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 develop strategies to end gender-based violence and provide shelter and supportive services that empower survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse and other crimes. Since its inception in 1979, the Center has been the sole provider of domestic violence residential and non-residential services certified by the NYS Office of Child and Family Services and the only New York State Office of Victim Services designated Victim Assistance Program in Rockland County. In addition, all of the Center’s sexual trauma staff are certified and trained by the New York State Department of Health, all direct service staff and volunteers are certified rape crisis counselors, and, within the last decade, the Center became the sole provider of services to victims of human trafficking. The Center's Special Victims Program includes a 24-hour rape crisis hotline, accompaniment to court and other appointments, legal services, trial preparation, counseling and therapy, a 15-bed emergency residential shelter, services for families of survivors, support groups, translation, transportation, and a Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner program at both of Rockland’s acute care hospitals.

Over the last three months, the Center provided a total of 6,186 services to 193 victims in the Special Victims Program. This quarter:

• A 9 year old was referred to the children and youth program due to sexual abuse. The child was having difficulty sleeping, having consistent nightmares, and experiencing anxiety. The child was invited to use creative arts interventions to decrease her anxiety and process the trauma in a safe way. The child was also encouraged to use these techniques, such as coloring and journaling at bedtime. The child began sleeping through the night and the nightmares ceased.  The child felt confident that she had found ways to cope with what had happened to her and felt less anxious about her future.
• The Center provided services to a mother whose son was groomed and sexually assaulted by his psychotherapist when he was 15 years old.  The client shared how her son’s sexual trauma affected her, her son, and their whole family. The client reached out to the Center for services when she learned of her son's sexual assault and has been coming to therapy consistently ever since.  Her son's trial went to federal court and the perpetrator was sentenced to 12 years in prison.