Violence Recovery Program
The Violence Recovery Program (VRP) at Fenway Health was founded in 1986 and was formerly known as the "Victim Recovery Program." The VRP provides counseling, support groups, advocacy, and referral services to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) victims of bias crime, domestic violence, sexual assault and police misconduct.
The program also compiles statewide statistics on anti-gay hate crime and same-sex domestic violence, and in collaboration with the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, releases annual reports based on these statistics. VRP staff members frequently present at trainings for police, court personnel and human service providers on LGBT crime survivor issues. Other services include a support group for LGBT domestic violence survivors, the region's only support group for male survivors of rape and sexual assault, advocacy with the courts and police, and assistance with victim compensation. Via its toll-free number, the VRP provides assistance to crime survivors statewide. We provide short-term counseling to survivors and their families, and referrals to longer-term counseling through our mental health department.
Program staff include a full-time program coordinator, one full-time Bilingual Advocate, one full-time Domestic Violence Advocate, a full-time Victim Advocate, and several advocacy interns and volunteers. VRP staff advocates interface frequently with police personnel, District Attorney's office personnel, and lawyers and other court personnel. They frequently accompany crime victims to court to assist in obtaining restraining orders or for hearings or trials on criminal cases, and may also accompany clients to police stations to file police reports. The VRP also is part of the recruit training on LGBT issues at the Boston Police Academy, and is available to present to court round tables and other community service providers, on the issues of domestic violence in same-sex relationships, and other issues of violence that affect the LGBT community.
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Violence Recovery Program contact information:
617.927.6250
800.834.3242
VRP@fenwayhealth.org
Sponsored by the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA), the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)/National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP), Bell Atlantic, and the City of Boston.
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