Program areas at AVP
Avp provides direct services to survivors of lgbtq and hiv-affected survivors of violence, reaching 1500 survivors, including with crisis intervention, safety planning, counseling, advocacy, economic empowerment services, as well as information and referrals to organizations and institutions that provide services and resources outside the scope of avp's services. Avp operates a free bilingual, 24-hour, 365-day-a-year crisis intervention hotline that is staffed by trained volunteers and our professional counselors and advocates, answering over 1,200 calls annually.
Avp's lgbtq legal services Project provides holistic, direct legal services to underserved Lesbian, Gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (lgbtq) survivors of all forms of violence, co-located with avp's existing culturally competent direct social services. In fy23, avp served 181 clients with 238 legal case matters. The Project's goal is to increase access to legal services and, ultimately, increase safety, for underserved lgbtq communities. Holistic legal services range from intake, advice, and representation on issues such as orders of protection, child support, child custody, legal separation/divorce or dissolution, immigration matters, financial matters, housing matters, name changes, advanced directives, and representation as complaining witnesses in criminal court as clients need these services.
Avp organizes community and public responses to specific violent incidents throughout New York City and state, trains community members and service providers on topics related to lgbtq and hiv-affected peoples' experiences of violence, and does advocacy campaigns that address lgbtq and hiv- affected people's safety. Avp collaborates with community members and community-based organizations to raise awareness about the intersection of lgbtq and hiv-affected identities and violence through coalitions, networks and other collaborative work. Avp is the largest lgbtq-specific anti- violence program in the country and reaches over 10,000 people annually through comprehensive programming both in-person and online. In fiscal year 2023, avp received over 2,000 callers to the crisis hotline, provided counseling services to 1,000 community members, served over 250 clients with legal services and representation, and distributed resources to an additional 7,000 through our public advocacy and community organizing campaigns.
Other program - communications