On Wednesday, the Austin City Council Public Health Committee unanimously adopted a resolution to bring a Trauma Recovery Center to Austin. Trauma Recovery Centers, or TRCs, provide free, trauma-informed therapy and case management for survivors of all violent crime.
“We desperately need a trauma recovery center in Austin,” said Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, author of the resolution and vice chair of the Public Health Committee. “They are powerful tools in healing communities. Not only are trauma recovery centers a critical way to improve public safety and end cycles of trauma and violence, but they are also designed to reach survivors who the current system has left behind.”
The first trauma recovery center model was created in 2001 by the University of California, San Francisco in partnership with the City and County of San Francisco’s Department of Public Health. Since, 35 TRCs have been implemented in more than six states.
“Alliance for Safety and Justice and our flagship—Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice—have long advocated for a trauma recovery center to serve victims in Austin,” said Terra Tucker, Texas state director for Alliance for Safety and Justice. “We are excited about recent progress, and we thank Council Member Fuentes, members of the Public Health Committee, and Mayor Pro Tem Alter for their leadership. A trauma recovery center will complement existing services and help address the needs of those most impacted by violence.”
The resolution goes before City Council for full consideration on March 24. If adopted, the City Manager has 60 days to report back. Funding sources should be identified and include $500,000 for the next two fiscal years to support the startup costs of the center.
“I believe that if we want to break the cycle of violence, we need to take a public health approach and innovate within our criminal justice system,” said Mayor Pro Tem Alison Alter, who helped advise direction in the resolution. “In partnership with Travis County and many other organizations, a trauma recovery center can help provide justice and healing to victims of violence and trauma.”
