Texas Follows National Model, Opens Trauma Recovery Center for Victims of Violence

Opening of Harvest Trauma Recovery Represents Years of Advocacy from Crime Victims and their Families

Long-Awaited Trauma Recovery Center to Provide Free, Essential Services to Help Crime Victims Heal and Reach Stability

AUSTIN, Texas - At the request of local crime victims and their families, Texas finally opened its first Trauma Recovery Center in Austin today. The Harvest Trauma Recovery Center will provide free, comprehensive services to crime victims and their families, including counseling, crisis intervention, legal assistance, help with police reports, and more. The opening of the only Trauma Recovery Center in the state represents years of advocacy work from a local network of 14,555 members of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, criminal justice advocates, and other survivor advocates who believe that the services will help break cycles of crime and community violence. From sending an open letter to the Austin City Council to testifying at city council meetings, lobby visits, and more, Texas crime survivors have taken many actions in an advocacy effort that has spanned more than four years to secure $2 million in funding for a center. “After years of advocacy, I am relieved and proud to say that Texans in Austin now have access to trauma-informed services to help them to heal and reach stability after experiencing violence,” said Terra Tucker, Texas State Director of Alliance for Safety and Justice. “Victims shouldn't have to manage the physical, emotional, and financial toll of violent crime alone. Now, Austin's most underserved communities no longer have to thanks to the Harvest Trauma Recovery Center.” Austin joins a growing list of cities to adopt this transformative victims-first solution to crime. There are now 51 Trauma Recovery Centers throughout the country but, despite its proven effectiveness in breaking cycles of violence, millions of victims in the U.S. lack access to these critical services. “We won't stop until there's a Trauma Recovery Center in every U.S. city, especially communities most impacted by violence,” said Aswad Thomas, National Director of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice and Vice President of Alliance for Safety and Justice. “Support for crime victims is key to helping break cycles of violence and improving public safety for everyone. Trauma Recovery Centers provide the crucial support that's needed to help victims and their families to heal and recover and should be adopted nationwide.” Crime survivors who are serviced by a Trauma Recovery Center are 56 percent more likely to return to work, 44 percent more likely to cooperate with law enforcement, and significantly more likely to see improvements in mental health and quality of life. To learn more about the Trauma Recovery Center model, please visit www.traumarecoverycentermodel.org.

About the Alliance for Safety and Justice The Alliance for Safety and Justice (ASJ) is a multi-state public safety organization that aims to replace over-incarceration with more effective public safety solutions rooted in crime prevention, community health, rehabilitation, and support for crime victims. ASJ partners with state leaders and advocates to achieve safety and justice reforms through advocacy, organizing, coalition building, research, and communications. For more information, visit https://allianceforsafetyandjustice.org.

About Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice (CSSJ) is a national network of more than 180,000 crime victims that are joining together to share stories, heal together, and advocate for a justice system that prioritizes healing, prevention, and recovery. CSSJ is a flagship project of the Alliance for Safety and Justice. For more information, visit https://cssj.org/.

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Media Contact: Julien Martinez, 347-229-2517, jmartinez@safeandjust.org

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