We are a nurse-led organization providing trauma-sensitive medical care, forensic education, & community support — bridging the gap between crisis response & lifelong healing. The Emerald Coast Victim Services, Inc is a 501 (c)(3) that was founded by a Nurse Practitioner. The Emerald Coast Victim Services is a sexual assault program that launched in 2022. Here, survivors can obtain free exams tha
t document their stories, preserve legal evidence and obtain medication. The goal of the program is to provide a safe non-judgmental place where survivors can connect to trained trauma informed professionals, create partnerships, community awareness education, health promotion and disease prevention. The purpose is to collect evidence to prosecute sexual offenders to obtain justice for survivors and improve patient outcomes. Our mission is to reduce the health effects of violence and trauma. Our vision is to ensure every person in our area has access to a forensic nurse with the skills, resources, and training to provide trauma informed care to reduce the health impacts of violence and trauma. Our healthcare professionals are trained extensively to deliver compassionate care while performing forensic exams. Please know, these exams are performed as a precaution; this way survivors can choose to report to law enforcement in their own time. It is apparent that this overwhelming need has been here for years, and did not exist. Programs like this are the epitome of victim centered care and it is long overdue in our area. This program will also connect survivors to various other services. Continuing education of our nurses will maintain the critical skills needed to perform a detailed forensic exam. Community outreach is imperative to continue our mission to support survivors of sexual assault. Principle's:
- Respect & tolerance
- Diversity enables us to reach communities and families with greater impact
- Recognize systemic privilege and oppression exist in our society
- Committed to advocating for change
- Utilize advocacy and policy platforms to bring awareness of systemic justice
- Create programs using our awareness of cultural differences
