Center For Victims Of Torture

TO HEAL THE WOUNDS OF TORTURE AND TO STOP TORTURE WORLDWIDE.

INTERNATIONAL SERVICES:CVT'S INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS UTILIZE GROUP COUNSELING/THERAPY, SOCIAL SERVICES, AND PHYSICAL THERAPY AS WELL AS NON INTENSIVE RESILIENCE-FOCUSED INTERVENTIONS. IN ETHIOPIA, CVT WORKS IN REFUGEE CAMPS AND COMMUNITIES OF DISPLACEMENT IN THE COUNTRY'S NORTH, AND IN GAMBELLA IN THE WEST. IN JORDAN, CVT CARES FOR URBAN REFUGEES IN AMMAN. CVT MAINTAINS SMALL OPERATIONS IN TWO LOCATIONS IN KENYA, INCLUDING NAIROBI AND KALOBEYEI. IN UGANDA, CVT HAS A LONGSTANDING CENTER IN GULU WHERE SURVIVORS OF THE LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY ATROCITIES RECEIVE CARE AND PURSUE THEIR JUSTICE GOALS. CVT ALSO IS A SUB-GRANTEE TO ANOTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION IN A REFUGEE SETTLEMENT IN THE COUNTRY'S SOUTHWEST. INTERNATIONAL SERVICES ALSO CONDUCTED AN ASSESSMENT TO TWO LOCATIONS IN MEXICO ALONG THE MIGRATION ROUTE TO THE US BORDER, AND TO UKRAINE IN SUPPORT OF THAT COUNTRY'S OFFICE OF THE PROSECUTOR GENERAL. FINALLY, CVT ALSO PROVIDED SUPPORT, AS A SUB-GRANTEE, TO INVESTIGATORS OF SGBV ATROCITY CRIMES IN BURMA.IN ITS INTERNATIONAL DIRECT SERVICE PROGRAMS THIS PAST YEAR, CVT PROVIDED TRAUMA REHABILITATION SERVICES TO OVER 2,700 SURVIVORS OF WAR VIOLENCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, INCLUDING OVER 1,300 SURVIVORS OF TORTURE; THESE SERVICES ARE ALSO ESTIMATED TO HAVE BENEFITED OVER 12,000 HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS OF CLIENTS.

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT:CVT'S CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT SUPPORTS EXTERNAL ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS TO STRENGTHEN THEIR CAPACITY TO DO HEALING, ADVOCACY, RESEARCH, AND PREVENTION WORK.THE NATIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING (NCB) PROJECT ORGANIZES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE US-BASED NETWORK OF 43 TORTURE SURVIVOR CENTERS AND PROGRAMS IN 25 STATES, AND OTHER REFUGEE AND IMMIGRANT SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS TO STRENGTHEN THE DELIVERY OF INTEGRATED, SUSTAINABLE CARE FOR SURVIVORS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. THE HELPING SURVIVORS HEAL (HSH) PROJECT WORKS WITH 12 TORTURE REHABILITATION ORGANIZATIONS OUTSIDE THE US WITH A GOAL TO EXPAND ACCESS TO APPROPRIATE EVIDENCE BASED MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL SERVICES TO SURVIVORS OF TORTURE. THE NEW TACTICS IN HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRAM PROMOTES ENHANCED STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL PLANNING AND ACTION AMONG THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMUNITY AROUND THE WORLD AND ONLINE WITH THOUSANDS OF TRAINING PARTICIPANTS FROM 89 COUNTRIES. THE IDREAM PROJECT SUPPORTS HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS (HRDS) AROUND THE WORLD WHO HAVE BEEN FORCED INTO EXILE DUE TO THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY WORK BY PROVIDING CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES IN THESE THREE AREAS: MENTAL HEALTH RESILIENCE; EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY; AND INTEGRATED SECURITY; OTHER PROJECTS PROVIDE SIMILAR SUPPORT TO HRDS IN THEIR HOME COUNTRIES.

US CLINICAL PROGRAM:RESPONDING TO THE LASTING PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DAMAGE DONE BY TORTURE, CVT'S CLINICAL PROGRAMS ANNUALLY TOUCHES THE LIVES OF NEARLY 1,400 TORTURE SURVIVORS AND FAMILY MEMBERS. THE PROGRAM OFFERS SERVICES IN MINNESOTA IN ST. PAUL AND ST. CLOUD, AS WELL AS IN THE GREATER ATLANTA AREA, GEORGIA. WHILE EACH SERVICE PROGRAM IS ADAPTED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PARTICULAR COMMUNITY AND SETTING, THE CORE INTERVENTION AT ALL DOMESTIC SITES IS PSYCHOTHERAPY AND CASE MANAGEMENT TO CONNECT SURVIVORS WITH RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY. IN ARIZONA, THROUGH A PROJECT ENTITLED PROYECTO MARIPOSA, CVT PROVIDES DESTINATION CASE MANAGEMENT TO ASYLUM-SEEKING FAMILIES WITH COMPLEX PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH NEEDS.THE CENTER FOR VICTIMS OF TORTURE (CVT) WAS ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN TWO SIGNIFICANT NEW PROJECTS, NAMED ARMAN IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA, AND RAAHAT IN ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA. THESE ARE FUNDED BY THE OFFICE OF REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT SERVICES OVER THREE YEARS. THESE INITIATIVES AIM TO ASSIST AFGHAN ARRIVALS AND THEIR FAMILIES IN ACHIEVING LONG-TERM PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC WELL-BEING. THIS RESPONSE COMES IN THE WAKE OF OVER 80,000 AFGHAN EVACUEES RESETTLING IN THE UNITED STATES SINCE AUGUST 2021, MANY OF WHOM LACK PRE-EXISTING TIES TO THE U.S. IN EXECUTING THESE PROJECTS, CVT COLLABORATES WITH THE INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE (IRC) IN GEORGIA AND AFGHAN CULTURAL SERVICES (ACS) IN MINNESOTA TO DELIVER HOLISTIC, COORDINATED, AND INTERDISCIPLINARY SERVICES TO 125 AFGHAN SURVIVORS IN EACH LOCATION.THE CENTER FOR VICTIMS OF TORTURE (CVT) SUCCESSFULLY CONDUCTED A COMPREHENSIVE PROJECT TO SUPPORT 222 PAROLEES FROM NICARAGUA. THE PROJECT INCLUDED EMOTIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES, INVOLVING 108 EMOTIONAL SUPPORT SESSIONS, 62 INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOTHERAPY SESSIONS, 25 PSYCHIATRY SESSIONS, AND VARIOUS GROUP SESSIONS AND TRAININGS. ADDITIONALLY, CVT IMPLEMENTED DESTINATION CASE MANAGEMENT THROUGH TELEHEALTH SERVICES FOR SIX MONTHS, AND HOSTED FOUR VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS ON TOPICS RANGING FROM SPANISH CITIZENSHIP TO POLITICAL ASYLUM. THIS PROJECT WAS FUNDED THROUGH MULTIPLE FUNDING STREAMS.