Alliance for Safety and Justice Applauds Expansion of Wrap-Around Model to Help Underserved Crime Victims in Brooklyn
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Crime survivors from South Brooklyn’s Coney Island neighborhood are applauding today’s opening of a new Trauma Recovery Center (TRC) in their community. The new center, a project of the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island (JCCGCI), will provide essential services to area crime victims and their families. Advocates say the city’s 5th TRC will help address the needs of local crime victims, break entrenched cycles of crime and victimization, and improve public safety.
“As we celebrate the grand opening of our new Trauma Recovery Center in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, our entire JCCGCI team is humbled and grateful for the opportunity to fill a tremendous service gap for a notoriously overlooked and underserved population. We are thankful to City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and all our devoted government partners for their commitment to ensuring comprehensive mental health services for survivors of violent crime and trauma and for supporting our intentional efforts of meeting our participants where they are. With the guidance of the National Alliance of Trauma Recovery Centers (NATRC), our program has grown in leaps and bounds during the last year, and we are thrilled to be opening this therapeutic haven to provide continued services for Brooklynites,” said Dr. Dulande Louis, PhD, LMSW, SIFI, JCCGCI Trauma Recovery Center Founding Director.
A grand opening celebration will take place at the TRC Headquarters on Mermaid Avenue with a ribbon cutting and fun healing activities for families and community members on April 18 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The opening of the TRC is a significant moment for crime survivors in South Brooklyn, who have long advocated for improved services and support. Residents of Coney Island have for years bore the brunt of higher poverty and crime rates than the rest of Brooklyn or the city as a whole. The TRC will offer comprehensive support, including counseling, support groups, legal assistance, and more.
“The new center would not have been possible without tireless advocacy of community members, the commitment of JCCGCI’s leadership, and Speaker Adams and the New York City Council, who provided funding in the city budget to make this center a reality. It is critical for the City and State to provide multi-year funding to sustain these services for crime victims in neighborhoods impacted by violence. We are thrilled to see the TRC model expanding to Brooklyn and other communities across the country,” said Aswad Thomas, vice president of Alliance for Safety and Justice, a leading advocate for TRCs and other victim-centered public safety solutions nationwide. “TRCs provide essential services to crime victims, helping them heal from trauma and rebuild their lives. We are proud to support this important work and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on communities.”
“NATRC congratulates the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island on the grand opening of a new Trauma Recovery Center in Brooklyn. The JCCGCI program has worked with NATRC for the past several months to train and develop protocols to implement the TRC model with fidelity. We are excited to have them join the NATRC and bring valuable healing to the Coney Island community,” said Gena Castro-Rodriguez, Executive Director, NATRC.
TRCs offer free, comprehensive support to crime victims, including counseling and other post-trauma emotional support, assistance with filing claims for victims’ compensation, support in working with law enforcement and prosecutors, and assistance with landlords and employers to help victims understand their rights and remain economically stable as they heal.
Studies have shown that crime survivors who receive services at a TRC are 56 percent more likely to return to work, and sexual assault victims served by a TRC are nearly 70 percent more likely to file a police report. The TRC model costs 34 percent less than a traditional fee for service model, and crime victims saw a more than 40 percent reduction in their symptoms of PTSD and depression following TRC services.
Advocates contend that, by providing these essential services when vulnerable community members need them most, the more than 50 TRCs operating nationwide are building trust, spreading healing, and helping stabilize and strengthen communities.
To learn more about TRCs, please visit www.traumarecoverycentermodel.org.
**ABOUT THE ALLIANCE FOR SAFETY AND JUSTICE**
The Alliance for Safety and Justice is a national organization that aims to win new safety priorities in states across the country. It partners with leaders to advance state reform through networking, coalition building, research, education, and advocacy. It also brings together diverse crime survivors to advance policies that help communities most harmed by crime and violence, as part of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice – its national network of over 100,000 crime survivors. For more information, visit https://allianceforsafetyandjustice.org.
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