Crime and abuse can have a devastating impact not just on the direct victim but also on his or her family. Safe Horizon offers a variety of programs to help individuals and their families work through immediate trauma and also prepare for the long-term. Additionally, Safe Horizon recognizes that many survivors feel further victimized by a court system that is unfamiliar to them. Advocates guide them through the complicated process and help them to understand their rights. What is Child Abuse? Child abuse, or child maltreatment, is an act by a parent or caretaker that results in or allows the child to be subjected to death, physical injury, sexual assault, or emotional harm. Emotional abuse, neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse are all different forms of child abuse. To find out how to get help, go to Child Abuse and Incest. Child Advocacy Centers Safe Horizon operates Child Advocacy Centers in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island that provide assistance to more than 3,000 physically and sexually abused children and their families each year. Child protective caseworkers, police detectives, pediatricians, prosecutors, victim advocates, and mental health professionals work as a team to collect evidence, minimize the number of times the child is interviewed, and ensure that the child receives appropriate medical examinations and mental health support. The Brooklyn Child Advocacy Center, which Safe Horizon opened in 1996, is viewed nationwide as a model of the co-housed, multidisciplinary team approach toward helping young victims. Take a tour of Safe Horizon's Brooklyn Child Advocacy Center New York State Child Advocacy Resource and Consultation Center (CARCC) CARCC promotes the multidisciplinary response to child abuse throughout the State by working with law enforcement and child protective professionals to assess and enhance their response to child abuse cases. They offer technical assistance, training, information on funding resources, child fatality review teams, staff development, child abuse statistics and more. CARCC has its own Web site at www.nyscarcc.org. Safe Horizon-Saint Vincent’s Child Trauma Care Center The Safe Horizon-Saint Vincent’s Child Trauma Care Center (SH-SVCTCC) offers a unique and comprehensive continuum of treatment and services for child trauma victims and their families. Programs range from community-based prevention to intensive inpatient therapy and provide care to more than 10,000 youth each year. The project’s extensive outreach extends to a broad range of youth, many of whom do not otherwise access mental health services. The overriding goal of this collaborative effort is to increase the options for and improve the quality of trauma-focused services and treatment for all youth who have experienced trauma. Preventive Programs Safe Horizon’s Preventive Programs assist families whose children are at risk of foster-care placement. They offer counseling and practical assistance to children and parents to ensure a safe and healthy home. Services include parenting and other support groups, home visits, and serving as a liaison with schools and other providers in the community. Mental Health Treatment Since 1988, the Safe Horizon Counseling Center, a New York State licensed mental health clinic, has specialized in meeting the complex needs of individuals and their families who have been victims of crime and abuse. Our philosophy is one that supports and encourages the active participation of our clients in the course, scope, and pace of their treatment. This helps clients regain the sense of control over their lives that is often lost due to the trauma they experienced. Elder Abuse Programs Safe Horizon’s programs for victims of elder abuse provide counseling, support groups, information about legal rights, advocacy with the police and the courts, assistance with New York City Housing Authority emergency housing applications, transportation to appointments, emergency cash, food, and referrals. What is Elder Abuse? Elder abuse is the maltreatment of an elderly or disabled person by a family member or caretaker. Elder abuse can include physical, sexual, or psychological abuse; financial exploitation, and/or neglect, including the denial of basic necessities like food and medical care. To find out how Safe Horizon can help you, go to Domestic Violence and Abusive Relationships. Families of Homicide Victims Program Since 1979, Safe Horizon's Families of Homicide Victims Program has helped surviving family members in New York City cope with the tragedy of murder. By reaching out to surviving family members of every homicide victim within the five boroughs, counselors develop both short and long-term relationships with spouses, siblings, parents, children, and others. The program assists survivors with obtaining practical assistance like funeral benefits and offers compassionate and expert bereavement counseling, specialized support groups, advocacy in the courts, and case management. To find out how Safe Horizon can help you, go to Families Who Lost a Loved One to Homicide. Navigating the Court System Safe Horizon operates more than 30 court-based programs throughout the five boroughs that assist victims in navigating the court system by providing advocacy, information, resources, and private waiting rooms for victims so that they can avoid their offenders until their cases are called. Safe Horizon’s Children’s Centers, located in every court house, provide free, supportive, educational child care for child victims and witnesses and other children of adults who must appear in court. To find out how Safe Horizon can help you, go to Assistance in the Courts. Home Safety Project SAFE is a free service that installs new locks or cylinders for anyone who has filed a police report. To contact Project SAFE, please call the hotline.