Erie County Medical Center’s (ECMC’s) new satellite Trauma Recovery Center affiliated with the institution’s BRAVE (Buffalo Rising Against Violence) initiative, is a hospital-based violence intervention trauma recovery effort that cares for individuals who are victims of violence.

In October 2023, ECMC’s BRAVE program achieved designation/certification as Western New York’s only Trauma Recovery Center (TRC), and is the second NYS Office of Victims Services (OVS)-funded program in the state to attain this distinction, other than the TRC in Brooklyn. TRCs treat victims of violence holistically and proactively through comprehensive case management and assertive outreach, ensuring that their basic needs are met to enable them to heal. TRC provides emergency support, clinical care, and wraparound case management to survivors living in communities impacted by violence.

Thomas J. Quatroche Jr., PhD, ECMC President and CEO says, “Since the inception of the BRAVE program in 2019, and now with the national Trauma Recovery Center designation, our dedicated caregivers provide holistic therapeutic services for individuals who have experienced an acute violent victimization.”

ECMC’s BRAVE TRC helps Western New Yorkers who have suffered due to gun violence, stabbing, interpersonal violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and elder abuse. All individuals ages 18 and older can receive assistance regardless of immigration status, personal identity, mental health, or substance use diagnosis through referral by ECMC staff, a community partner agency, families of homicide victims, and New Yorkers who are victims of violent crime or domestic violence within the past three years.

Paula Kovanic-Spiro, LMSW, MPH, Director of ECMC’s BRAVE Trauma Recovery Center says, “The opening of the BRAVE Trauma Recovery Center represents the culmination of five years of dedicated victim services to the Buffalo community.” State Office of Victim Services Director Bea Hanson says, “Trauma Recovery Centers work because they treat victims of violence holistically through comprehensive case management and proactive outreach to ensure their basic needs are met.” State Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado says, “Our SNUG team works with BRAVE and plays a key role in driving down gun violence, connecting individuals with services and opportunities, and providing trauma-informed counseling to individuals affected by gun violence.”

ECMC’s BRAVE TRC recognizes that each person’s path to recovery and healing is unique. Their role as a TRC is to foster inquiry, hold hope, and partner with individuals along their own path through the use of evidence-based, trauma sensitive, and culturally responsive services. ECMC’s BRAVE TRC provides both inpatient and outpatient services. Inpatient services include crisis response to trauma, injuries, violence, trafficking, and elder abuse. Individuals receive safety and needs assessments, support for family members, end-of-life and grief counseling, harm-reduction interventions, SNUG program and community-based services referrals.

Outpatient services include cognitive behavioral therapy and processing, dialectical behavioral therapy, grief and loss, internal family systems, somatic-based interventions, brain-spotting, post-discharge follow-up and support, internal family system support, law enforcement education and support, court accompaniment and advocacy, crime victims reimbursement, and transportation assistance for medical and mental health appointments.

For more information on ECMC’s BRAVE Trauma Recovery Center, please call 716-898-6461.