Back to homepage
MyChart

Support and Advocacy

Support and Advocacy Services: It’s Never Too Late to Heal

Ringo

Trauma-informed support makes a difference

“Finding someone who is trauma-informed made a huge difference in my life and has allowed me to heal from those wounds inflicted during childhood. 

It was the first time in seeking help that I was able to feel comfortable and more importantly, to feel safe”

Ringo, a community activist 
and graduate of St. Peter’s Crime Victim Services

St. Peter’s Crime Victim Services Support and Advocacy team provides comprehensive, trauma-informed services to victims/survivors of crime and their loved ones. Whether your trauma happened in the recent past or decades ago, our staff is prepared to help you navigate your healing journey. 

Support services are available virtually and in-person, and include:

  • 24/7 Hotline
  • Individual Counseling and Therapy
  • Legal Advocacy and Accompaniment
  • Medical Advocacy and Accompaniment
  • Support Groups
  • Financial Support through Crime Victims Compensation Assistance
  • PREA Program for Incarcerated Survivors of Sexual Violence
  • Information and Referrals

What We Offer 

Emotional Support 
Individual Counseling/Therapy
Trauma therapy services are available to help you sort out your feelings about what’s happened, find coping skills that work for you, and reclaim control in your life. We provide counseling to individual victims/survivors of crime, their family, friends, or significant others. Virtual and in-person options are available.

Support Groups
Experiencing a crime can make someone feel very isolated. Our support groups offer the opportunity to build positive connections with others who have lived through similar experiences. For a current list of support groups, please contact our intake team. 

Medical Support 
Our counselors can provide you emotional support and help exploring options at hospitals, clinics, and private physicians’ offices. This includes accompaniment during forensic medical services at any St. Peter's Health Partners Hospital.

Legal Support 
If you are considering reporting, or have active legal proceedings, legal advocates can help. Advocates on our team can help you understand court processes, accompany you to meetings and interviews, and even attend court with you. While we are not attorneys and cannot provide you legal advice or representation, we offer a partnership with the Legal Project for legal consults and representation around civil matters.  

Financial Support 
Many survivors deal with financial impacts of crime. These can include medical bills, lost wages, and moving expenses, among others. The New York State Office of Victim Services provides financial compensation to eligible victims of crime. Advocates at our program can help you apply for financial compensation. 

Crisis Support 
Whether you are a current client or not, you can call our 24-hour hotline (518-271-3257) anytime for brief emotional support. Our counselors can help you through challenging moments, including after flashbacks or nightmares. We can also help you make a safety plan and give you information/resources.

If you need medical attention after a crime, an advocate can meet you with a forensic examiner at St. Peter’s Hospital, Samaritan Hospital, or the Albany Memorial Campus of Samaritan Hospital. 

PREA Program for Incarcerated Survivors 
Following the passage of the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA), survivors of sexual violence in prison became eligible for victim advocacy support services during their incarceration term. Through the statewide PREA Program, St. Peter's Crime Victim Services provides remote emotional support, crisis intervention, victim/survivor advocacy, information, and referrals to survivors of sexual harm in prisons and other correctional facilities. 

Eligibility 

Support and Advocacy services are provided to survivors and their loved ones free of cost. Eligibility for services includes:

  • You must live, at least part time, in the Capital Region.
  • Survivors of all ages are eligible for crisis services. Continuing care services are available for survivors 12 years or older.
  • You or a loved one must have experienced a crime. This does not need to be a specific type of crime.
  • There is no time limit for getting help - we support people hours or even decades after a crime has happened.
  • You do not need to be a patient of St. Peter's Health Partners to receive support services.
  • You must be reaching out for help because you want to - you cannot be mandated to receive our services.
  • You do not need to file a police report or other legal report to get help.

Getting Started 

Reaching out for help can be overwhelming - we want to make the process as easy for you as possible. If you are looking to get continuing services, your first step is a brief intake. 

During an intake, our staff will ask you general questions about what’s bringing you to services, learn what your needs are, and see which services may be a good fit for you. Our intakes are done by phone and can last between 15 and 30 minutes. If we are a good fit for your needs, you will be assigned a counselor to begin services. 

At your first appointment, you and your counselor will review confidentiality and informed consent, and talk about your goals in seeking help. 

To schedule an intake for counseling and/or advocacy services, please contact us at ALHSSACVAPintake@sphp.com or (518) 271-3410.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, it is never too late to get help. Many of our clients begin services decades after a crime took place.

No, you do not need documentation of the crime to get help.

All information shared by clients to their advocate, counselor or therapist is confidential, except in legally mandated circumstances where the client has shared intent to hurt themselves or others, or has disclosed child abuse reportable under New York State law.

Yes, our program provides trauma-specific therapy. If you receive primary mental health counseling, you may still qualify for therapy through our program. We do not bill to insurance.

 

You and your counselor will review confidentiality and informed consent, create your treatment goals, and start to build a therapeutic relationship.

 

You don’t need to recall your experience in great detail. Many trauma survivors experience memory lapse around their trauma - it’s a very common trauma response. We are prepared to support you, no matter how much you do or do not remember.

No, we can support you on a short-term or longer-term basis depending on your needs. You are not restricted to a limited number of therapy sessions with your counselor.

No, legal advocacy means we can help you understand the court process, accompany you to meetings, and even go to court with you if you’d like. For legal representation, we offer a partnership with The Legal Project for legal consults and representation around civil matters.

 

Our program does not provide direct financial support. However, with proper documentation, we can help you apply for financial compensation through the New York State Office of Victim Services. This may help cover certain costs (medical or counseling-related expenses; lost wages; loss of essential personal property; funeral expenses, etc.)

 

No, we do not provide shelter or housing assistance. We can connect you to a shelter or housing program through our hotline or through your individual counselor.