MONTGOMERY— Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded a $1.2 million grant to help a nonprofit organization in Mobile continue providing services to victims of sexual assault and crime in southwest Alabama.
The grant to the Family Counseling Center of Mobile will fund a variety of services to assist victims in Clarke, Mobile and Washington counties.
The center’s Child Advocacy Therapeutic Unit will help young victims of sexual assault with access to crisis counseling, support groups, case management and family advocacy, assistance in navigating the criminal justice system and assistance in filing Alabama Crime Victim’s Compensation forms.
The center’s Outreach and Education Division assists surviving family members of homicide and vehicular homicide victims as well as victims of armed robbery and financial crimes. Services provided include support groups, crisis counseling, case management, assistance with filing compensation forms and accompaniment to criminal justice proceedings. The center also offers financial crime awareness and education presentations and assistance for victims of identity theft, mortgage and lending fraud and mass marketing fraud.
“Victims of all ages deserve access to assistance that provides safety and counseling to help them begin healing and moving forward with their lives,” Ivey said. “I commend the work of the staff members and volunteers of the Family Counseling Center of Mobile to help all victims at a time they need it the most.”
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant from funds made available to the state by the U.S. Justice Department.
“ADECA shares Gov. Ivey’s dedication to supporting organizations like the Family Counseling Center of Mobile that provide services to victims of sexual abuse and other crimes,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “This partnership helps to ensure continued access to vital care and assistance during traumatic events.”
ADECA administers an array of programs supporting law enforcement and traffic safety, economic development, energy conservation, water resource management and recreation development.
Ivey notified Sharee Broussard, Family Counseling Center of Mobile board president, that the grant had been approved.
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