Support rape victims ages 4 to 71 years old

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 133 sexual trauma victims. 

Some cases this reporting period include:

1) Staff proviffed services to a 12-year-old female who waas referred to the Center by a local police station after she reported that her cousin sexually assaulted her in her bedroom of her family home.  The client has had to rearrange her life to ensure she will not have to cross paths with her cousin again. She lives in constant fear since being assaulted. The client receives theraputic services to help her cope with the tragic traumatic experience. The client's goals in sessions include safety planning, identifying client’s triggers, and providing coping skills to manage emotional distress. 

2) The Center is working with a client who had been sexually assaulted by several man throughout childhood and adolescence. She was abused by an uncle, a pediatrician and a priest. The client stated she felt like she had a label on her face of being an easy target and prey. By working with the Center, the client has processed her negative self-perception and low self-esteem. It took client a long time before she understood and accepted that the abuse was not her fault. The Client has worked on self-care and mindfulness. She started to use grounding techniques that have helped her when she was expeiencing PTSD and anxiety. Prior to working with the Center, due to the abuse, the client was terrified and unable to go see doctors. She waas only able to go with someone else and sometimes that didn’t help either. Client now reports that although it is still triggering, she is able to go see doctors by herself. The client continues to be provided grounding techniques, psychoeducation, emotional support and validation.

3) The Bilingual Special Victims Advocate assisted a client who was sexually assaulted by their former intimate partner as well as experienced domestic violence. The Bilingual Special Victims Advocate helped the client process their feelings of self-doubt, self-guilt, and depression using encouragement, motivation and validation. Along with supportive counseling and emotional support, the advocate is currently assisting the client through the criminal justice process by providing ADA advocacy and helping her understand the legal/court process. This advocate connected the client with the Adult Therapy department at which time the client is currently meeting with a counselor on a weekly basis. This client is also attending a support group at the Center to process her current and past trauma. This advocate has connected the client with the Center for Safety and Change’s shelter and has safety planned with the client regarding her temporary safe location. The Bilingual Special Victims advocate continues to follow-up, as well as provide assistance and support the client with any services needed. The client expressed gratitude for the help and support provided by the Bilingual Special Victims Advocate and others from the Center for Safety & Change.