New program will provide critical trauma-informed respite and stabilization to victims of crime in the immediate aftermath of violent crime
Project Restore expands Access to Hope Initiative offerings and builds on the District Attorney’s Office’s commitment to supporting victims of crime
San Francisco, CA – Today, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins with Supervisor Myrna Melgar and Five Keys announced the launch of Project Restore, a new Access to Hope pilot program, that will provide brief respite, stabilization, and holistic services to support women who are victims and survivors of crime that have suffered acute trauma. Project Restore will provide a safe space that promotes healing, through victim advocacy, case management and curated wellness interventions that foster belonging and a sense of community.
“Through Project Restore, my office will be able to offer victims of crime essential respite and stabilization resources in the immediate aftermath of violent crimes, when they may be at their most fragile and vulnerable point,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “My office is committed to doing everything we can to support victims of crime in the courtroom and outside as they work to address the trauma caused by violent crime. This new resource will give victims and survivors some time and a safe space to work with staff to develop individualized plans to help them heal and recover.”
Project Restore is the first initiative of its kind in San Francisco, created to provide immediate respite, stabilization, and support for women who have suffered an acute violent crime. The program is designed to offer a safe space that promotes healing, reduces re-traumatization, and increases physical and emotional stabilization in the critical aftermath of violence. Curated interventions will foster belonging and a sense of community taking into consideration evidence-based, and data-driven, trauma-informed prevention strategies that lead with our office’s core values of compassion, humanity, and integrity.
“Project Restore stands as a powerful example of what government and community partners can achieve when they unite around justice, healing, and public service,” said Steve Good, Executive Director of Five Keys. “Through our partnership with the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, Five Keys Home Free expands its trauma-informed model, built through years of supporting formerly incarcerated women survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, including women who spent decades in prison despite histories of severe abuse and victimization. Together, we create pathways to safety, stability, lasting independence, and hope.”
During the pilot phase, Project Restore will provide respite space and serve up to 10 single women (at any given time) who have reported violent crimes including domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, physical assault and human trafficking. Next of kin of homicide victims are also eligible to participate in the program. Participants may stay in the respite space for up to 60 days.
The District Attorney’s Office Victim Services Division will offer placements to eligible single women based on eligibility program eligibility guidelines and program fit. All victim services offered by the Victim Services Division are completely voluntary and participants may decline them at any time. Project Restore will be collocated with Five Keys’ Home Free Program on Treasure Island.
Five Keys Home Free is a transitional housing community for formerly criminalized survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking to support their reentry with practical and emotional support services as they reintegrate into society after spending decades in prison. Home Free focuses on addressing the trauma that the women have experienced by offering life coaching, financial planning, and employment. Home Free’s commitment is to foster self-determination through trauma-informed and gender-specific programs as the women pursue their chosen areas of development.
The Project Restore pilot is expected to run for six to 12 months. If successful, the District Attorney’s Office and Five Keys aim to eventually be able to serve women with children through Project Restore. The program’s goal is for participants to develop a restorative wellness plan with Victim Services and Five Keys case management staff that they are able to adhere to as they work through the trauma they experienced.
“Project Restore is the type of survivor-centered program we need to disrupt the cycle of violence and support women on their journeys to heal and to live out their full potential,” said District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar. “Housing stability is foundational to promoting a wrap-around approach for every survivor. I am grateful to the District Attorney and her team for this holistic approach to supporting survivors.”
Project Restore is part of the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office’s Access to Hope Initiative. The Access to Hope Initiative is a prevention and intervention strategy designed to build trust and create hope in those individuals and communities most deeply impacted by crime and violence to prevent and deter crime. Access to Hope Initiative programs and projects play a critical role in the District Attorney’s Office’s ongoing commitment to centering victims and those impacted by crime and violence, in our pursuit of justice, and work to advance smart criminal justice reforms. Project Restore was successfully launched through a generous donation of $1,000,000 from Chris Larsen through the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
###