Safe Horizon, formerly the Victim Services Agency,South Brooklyn Legal Services FLU Fact Sheet #4
/ref> is the largest victim services

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

in the United States,Better Business Bureau Report on Safe Horizon
/ref>MyCentralNewJersey.com, a subsidiary of The Courier News, interview with Amanda Stylianou
/ref> providing social services for victims of abuse and

violent crime A violent crime, violent felony, crime of violence or crime of a violent nature is a crime in which an offender or perpetrator uses or threatens to use harmful force upon a victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objecti ...

. Operating at 57 locationsPace University New York City resources list
/ref> throughout the five boroughs of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

.New York City government directory for victims
/ref> Safe Horizon provides social services to over 250,000 victims of violent crime and abuse and their families per year.New York City government website article
/ref> It has over 800 employees,Guide Star's assessment of Safe Horizon
/ref> and has programs for victims of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, and human trafficking, as well as

homeless youth Youth homelessness is the problem of homelessness of young people around the globe. Overview Youth homelessness is a significant social issue globally, both in developing countries and many developed countries. In developing countries, research ...

and the families of homicide victims.New York City government listing of Safe Horizon
/ref> Safe Horizon's website has been accessible for the Spanish-speaking population since 2012."'Safe Horizon launches new Spanish-language website to aid victims of violence and crime,' the New York Daily News
/ref> Safe Horizon has an annual budget of over $63 million.New York Nonprofit Press article
/ref>

History

In 1975, a pilot program began in New York City's court system that addressed the need to assist criminal court witnesses who had been intimidated or who felt too threatened to testify in court.
/ref> Three years later, that pilot program became the Victim Services Agency, officially incorporated May 26, 1978, and offering a broader array of services that helped more victims of crime and abuse. Lucy N. Friedman was Safe Horizon's founding

executive director Executive director is commonly the title of the chief executive officer of a non-profit organization, government agency or international organization. The title is widely used in North American and European not-for-profit organizations, though ...

.New York Times City Room interview
/ref> By 1981, the Victim Services Agency provided programs for victims of domestic violence, offering them shelter, counseling, and concrete support. Over the next three decades, the Victim Services Agency began various other programs to assist victims and their families during times of crisis. In 2000, the Victim Services Agency became Safe Horizon. Today, Safe Horizon is the largest organization helping victims of crime and abuse in the United States,Cooley LLP website
/ref>The Bridgespan Group's February 2007 Assessment
/ref> helping more than 250,000 children, adults, and families each year. Since 2008, Safe Horizon has been under the leadership of

Chief Executive Officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especial ...

Ariel Zwang.Fast Company profile of Safe Horizon's CEO Ariel Zwang
/ref>

Stephanie March Stephanie Caroline March Benton (born July 23, 1974) is an American actress. She is known for starring as Alexandra Cabot in the crime drama franchise ''Law & Order'', which she played in the NBC series '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (2 ...

has served as a member of Safe Horizon's Board.

Mission

Safe Horizon's stated mission is to provide support, prevent violence and promote justice for victims of crime and abuse, their families, and communitiesSafe Horizon's About Us Page
/ref>

Hotlines

Safe Horizon operates four hotlines: a 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline;NOW NYC's Domestic Violence Get Help Page
/ref> a Crime Victims Hotline; a Rape, Sexual Assault, and Incest Hotline; and a Centralized Helpline. These hotlines are multilingual, with over 150 languages available.New York City government resource list for crime victims
/ref>

Domestic violence services

Safe Horizon helps tens of thousands of domestic violence survivors every year, through hotlines, court programs, community offices, and shelters. Safe Horizon is the U.S.'s largest operator of

domestic violence shelter A women's shelter, also known as a women's refuge and battered women's shelter, is a place of temporary protection and support for women escaping domestic violence and intimate partner violence of all forms. The term is also frequently used to ...

s, with nine shelters located throughout the five boroughs of New York City. A domestic violence shelter was named in honor of Safe Horizon Board Member

Steven C. Parrish Steven C. Parrish (born April 13, 1950) is a C-Suite executive consultant, American lawyer, Chair Safe Horizon, and community volunteer. Until 2008, he was an executive for Altria Group Inc. (formerly Philip Morris Companies, Inc.) where he was a ...

in 2008.

Child advocacy centers

In 1996, Safe Horizon opened the United States's first fully co-located Child Advocacy Center.Joyful Heart Foundation's Spotlight
/ref> Safe Horizon is the U.S.'s largest operator of child advocacy centers in an urban setting,Safe Horizon's page on Child Advocacy Centers
/ref> with five fully accredited Child Advocacy Centers, located in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, Staten Island,

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

and the

Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

. Safe Horizon has helped victimized children overcome the

trauma Trauma most often refers to: * Major trauma, in physical medicine, severe physical injury caused by an external source * Psychological trauma, a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a severely distressing event *Traumatic i ...

of abuse, partnering with the

Yale Child Study Center The Yale Child Study Center is a department at the Yale University School of Medicine. The center conducts research and provides clinical services and medical training related to children and families. Topics of investigation include autism and r ...

on a new treatment, the Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI).Yale Child Study Center Report
/ref> CFTSI, a short-term therapy treatment that involves the participation of the non-offending caregiver, has been found to remarkably reduce the trauma symptoms of abused children.New York Times Blog Post 'A Brief Therapy Heals Trauma in Children'
/ref>

Anti-trafficking program

Safe Horizon's Anti-Trafficking Program (ATP) meets practical needs for victims of human trafficking, such as food, clothing, and shelter, as well as legal assistance. ATP was established in 2001Human Trafficking Organization List
/ref> and has helped clients and provided intelligence to authorities allowing law enforcement to locate traffickers since its very beginnings.
/ref> Florrie R. Burke helped to found ATP. ATP has represented the victims in several high-profile cases in recent years, including María Ríos FunNew York Times article 'Housekeeper in New Jersey Accuses Peruvian Diplomat of Human Trafficking'
/ref> and Sangeeta Richard
/ref>
/ref>
/ref> ATP is supported by the federal Office of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime.
/ref> Safe Horizon is a member of Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women.Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women members list
/ref>

Streetwork Project

Safe Horizon's Streetwork Project provides homeless youth with food, clothing, shower and laundry facilities, HIV testing, counseling, emergency shelter and more. Staff work with clients towards long-term housing solutions and treatment for medical and mental health problems.New York Times Big City article
/ref>

Ali Forney Ali He'shun Forney (April 12, 1975 – December 5, 1997) was an African-American gay and gender non-conforming transgender youth who also used the name Luscious. Forney was a peer counselor of and advocate for homeless lesbian, gay, bisexua ...

was a client of Safe Horizon's Streetwork Project.

Community programs

Safe Horizon operates four Community Program offices, in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and Manhattan (which also serves the Bronx).Safe Horizon's Community Programs address page
/ref>

Counseling center

Safe Horizon's Counseling Center is an out-patient mental health clinic focused specifically on treating survivors of trauma.Network of Care directory
/ref> It is the only New York State-licensed mental health clinic specializing exclusively in treating traumatized victims of crime and abuse.

Law projects

In addition to ATP's legal work for victims of human trafficking, Safe Horizon's Domestic Violence Law Project (DVLP) and Immigration Law Project (ILP) provide low-cost and free legal aid for victims of domestic violence
/ref> and immigrant victims of abuse or torture. Since its inception, DVLP has provided legal advocacy and representation to thousands of low-income victims of domestic violence in family justice proceedings such for orders of protection, custody, support, and divorce proceedings. DVLP also advocates for clients within the criminal justice system.LawHelpNY.org listing
/ref>

Project Safe

Safe Horizon's Project Safe provides free lock changes to victims of crime who have reason to believe the perpetrators may have access to their homes. In most cases, lock changes are available within 24 to 48 hours.New York City government resources list
/ref>

9/11 disaster relief

From

September 11, 2001 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...

, through June 2008, Safe Horizon provided disaster relief to the victims of 9/11 and their families through the Family Assistance Center.New York Times article 'Charity Overwhelmed in Bid to Meet Attack Victims Bills'
/ref>
/ref> As one of the largest charities assisting victims,
/ref> Safe Horizon provided counseling to hundreds of thousands of those affected, and hundreds of millions in relief dollars.
/ref>

References

{{authority control Non-profit organizations based in New York City Organizations established in 1978 Domestic violence-related organizations in the United States Child abuse-related organizations Organizations that combat human trafficking Homeless shelters in the United States Women's shelters in the United States Charities based in New York City Violence against women in the United States Human trafficking in the United States 1978 establishments in New York City Women in New York City