Expanding Mental Health, Medication Management and Clinical Care Coordination for Survivors of Violent Crime

The Central Iowa Trauma Recovery Center (CITRC), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization located in Des Moines, Iowa requests three-year funding in the amount of $500,000 under OVCs area of interest “service interventions that address victims of crime who are often overlooked when it comes to specialized services...”. The application proposes to expand the University of California-San Francisco Trauma Recovery Center (UCSF TRC): A Model for Removing Barriers to Care and Transforming Services for Survivors of Violent Crime to provide mental health, medication management, and clinical care coordination, and therapeutic support services for adult victims of violent crime. This proposal aligns with OVC's area of interest that prioritizes victims of assault, robbery, homicide and other violent crimes. Populations to be served are male and female victims of crime who are over the age of 18, with an emphasis on racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants, seniors, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ+, and low-income. This initiative also aligns with the Biden Administration’s Executive Order 13985, under Section 1. Policy directive “to pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality.”  This will be accomplished through an intentional focus on life stability,  which supports efforts to address social determinants of health, Social determinants are recognized to be a major cause of inequities, particularly when populations do not have access to the same resources. The project service area includes the following Iowa Counties: Polk, Story, Marshall, Warren, Dallas, Madison, Marion, Boone, and Jasper.  CITRC will contract with Drake University to serve as its research partner.  

 The project will serve 900 survivors of violent crime over the next three years (Year 1 -200; Year 2 -300; Year 3 -400), from 10/1/2023 - 9/30/2026. Activities to be conducted include mental health services, medication management, clinical care coordination, therapeutic support services, and professional development and training on the trauma recovery center model for first responders, victim service professionals, and mutually aligned stakeholders. Anticipated outcomes include reductions in a survivor’s symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety and an increase in life stability and quality of life. Additionally, the proposal aims to increase cooperation with law enforcement, and access to trauma recovery center services in communities disproportionately impacted by violent crime.