U.S. Crime Survivors Applaud House for Approving Access to Trauma Recovery Center Funding
Access to federal funding for Trauma Recovery Centers to expand support for underserved crime victims nationwide
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Public safety advocates, victims of crime and their families applaud the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee for including access to funding for Trauma Recovery Centers (TRCs) in the appropriations bill approved yesterday. Access to federal funding for TRCs via the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program would help states establish or expand the best practice model that provides wrap-around support for underserved victims of crime and their families post-victimization.
In the Report this week, the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee indicated that crucial funding through the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program, a fund administered by the Department of Justice via the Bureau of Justice Assistance, should be available to TRCs. The report emphasized that ‘crime victim services, such as trauma recovery centers, are an allowable use of Byrne JAG formula grant funding.’
Violence causes trauma and a number of wide-ranging consequences for survivors, families and communities. Unaddressed trauma can lead to housing and employment instability, revictimization, mental health and addiction challenges, as well as contact with the justice system. The TRC model, founded in 2001 by Dr. Alicia Bocellari, was created to serve survivors of violence who are falling through the cracks of traditional victim services. In 2019, the National Alliance of Trauma Recovery Centers (NATRC) was formed to provide technical assistance to the growing network of TRCs around the nation.
Designed to interrupt cycles of violence by providing critical healing services and wrap-around support free of charge to survivors of violence who face the greatest barriers, the TRC model promotes survivor-centered healing and removes barriers to care. Studies show that crime survivors who have received TRC services are:
- Over 50 percent more likely to return to work
- More likely to work with the legal system to close their case; and
- Much more likely to see improvements in mental health and quality of life, with a 38 percent reduction in PTSD symptoms and 50 percent reduction in symptoms of depression.
“We applaud the U.S. House Appropriation Committee for expanding access to resources that support victims of crime, stabilize communities and increase public safety. We advocate for interventions that enhance shared safety solutions and urge the full Congress to back this proposal that will give millions of families the opportunity to heal and reach stability,” said Shakyra Diaz, Alliance for Safety and Justice chief of Federal Advocacy & Shared Safety.
ABOUT ALLIANCE FOR SAFETY AND JUSTICE
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 research, coalition building, education and advocacy. For more information, visit allianceforsafetyandjustice.org.
