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BUILDING CONNECTIONS:
The Sexual Assault/Mental Health Project
N.Y.S. Regional/County Trauma Task Forces
Each county/regional task force establishes its own goals and objectives. However, their purpose is to open up a means of communication, share information and resources, as well as develop training opportunities and collaborative projects. These task forces are comprised primarily of mental health providers, recipients of mental health services, rape crisis center staff and other key constituents from the community. For general information regarding a Trauma Task Force, they are listed below in alphabetical order. For more detailed information, contact the source at the numbers provided. For information on how to start a Trauma Task Force in your area, or for other pertinent questions, please contact the Building Connections Project: John F. Crowe, MS, CRC, at (518) 434-0439 ext. 29 jcrowe@mhanys.org or Chrys Ballerano at (518) 482-4222 ext. 206 [cballerano@nyscasa.org]. Either one of us will be available to answer whatever questions you may have.
Allegany and Cattaraugus Sexual Assault Response Teams
Cattaraugus Community Action/Victim Services & Rape Crisis Program
25 Jefferson Street, Salamanca, NY 14779
Contact: Sherry Rebar (716) 945-1041 or (585) 593-4685 or e-mail srebar@ccaction.org.
Focus: (1) Primarily a sexual assault response team (SART) that deals with current cases and appropriate criminal justice/clinical responses (2) Risking Connection training and (3) building membership base.
Capital District Trauma Services Coalition
Albany County Mental Health Clinic
175 Green Street, Albany NY 12202
Contact: Karen Ziegler (518) 447-4555 or e-mail KZiegler@albanycounty.com.
Focus: (1) Creating a trauma service provider directory to be distributed in CD format and (2) building membership base.
Erie County Trauma Task Force
This task force utilizes co-chairs
C/O Lake Shore Behavioral Health
1280 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14209
Contact: Jay Swarthout, CRC (716) 856-9711 or e-mail jayswarthout@yahoo.com
C/O Action for Mental Health, Inc.
1585 Kenmore Ave, Kenmore, NY 14217
Contact: Diane E. Johnson (716) 871-0581 or e-mail dianejohnso@yahoo.com
Focus: (1) Conducting a comprehensive community needs assessment of trauma services in conjunction with the University of Buffalo School of Social Work and Buffalo State College Department of Psychology (2) monthly trainings on various subjects (3) acts in advisory capacity to the Erie County Commissioner of Mental Health and Department of Mental Health and (4) building membership base.
Genesee County Trauma Task Force
Genesee County Mental Health Association
25 Liberty Street, Batavia, NY 14020
Contact: Amy Fialkowski (585) 344-2611 or FAX (585) 345-1418 or e-mail gencomha@2ki.net.
Focus: (1) For Criminal Justice Day, a conference entitled “Child Abuse Perspectives” featuring 18 presenters (2) an MHA team consisting of peers and members of the community is currently working on a grant to create a Warm Line (3) facilitating a media campaign re: benefits of peer support (4) three active sub-committees: Youth/Child Training, Resource Directory and Safe Place, and (5) facilitates an ongoing support group for trauma survivors (Life Bridges) and (6) building membership base.
Jefferson County Trauma Task Force
Lewis County Trauma Task Force
c/o Lewis County Community Mental Health Center
7550 South State Street, Lowville, NY 13367
Contact: Sharon Shumac or Kim Cavanaugh (315) 376-5450
(1) Conducting training called “Human Development Series” which deals with topics related to trauma. It is free of charge, occurs once per month, open to professionals, consumers and the general public (2) Disseminating knowledge to the general community and area schools re: recognizing the signs of child sexual abuse, and working with survivors of trauma and sexual assault (3) Risking Connection training around the county and (4) obtaining a grant for a two-day trauma conference in May, 2005 featuring a presentation by trauma specialist Christine Courtois and (5) building membership base.
Madison County Multi Disciplinary Task Force
PO Box 637, Wampsville, NY 13163
Contact: Renee Smith (315) 366-2624 or e-mail rotorenee@earthlink.net
Focus: (1) Madison County Multi-Disciplinary Task Force serves children up to age 17 years old who have experienced trauma (2) Liberty Domestic Violence Coalition addresses the needs of adult survivors in this area (3) building membership base.
Niagara County Sexual Assault Trauma Task Force
Niagara County Rape Crisis Services
Niagara County Mental Health
Trott Access Building, 1001 Eleventh Street, Niagara Falls, NY 14301
Contact: Carol Ross (716) 278-1940 or e-mail carol.bateman@niagaracounty.com
Focus: (1) Enhancement of the lending library which is open to community agencies, (2) coordinating training groups (3) survivors luncheon yearly in April (4) aims to increase recognition of male trauma survivors (5) The Clothesline Project and (6) building membership base.
Onondaga Community Sexual Trauma Task Force
This task force utilizes co-chairs
C/O Syracuse Planned Parenthood of the Rochester/Syracuse Region
1120 East Genesee Street, Syracuse, NY 13210
Contact: Betty DeFazio (315) 475-5540 Ext. 223 or FAX (315) 475-0685 or e-mail BDeFazio@pprsr.org
C/O Berkana Counseling & Healing Center
203 So. Beech Street, Syracuse, NY 13210
Contact: Karen Mihalyi (315) 428-8724 or e-mail kmihalyi@a-znet.com
Focus: (1) Children's Committee is creating a children’s resource manual which includes Children’s Bill of Rights, empowering children to establish boundaries, recognizing signs of child abuse, and thoughts for language usage when discussing the subject with children (2) Education Committee has established two steering committees that will meet at a different time than OCSTTF: Kitchen Table Talk and Men’s Committee (3) Trauma Talk and Tea Groups and (4) building membership base.
Orange County Trauma Services Initiative
Mental Health Association in Orange County, Inc.
20 Walker Street, Goshen, NY 10924
Contact: Frank LaRosa, Director, Orange County Dept. of Mental Health (845) 291-2619 or FAX (845) 294-7348
Focus: (1) Formal assessment of practitioner’s training needs (2) a drug company sponsored conference re: pharmacological treatment of PTSD and an overview of the Trauma Services Initiative, in an effort to increase physician participation (3) training in DBT (4) creation of a Psychodrama program and (5) building membership base.
Otsego Domestic Violence Task Force
Violence Intervention Program Opportunities for Otsego
3 West Broadway, Oneonta, NY 13820
Contact: Nancy Court (607) 433-8082 or FAX (607) 433-8029 or e-mail ncourt@ofoinc.org
Focus: (1) Risking Connection training (2) coordinates training on trauma and mental health and (3) building membership base.
Richmond County
Staten Island Sexual Assault Task Force/Rape Consortium
Safe Horizon Community Programs
358 St. Mark’s Place, Fifth Floor, Staten Island, NY 10301
Contact: Christine Russo (718) 720-2591 Ext. 17 or e-mail crusso@safehorizon.org
Focus: Initial discussions entailed (1) Identify and address concerns in order to improve trauma care (2) presentations in which several organizations are involved (3) identifying sexual assault offenders residing in the community (4) offering NYPD training in the area of child sexual assault and (5) building membership base.
Suffolk County/Long Island Committee on Sexual Abuse and Family Violence
Mental Health Association in Suffolk, Inc.
199 North Wellwood Avenue, Lindenhurst, NY 11757
Contact: Mary McDonald, Exec. Dir. (631) 226-3900 or e-mail marymhas@yahoo.com
Contact: Bobbie Kaufman (631) 838-1999 or e-mail bnkatr@optonline.net
Contact: Aileen Hoffman (516) 496-7550
Focus: (1) New directory of Nassau & Suffolk County Sexual Abuse Services (2) creating affordable services for uninsured survivors of trauma and (3) building membership base.
St. Lawrence Domestic Violence Task Force
Domestic Abuse Response Team
48 Court Street, Canton, NY 13617
Contact: Francine Perretta (315) 379-2230 or FAX (315) 386-1030 or fperretta@co.st-lawrence.ny.us
Focus: (1) Resource library for Sex Offenders Project (2) Sex Offender Management Team with a strong victim component and (3) sexual violence committee with a mental health component.
Tioga Community Response Network
Tioga County Office of District Attorney
16 Court Street, PO Box 300, Oswego, NY 13827
Contact: Gerald Keene (607) 687-8650 or e-mail keeneg@co.tiaoa.ny.us
Focus: (1) Domestic violence issues (2) Sexual Assault Task Force whose primary discussion is child sexual abuse and current cases.
Ulster County Sexual Assault Task Force
This task force utilizes co-chairs
C/O Mental Health Association in Ulster County, Inc.
Box 2304, Kingston, NY 12401-0227
Contact: Ellen Pendegar (845) 336-4747 or FAX (845) 336-0192 or e-mail ependegar@mhainulster.com
C/O Crime Victims Assistance Program
5 Pearl Street, Kingston, NY 12401
Contact: Laura Wells (845) 340-3443 or e-mail lwes@ulster.ny.us
Focus: (1) Developing a Speakers Bureau (2) Operation Free Fall (3) creating a video about sexual assault services on campus and in the community and (4) building membership base.
Wyoming Sexual Assault Response Team
14 Linwood Avenue, Warsaw, NY 14569
Contact: Anne Herod (716) 786-8869 or FAX (716) 786-8864 or e-mail wcprob@wycol.com
Focus: (1) Create/monitor protocol to increase referrals from the hospital, Department of Mental Health, and Department of Social Services for family members of victims, (2) create child advocacy environment that are more sensitive to the needs of children and adolescents who have been sexually assaulted.
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