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, within the last four years, the Center became 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: 

• A Center therapist is providing theraputic services to a 14-year-old child who was sexually abused by her father for two years. While in therapy, art therapy was utilized and the client spent four months painting a specific portrait while we used talk therapy. One of her issues when she came into therapy was that she had unresolved issues with her mother that she wanted to fix. We had a family session in which both parties were able to be candid with each other about how they felt in regards to the sexual trauma. I was able to help the mother understand what the child was feeling. Weeks after the family meeting ended, the client informed me that her relationship with her mother had flourished and that they have a relationship they never had before. After almost a year in therapy, client will be concluding her sessions at the end March. 

• Another Center therapist is working with a young client who has experienced sexual trauma. The client expressed feelings of discomfort upon the first session, but has a background in art and is eager to use this form of expression to share her experiences and help her process her trauma. The client will be seeing the creative arts therapist weekly and work on learning healthy dynamics of relationships. The client will be supported in her progress as she works towards healing and expression. The creative arts therapist plans to give the client directives that engage her to share her trauma and understand its effects.