Listen to this articleThe Safe Center, a Bethpage-based nonprofit victim service organization, has released its 2023 Impact Report. The report highlights the organization’s work on behalf of victims and survivors of domestic violence, child abuse, human trafficking, rape, sexual assault and other interpersonal violence.
In 2023, its 10th year of serving Long Island, The Safe Center served 5,122 individual clients, providing 48,524 services, partnering with 447 medical and law enforcement personnel, serving 933 children through its Child Advocacy Center, and serving 154 victims of human trafficking.
“The Safe Center is a national leader in developing trauma-informed and client-centered programming,” Joshua Hanson, the center’s executive director, said in a news release about the report. “I look ahead to our 10th year as the Safe Center with excitement about our bright future. We are grateful for our staff, board, funders, and friends for their support as we create a vision for the next decade.”
The Safe Center aims is to protect, assist and empower victims of family violence and sexual assault while challenging and changing social systems that tolerate and perpetuate abuse.
In 2023, the organization, in its crisis intervention work, provided 5,163 nights of shelter provided at its safe home, spent 432 hours alongside survivors in local emergency rooms and delivered 5,026 24-hour hotline and police project contacts, according to the report.
Through counseling, 88% of its children’s mental health clients saw a reduction in trauma symptoms. And 141 adult survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault participated in group counseling. In addition, 366 received individual counseling, the report said.
For its advocacy and legal services, $911,462 was secured on behalf of clients through matrimonial actions, while 305 families matched with child victim advocates and case managers, according to the report.
As for housing and employment, 26 people secured employment with support from a vocational specialist, 27 households were served by rapid rehousing program, and 12 individuals avoided homelessness with the help of one-time rental assistance fund, according to the report.
And through prevention and education, 838 trainings were provided, with 28,365 students and community members attending, according to the report.
“The ‘why’ underpinning my unwavering commitment to the Safe Center extends far beyond the agency’s platinum model for domestic and interpersonal violence services by offering and delivering a comprehensive, multifaceted range of programs,” Shannell Parrish-Brown, board president of The Safe Center, said in the news release.
“I serve because of the agencies unwavering dedication and refusal to rest on the accomplishments of its first decade, and instead, ambitiously elevate the bar, creating impactful change to the service levels while also identifying new initiatives. Like the agencies mental health clinic expansion to significantly serve more communities,” Parrish-Brown added.
“The Safe Center has a long history of navigating change and evolving to meet the needs of the community we serve,” Debbie Lyons, associate executive director of The Safe Center, said in the news release. “Last year was no exception, with leadership transitions, program growth, and more demand for specialized trauma focused services. The work continues this year with infusing survivor voices into systemic change processes and engaging the community in conversations about interpersonal violence.”