Our History

At The NATRC

The UC San Francisco Trauma Recovery Center developed the TRC model of care in 2001 to serve survivors of violence who were falling through the cracks of traditional victim services. By combining assertive outreach, trauma-informed mental health services, and help with practical needs, TRCs are breaking the cycle of violence and removing barriers to care for communities in need.

Outcome data demonstrates what sets this model apart: high rates of engagement in services, significant improvements in mental health / wellness, and effective linkage to other community supports. TRCs provide wraparound care that costs less than traditional, fee-for-service mental health treatment alone.

In 2013, the State of California passed legislation to begin replicating the TRC model. In 2017, California passed legislation to define standards for TRCs across the state and codified minimum requirements and best practices for what constitutes a TRC.

As additional states replicated the TRC model, programs joined together in 2019 to form the National Alliance of Trauma Recovery Centers (NATRC). We offer a learning community to share best practices and innovations, advocacy updates, and provider support, along with support for TRC implementation and program development through the TRC Technical Assistance Program. By expanding our network, the NATRC serves as a catalyst to advocate for equitable, comprehensive client-centered care for all victims who’ve experienced violent crime.

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Above is 15 minute overview of the TRC model. We encourage you to check it out and share the video with anyone who might be interested.

Testimonials

From TRCs

“Leveraging our community partnerships has been an amazing part of this model; we are able to connect clients to resources for a better quality of life.”
“With the TRC model, there is definitely potential for generational change.”
“We’re going to meet the client wherever they are, we don’t have the expectation that a client will come to us to get services.”
“We give our clients a sense of hope and healing.”
“We are client-centered, they are the experts on their lives.”
“Part of trauma-informed care is changing institutions that have caused harm, for example, coming into schools that may not be using a trauma lens in working with teens of color, but are more focused on conduct disorder.”
“We are an innovation, but we really need to be standard practice for our communities.”
“When clients contact us, often times mental health is not their priority, it’s getting the utilities paid. When a client says “I can’t pay my rent,” that is a mental health issue.”
“We serve those who experience personal and institutional trauma.”
“This model is cost-effective, we can reach a lot more people.”

Stay Up to Date

The numbers don't lie: when it comes to mental health care, need isn'the deciding factor, access is. This disparity was first documented over two decades ago. It hasn't closed since. Bebe Moore Campbell spent her career pushing this country to talk about mental health in Black communities, and named a month so the conversation wouldn't stop after July. The Trauma Recovery Center model carries that work forward: same-day access, no barrier of insurance or immigration status, care built around trust instead of red tape. Find a TRC near you at natrc.org. #BIPOCMentalHealth #MinorityMentalHealthMonth #TraumaRecoveryCenter #MentalHealthEquity
From the first visit to the last step of recovery, survivors don't have to navigate it alone. Clinical case management is a core part of the TRC model. That means TRC staff accompany clients to court proceedings and medical appointments, help them complete and file victim compensation applications, assist with filing police reports if a client chooses to, and help connect them to safe housing, health insurance, and financial entitlements. Staff also link clients to medical care and vocational training, and act as a liaison to community agencies, law enforcement, and other service providers. It's the difference between handing someone a list of resources and walking the path with them, every step of the way. #TraumaRecoveryCenter #CaseManagement #SurvivorSupport #NATRC
Our hearts are with everyone affected by the tragedy in Coney Island on the Fourth of July. This senseless act is a reminder that recovery from violent crime doesn't end when the emergency response does and why Trauma Recovery Centers exist. As a member of the National Alliance of Trauma Recovery Centers (NATRC), the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island (JCCGCI) Trauma Recovery Center is prepared to respond in the aftermath of violence, providing immediate, trauma-informed counseling, victim advocacy, case management, and wraparound support for survivors, their loved ones, and the broader community. We stand with JCCGCI and all those working to ensure that healing begins immediately and continues for as long as it takes. #NATRC #traumarecovery
For many Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color, getting mental health care isn't just about finding a provider. It's about finding one you can trust. Three barriers keep showing up: • Stigma. Mental illness still gets viewed as a private matter, or a sign of weakness, instead of a treatable health condition. That silence delays care until it's a crisis. • Access. Many communities have fewer providers of color andfewer clinics in the neighborhoods that need them most. • Cultural mistrust. Earned, not imagined, after generations of harm from inequitable treatment and harm by medical systems that failed to understand the people they were treating. This is why the Trauma Recovery Center model was designed to provide access to care, regardless of insurance or immigration status, with advocates and therapists working side by side. It is a model of care built around trust, accessibility, and collaboration. During Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, we're naming the barriers because that's the first step to breaking them. #MinorityMentalHealth #BMMHM #BIPOCMentalHealth #MentalHealthEquity #HealthDisparities #TraumaRecovery #NATRC
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the New York City Council recently approved $1.2 M annually to each of the four NYC Trauma Recovery Centers (TRCs), ensuring the programs can continue providing critical services to survivors of violence across the city. The NATRC congratulates Rising Ground TRC, Center for Community Alternatives (CCA) TRC, Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island (JCCGCI) TRC, and Astor Services TRC on their hard work and tireless efforts.

Trauma Recovery Centers

Across the Country