Criminal and Civil Justice System Assistance: notification of criminal justice events, civil legal assistance in obtaining protection or restraining order, civil legal assistance with family law issues, immigration attorney assistance, prosecution interview advocacy/accompaniment, criminal advocacy/accompaniment, and other legal advice and/or counsel.
This reporting period, the Center provided nearly 3,000 services to 127 sexual trauma victims.
Some cases this reporting period include:
1) Staff proviffed services to a college student who was raped in her dorm room after a night out with her friends. She immediately sought a SAFE nurse at the hospital and reported the incident to the police. Client was referred to the Center by the SAFE nurse and is currently attending individual therapy sessions twice a week where she engages in creative arts and talk therapy. The client is processing the symptoms of PTSD and trauma she is now experiencing, including flashbacks, hypervigilance, loss of concentration, insomnia, change in eating habits and school truancy. In therapy my client practices coping skills to manage her stress and triggers of the sexual assault, while processing the trauma and healing.
2) The Center is working with 7-year-old male whose older sister was raped by a family member for a few months. His sister disclosed the abuse to a friend at her school and the school reported the abuse to the police. Although the young boy did not experience the abuse directly, he is a secondary sexual trauma survivor. He is aware that his sister went through a significant trauma that has impacted the entire family. He attends individual therapy sessions and he engages in creative arts and sand tray therapy, where he processes the changes in his current family dynamic. The young client is also recognizing the boundaries his sister may now have towards him and the respect he should show to other girls. During sessions, the client works on processing feelings, safety planning, and boundaries.
3) The Bilingual Special Victims Advocate assisted a child who was raped by an acquaintance she met online. The Bilingual Special Victims Advocate accompanied the client to the hospital for the SAFE Exam and provided crisis intervention, supportive counseling, and emotional support. The advocate helped the client process their feelings and validate their emotions. This advocate worked with the client to explain the legal/court process and provided law enforcement advocacy with the Ramapo Police Department. The advocate offered accompaniment services for any future court dates and discussed ADA advocacy. The Advocate discussed the Office of Victim Services with the client for future reimbursement. This advocate provided the client with a comfort kit and has been following up with them for supportive counseling. The Bilingual Special Victims Advocate provided secondary survivor services to the client’s mother and has been providing law enforcement advocacy and supportive counseling. Both the client and the client’s mother were appreciative of the help and support provided by the Bilingual Special Victims Advocate and others from the Center for Safety & Change.
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