Vegas Strong Resiliency Center

Vegas Strong Resiliency Center | National Crime Victim Service Award
Las Vegas, Nevada

The Vegas Strong Resiliency Center is a place of healing and a multi-agency resource and referral center for survivors, families of victims, first responders, and the community affected by the October 1, 2017, Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting. At the time of the incident, hundreds of first responders and medical professionals rushed to aid the victims as it left thousands traumatized from all over the world and a devastated Southern Nevada community determined to pick up the pieces. 

A shocked community rallied around all involved, epitomizing what it means to be “Vegas Strong.” Soon after, the Center was founded. Knowledgeable, caring professionals staff the Vegas Strong Resiliency Center to help people access resources and build strength and resiliency. The Center is comprised of four partnering agencies – the State of Nevada, Clark County, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Victims Services and Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada which also manages the Center. It has become a model for multi-agency efforts to address the behavioral health and legal needs of those affected in the aftermath of mass violence. 

Available services include victim advocacy and support; case management; counseling and spiritual care referrals; technical assistance with applying for online services, including FBI Victim Assistance services; and more. Free civil legal services are available, including legal consultations and possible legal representation for issues involving insurance matters, medical billing problems, debt collection, housing and evictions, and family law matters. 

The Center has implemented multiple innovative approaches to serving this community including a partnership with Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles to develop a charitable plate through which proceeds are donated to the Center and, at the start of the pandemic, the Center quickly implemented new policies and procedures to provide the same level of service virtually. 

Center staff has also provided guidance and hope to other communities affected by mass violence, including Ohio, Texas, and California. Using a trauma-informed approach and collaborative public-private partnerships to best serve victims of crime, the Center has improved services to crime victims around the world.