Victims of Crime Treatment Center awarded $240,000 grant
The Victims of Crime Treatment Center, in the Department of Psychology, received a $240,000, three-year grant from the State of Nevada Division of Child and Family Services to continue to provide free counseling services to child and adult victims of sexual and physical abuse and assault.
The program works with local law enforcement agencies, health care providers, advocates, and the crisis call center to facilitate referrals of clients who may suffer persistent symptoms including nightmares and avoidance of family or friends long after an attack or assault.
“This is the only regional program that specializes in treatment of victims at no charge,” said William O’Donohue, program director. “We perform evaluations and therapy using current research and training techniques to help survivors reclaim a manageable life.”
Victims who report sexual assault or abuse may access a network of professionals available to meet immediate needs, allowing many survivors to move forward within weeks after an assault. Those victims who experience unmanageable stress or lingering self-doubt may benefit from treatment. “This is when our treatment protocols may be helpful and effective,” said Mandra Rasmussen-Hall, program coordinator and therapist.
Treatment protocol encompasses skills training in stress management, emotional regulation, problem-solving, memory “exposure,” and cognitive and affective processing about the traumatic event and related problems.
The Department of Psychology includes academic programs for training graduate students in social, experimental, and clinical psychology. The Victims of Crime Treatment Center is responsible for treatment of victims of abuse or assault, domestic violence, and elder abuse and is located within the Psychological Service Center, which provides treatment for a variety of problems to individuals in the community.
For more information, contact William O’Donohue, program director, or Mandra Rasmussen-Hall, program coordinator and therapist, at (775) 784-6828 ext. 2064.
Zanny Marsh, public relations director, can be reached at zmarsh@unr.edu.
