Sexual Assault and Crime Victims Assistance Program and Forensic Examiner Program join to become St. Peter’s Crime Victim Services
St. Peter’s Health Partners’ Sexual Assault and Crime Victims Assistance Program (SACVAP) and the St. Peter’s Forensic Examiner Program have joined to become St. Peter’s Crime Victim Services. The new partnership and name encompasses all services the program provides, including forensic examiners, support and advocacy, and prevention education and community engagement.
“We are thrilled to bring together all of these St. Peter’s Health Partners services, which work to support crime victims and survivors and to prevent crime, under a shared organizational structure,” said Lindsey Crusan-Muse, director of St. Peter’s Crime Victim Services. “Our new name, St. Peter’s Crime Victim Services, reflects our mission to reduce the incidence and trauma of all crimes through person-centered emotional support, advocacy, and medical services, and community-based prevention efforts.”
In addition to operating a 24-hour Crisis Hotline (518-271-3257), St. Peter’s Crime Victim Services provides long-term counseling and therapy for crime victims, hosts support groups (including virtual support groups), and offers accompaniment and advocacy services. St. Peter’s Crime Victim Services offers training to medical professionals and members of the community, and prevention education classes in schools throughout the Capital Region. The program also offers forensic exam services and crisis intervention to victims/survivors of numerous crimes – including sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, and elder abuse – at all St. Peter’s Health Partners Emergency Departments and in acute care inpatient departments.
The program has been serving the Rensselaer County community for 41 years, expanding to Albany County in 2019. Each year, the program provides long-term services to more than 1,800 individuals and reaches more than 8,000 community members with prevention education programs. The forensic examiner program provides domestic violence and sexual assault exam services to more than 300 patients annually.
To learn more about St. Peter’s Crime Victim Services, visit their website at sphp.com/crimevictimservices or call 518-271-3410. If you or someone you know has been the victim of a crime and needs to speak with someone immediately, you can contact the 24-hour hotline at 518-271-3257.
