City of Rochester
News Release
(Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020) – The City of Rochester’s new
Office of Crisis Intervention Services is gearing up to provide essential
services to the Rochester community and is on target to launch in the coming
months, according to Dr. Daniele Lyman-Torres, Commissioner of the Department
of Recreation and Human Services. During a community input session held via
Zoom today, Commissioner Lyman-Torres explained to constituents that the new
office will serve as the City’s 24-hour, non-law enforcement response to
homicides, mental health and domestic violence incidents, as well as other
traumatic events.
Commissioner Lyman-Torres also announced that the office
will be led by Alia Henton-Williams, who will serve as the new coordinator.
Henton-Williams brings extensive professional experience and a deeply relevant
personal history to this critical new role.
“So many people in our community are affected by mental
illness, substance abuse and a variety of domestic issues,” Dr. Lyman-Torres
said. “For those who suffer from these problems, finding the right kind of help
can be challenging. Under Alia’s leadership, I am confident that we will be
able to better serve these individuals in a manner that will get them the
appropriate care they so desperately need in the safest, most effective way
possible.”
The goal of the Crisis Intervention Services Office is to
create a comprehensive, community-based response to support victims and
families dealing with homicides, mental health, domestic violence, and other
related issues.
As the City’s new Comprehensive Crisis Response
Coordinator, Ms. Henton-Williams will be responsible for fulfilling the goals
of the Community Comprehensive Response Plan and overseeing a staff of
trauma-response professionals and community-service providers organized into
four units:
- Family
Crisis Intervention Team (FACIT): Provides crisis counseling to victims
directly after the crisis has occurred. The team will connect clients to
services, coordinate between service providers and provide follow-up case
management. The FACIT team currently operates within the Rochester Police
Department and will be transferred to the Department of Recreation and Human
Services on Oct. 26.
- Victims
Assistance Unit (VAU): Provides crisis support services after a crime, conducts
home/hospital visits, works with victims to help them understand the criminal
justice system, makes referrals to other agencies, provides transportation to
and from court for victims and witnesses when needed, and provides filing
assistance for NYS Crime Victim Compensation. These services also currently
operate within the Rochester Police Department, and will be transferred to the
Department of Recreation and Human Services on Oct. 26.
- The
Homicide Response Team will respond in 4 – 6 member units to homicides. The
teams will support family members of the victims by connecting them to support
services provided by FACIT, VAU or other community-based providers. The team
will also provide grief and intervention services to neighbors in an effort to
prevent retaliation or continued violence. Coalition partners, including
Pathways to Peace, Save Our Youth and Rise Up Rochester, have been meeting
since 2018 to discuss the needs and formation of the Homicide Response Team.
Training for team members has already begun, and response units are set to
launch in November.
- The
Crisis Response Team will respond to mental health, domestic violence and other
related crises. A coordinated response to crisis calls within our community is
essential to ensuring that calls for help are handled appropriately and those
in crisis receive the type of care they need. Initial Emergency Response Social
Workers have been hired, and an Advisory Committee is working on a pilot plan.
The life experiences of Alia Henton-Williams have given
her a deeply personal connection to the work she’ll do as the new Comprehensive
Crisis Response Coordinator. Her career
path as a supporter and advocate for those touched by violence began as a young
adult, after her 16-year-old brother, Ralik, was fatally shot in 1992. Ralik, on his way home from church, was
caught in a crossfire between rival gangs and died with his Bible in his hand.
The pain of that experience was compounded in 2018, when her 52-year-old
sister, Tracey Henton Williams, was stabbed during a domestic violence incident
and left to die on the side of the road. Ms. Henton-Williams now has 28 years
of experience in crisis response and trauma counseling, and has previously
served in key roles at Hillside Work Scholarship Connection, United Way of
Greater Rochester, Camp Good Days and Special Times, and in schools in both
Monroe and Wayne Counties.
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News Media: For more information, contact Bridgette Burch
White at 428-6064 or Bridgette.BurchWhite@cityofrochester.gov.