CVTC's Mission

CVTC is a not-for-profit organization committed to helping people heal from violent crime.

We respect that healing comes in many forms and recognize the importance of a holistic approach.  CVTC provides a wide range of therapeutic services free of charge to anyone impacted by violence.  We are dedicated to advocacy on behalf of survivors, collaboration with partners across a multitude of disciplines, and training for those who work with survivors.  We are committed to changing cultural norms around violence and promoting social justice through progressive legislation and community mobilization.

History

In the middle of a bright summer day in 1977 a violent rape occurred on the campus of Columbia University in Morningside Heights.  Witnesses called an ambulance, which took the young woman to the Emergency Department of St. Luke’s Hospital.  When she got there, the medical staff was at a loss; her physical injuries were manageable, but psychologically she was devastated.  The doctors transferred her to the Psychiatric Emergency Department, not knowing what else to do.  Soon after her medical treatment was completed, she was discharged.  She left Columbia, and was never heard from again.

The community was outraged.

Within a day, an Emergency Department social worker, an ED administrator, a doctor, and several members of the Upper West Side community sat down to address the neighborhood crisis.  A steering committee was formed, protocols were developed, and a promise was made that never again would a survivor of sexual assault be treated that way at St. Luke’s Hospital. 

The Crime Victims Treatment Center was born.

Impact

Over 43,300 free sessions of therapy and counseling provided

Since becoming an independent program, our renowned clinical team has served over 3,500 clients, providing to them more than 43,000 individual, group and complementary therapy sessions. We support any survivor of interpersonal violence or trauma and allow them to fully process the experience that brought them to us. We work in 5 languages and serve survivors from across New York City and the surrounding counties.

300+ Volunteer Advocates Across Six Major NYC Hospitals

We have over 300 state-certified Volunteer Rape Crisis and Domestic Violence Advocates offering crisis intervention, support and advocacy to survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence who seek treatment in our partner Emergency Departments. Since our inception, we’ve trained thousands of advocates, and each year, we train over 75 medical professionals to provide comprehensive medical and evidence collection services to survivors - through our 40-hour Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SAFE) course and Advanced Practitioner course. CVTC is one of only two organizations in New York City to offer this critical training.

 45,000 individuals trained in violence prevention since 2018

Our Prevention Team works with 16 University, Middle & Elementary School campuses throughout New York City to provide comprehensive sexual violence prevention training to students, faculty, staff and community members. We also partner nightlife and party spaces across New York to provide in-depth bystander, sexual violence prevention and response trainings to bartenders, servers, managers, owners and hospitality staff. The team also offers training to community partners, corporations and elsewhere.

 Over 1,100 clients served by our Legal Services Program

Our Legal Services team supports over 200 clients annually as they navigate issues around immigration, family court, criminal court, reporting, housing needs and more - all for free.

 Over 850 incarcerated survivors served since 2018

CVTC’s Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) program for incarcerated survivors of sexual violence and harassment provides is a two-pronged project that serves survivors across New York State. Directly, CVTC provides advocacy and therapy to individuals at 13 correctional facilities across New York State. In addition, CVTC coordinates New York State’s PREA response, overseeing the provision of services to all state facilities, and supporting providers across the state as they support this population.