Program for Torture Victims

Last updated
Program for Torture Victims
PTVHandLogo.jpg
Type Non-Profit
NGO
Founded1980
FoundersAna Deutsch, M.F.T. &
José Quiroga, M.D.
Executive DirectorTrip Oldfield
LocationLos Angeles, Venice, Newport Beach CA
ServicesPrimary Medical Care
Mental Health Care
Evaluation & Expert Testimony
Social Services & Basic Needs
Peer Support
Professional Training
Public Education & Advocacy
Website www.ptvla.org

The Program for Torture Victims (PTV) is a non-profit organization that provides medical, psychological, case management and legal services to torture survivors. PTV serves more than 300 victims of state-sponsored torture from over 65 countries annually. [1]

Contents

History

The Program for Torture Victims (PTV) was founded in 1980 by Dr. José Quiroga and Ana Deutsch. [2]

Both Quiroga and Deutsch sought asylum in the United States and met in Los Angeles in 1979. [3] They began working on a campaign against torture with the Los Angeles Amnesty International Medical Group. The organization was conducting a study documenting cases of torture and the consequences for refugees and asylum-seekers in the United States. Quiroga assessed the medical consequences of torture while Deutsch assessed the victims' psychological well-being. However, Amnesty International decided that they, as an organization, were unable to provide direct treatment to torture survivors. [4] Quiroga and Deutsch knew that the torture survivors with whom they had been working needed rehabilitation services and decided to start the Program for Torture Victims. [5]

After the study by the Amnesty International Medical Group was completed, Quiroga presented it to the American Psychological Association. This was among the first research on the medical and psychological consequences of torture. Quiroga and Deutsch quickly became known as professionals treating victims of torture. It wasn't until 1987, years after PTV began, that the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment was enforced and torture was legally recognized and defined for the first time [4]

Quiroga and Deutsch began to treat clients in local clinics and in their own homes. Partnering with organizations such as Clinica Monseñor Oscar A. Romero, El Rescate, CARECEN and Amanecer, PTV quickly became well known in the Central American refugee community. Quiroga, having already been a volunteer at Venice Family Clinic for years, formed a partnership in which he was able to use their facilities to see PTV patients. Based in a small apartment at the time, Venice Family Clinic is now the largest community clinic in the U.S. and still home to PTV's medical office.

In 1994, PTV received its first grant from the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture and was incorporated as a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization. Several years later, in 2000, PTV received a federal grant for $2 million over a four-year period, allowing PTV to add staff and relocate the administrative office from Ms. Deutsch's home to downtown Los Angeles. With paid staff and a central office, PTV was finally able to expand its scope to include areas like research and evaluation.

Demographics

According to a report by the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), 48,217 refugees were admitted into the U.S. in 2007. [6] Of that total, 2,619 (5.43%) resettled in Florida, [7] 2,978 (6.18%) relocated to New York [7] and 6,699 (13.89%) chose to resettle in California; [6] making the latter home to more incoming refugees than the next two states combined. Of all those who sought to make California their new home, 4,645 (69%) resettled in the five counties PTV serves [7] - Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura. Out of all of the counties in California, The Los Angeles Federal Immigration Court had greatest number of asylum seekers with 4,064. Between 2002 and 2008, the L.A. Federal Immigration Court adjudicated the highest number of asylum applications of any immigration court in California with 69,172 cases - 63% of the state total. [8] As states, Florida and New York had 75,499 and 73,746 applications for asylum, respectively; [8] just a fraction more than L.A. County alone.

Client demographics

The demographic makeup of PTV's client population is ever-changing, as global, regional, and national sociopolitical dynamics are constantly in flux. Thus far, PTV has served clients from over 65 countries. [5]

Services

The Program for Torture Victims (PTV) provides integrated and comprehensive rehabilitation services to torture survivors.

Clients see a PTV case manager, physician, and psychotherapist. PTV partners with some of the region's leading service providers, including the Venice Family Clinic, Clinica Oscar Romero, the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, and Public Counsel. [9] [10]

Medical evaluation and treatment

Clients are evaluated by a PTV physician. When specialized procedures are needed, a wide network of physicians at the Venice Family Clinic and other local health care organizations are utilized at no cost to the client. PTV also offers ongoing consultation and trains health and mental health care providers on treating survivors of torture. [9] [11]

Psychological evaluation and counseling

PTV uses an integrated approach to rehabilitation that addresses the needs of torture survivors. This includes psychological evaluation, individual and family psychotherapy, psychiatric evaluation and follow-up, and psychological affidavits for asylum seekers in immigration court. [9] [12]

Working with Families - PTV works with family members of torture survivors. The overall goal of intervention is to restore a healthy dynamic after the rupture created by persecution, uncertainty, and separation.
Healing Club - The Healing Club is an informal gathering of clients, their family, and staff for cultural and recreational activities. This activity creates a sense of community among and between torture survivors from different countries, religions, and ethnic backgrounds.
Women’s Support Group - Nearly half of PTV’s clients are women. The aim of the program is to empower them to recover their inner strengths and hope for the future.
Asylum Readiness Group - This group provides clients with information about the asylum process, and addresses ways to reduce the stress that accompanies the process. The goal is to give survivors confidence and optimism about their future.

Most of PTV's clients seek refuge in the United States as asylum seekers. As the largest port of entry to torture survivors, Los Angeles has the highest number of asylum claims filed in the United States. [13]

PTV's staff prepares forensic medical and psychological evaluations and serve as expert witnesses in federal immigration court. Reliving horrific experiences through testimony can be extremely traumatic to the survivor. The PTV clinical staff prepares the client for the emotional responses they might have on the stand. The presence of a trusted PTV volunteer or staff member can provide the extra moral support a client needs to answer questions clearly and in the necessary detail about the experience.

PTV also works with an extensive network of attorneys to ensure legal assistance for clients. [9] [14]

Social services and healing groups

PTV provides emergency assistance with referrals for temporary shelter, food and other basic needs, as well as support in finding permanent housing and good jobs. They have also established support groups that create a sense of community for clients, address their various needs and help them become spokespeople against torture. [15]

Social Services offered:

Research evaluation

PTV is a resource for research information on torture survivors. They have created an extensive database with information on treatment outcomes for torture survivors, and are working to create a powerful resource for lawmakers to address policy issues related to the asylum process. [16]

Public education, advocacy, and legislative work

PTV initiates public programs to educate the general public about the use of torture worldwide and its consequences for individuals and society. They also engage elected officials and policymakers in efforts to combat torture and advocate for resources to facilitate the healing of torture survivors and their families.

PTV also collaborates with local organizations to host public programs for events such as the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torture</span> Deliberate infliction of suffering on a person

Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. Some definitions are restricted to acts carried out by the state, but others include non-state organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freedom from Torture</span> British charity

Freedom from Torture is a British registered charity which provides therapeutic care for survivors of torture who seek protection in the UK. Since it was established in 1985, over 57,000 survivors of torture have been referred to the organisation for help and it is one of the world’s largest torture treatment centres.

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a US-based not-for-profit human rights NGO that uses medicine and science to document and advocate against mass atrocities and severe human rights violations around the world. PHR headquarters are in New York City, with offices in Boston, Washington, D.C., as well as Nairobi. It was established in 1986 to use the unique skills and credibility of health professionals to advocate for persecuted health workers, prevent torture, document mass atrocities, and hold those who violate human rights accountable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tahirih Justice Center</span> American non-governmental organization

The Tahirih Justice Center, or Tahirih, is a national charitable non-governmental organization headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, United States, that aims to protect immigrant women and girls fleeing gender-based violence and persecution. Tahirih's holistic model combines free legal services and social services case management with public policy advocacy, training and education.

Helen Rae Bamber OBE, néeHelen Balmuth, was a British psychotherapist and human rights activist. She worked with Holocaust survivors in Germany after the concentration camps were liberated in 1945. In 1947, she returned to Britain and continued her work, helping to establish Amnesty International and later co-founding the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture. In 2005, she created the Helen Bamber Foundation to help survivors of human rights violations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims</span> Non-governmental organization

The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) is an independent, international health professional organization that promotes and supports the rehabilitation of torture victims and works for the prevention of torture worldwide. Based in Denmark, the IRCT is the umbrella organization for over 160 independent torture rehabilitation organizations in 76 countries that treat and assist torture survivors and their families. They advocate for holistic rehabilitation for all victims of torture, which can include access to justice, reparations, and medical, psychological, and psycho-social counseling. The IRCT does this through strengthening the capacity of their membership, enabling an improved policy environment for torture victims, and generating and share knowledge on issues related to the rehabilitation of torture victims. Professionals at the IRCT rehabilitation centers and programs provide treatment for an estimated 100,000 survivors of torture every year. Victims receive multidisciplinary support including medical and psychological care and legal aid. The aim of the rehabilitation process is to empower torture survivors to resume as full a life as possible. In 1988, IRCT, along with founder Inge Genefke, was given the Right Livelihood Award "for helping those whose lives have been shattered by torture to regain their health and personality."

José Quiroga Fuentealba is a cardiologist who served as a physician to Chilean president Salvador Allende. During the 1973 Chilean coup d'état, Quiroga witnessed the Chilean Army assault the government palace. He was detained and beaten until his release was ordered by a Chilean military general.

The United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is an international observance held annually on 26 June to speak out against the crime of torture and to honour and support victims and survivors throughout the world.

This is a day on which we pay our respects to those who have endured the unimaginable. This is an occasion for the world to speak up against the unspeakable. It is long overdue that a day be dedicated to remembering and supporting the many victims and survivors of torture around the world.

On this International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, we express our solidarity with, and support for, the hundreds of thousands of victims of torture and their family members throughout the world who endure such suffering. We also note the obligation of States not only to prevent torture but to provide all torture victims with effective and prompt redress, compensation and appropriate social, psychological, medical and other forms of rehabilitation. Both the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council have now strongly urged States to establish and support rehabilitation centers or facilities.

Bangladesh Rehabilitation Centre for Trauma Victims is a Bangladeshi NGO, working in the area of rehabilitation of trauma victims. It was established in 1992. BRCT began its journey by providing medical treatment, legal support, and rehabilitation to the victims on 25 February 1992 with support from foreign medical experts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Center for Victims of Torture</span> Organization in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States

The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) is an international non-profit headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota that provides direct care for those who have been tortured, trains partner organizations in the United States and around the world who can prevent and treat torture, conducts research to understand how best to heal survivors, and advocates for an end to torture.

The City Bar Justice Center provides pro bono legal services to low-income clients throughout New York City. It is part of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York Fund, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation.

Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST) is a Los Angeles-based anti-human trafficking organization. Through legal, social, and advocacy services, CAST helps rehabilitate survivors of human trafficking, raises awareness, and affects legislation and public policy surrounding human trafficking.

The Unit of Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture (URVT) has operated in Cyprus since 2005.

The Institute of Therapy and Investigation into the Effects of Torture and State Violence is a multidisciplinary non-governmental organisation based in Bolivia. It offers assistance to those affected directly or indirectly by torture and state violence through rehabilitative means.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition</span>

The Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International (TASSC) is a non-governmental, nonprofit organization based in the United States that works to end the practice of torture internationally and to support the survivors of torture and their families. TASSC is concerned not only with the prevention of torture but also addresses its aftermath, the individual survivor, family, community, and society. In addition to creating a worldwide network of International Communities of Healing for torture survivors and their families, TASSC also seeks to influence domestic and international policy through advocacy, social action, public testimony, and targeted media campaigns. The organization monitors human rights violations in nations where TASSC members may be at risk, operates Helping Hands, a direct assistance program for survivors, and coordinates the annual United Nations International Day in Support of Torture Victims and Survivors. TASSC was founded in 1998 by Sister Dianna Ortiz, an American survivor of torture while a missionary in Guatemala. The office of TASSC is located in Washington, D.C.

Center for Survivors of Torture (CST) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in Dallas, Texas with an office in Austin, Texas. CST was founded in 1997 with the mission of rehabilitating international torture survivors through counseling, medical, legal, and social services.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) is a program of the Administration for Children and Families, an office within the United States Department of Health and Human Services, created with the passing of the United States Refugee Act of 1980. The Office of Refugee Resettlement offers support for refugees seeking safe haven within the United States, including victims of human trafficking, those seeking asylum from persecution, survivors of torture and war, and unaccompanied alien children. The mission and purpose of the Office of Refugee Resettlement is to assist in the relocation process and provide needed services to individuals granted asylum within the United States.

The Inge Genefke Award is granted every second year by the Anti-Torture Support Foundation to a person who has carried out particularly outstanding work against torture. Named after Dr. Inge Genefke, a Danish physician and trailblazer in the worldwide fight against torture, the award can not be applied for, but is given by the decision of the board of the Anti-Torture Support Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture</span>

The Bellevue Program for Survivors of Torture (PSOT) was established in 1995 as joint project of Bellevue Hospital Center and the New York University School of Medicine to address the complex needs of torture survivors residing in the New York Metropolitan area. Since its founding, the Program continues to operate from Bellevue Hospital Center, located at 462 First Avenue CD723, New York City, NY 10016. The Program is the first and largest torture treatment center in the New York City area, providing multidisciplinary and comprehensive medical, mental health, legal, and social services to victims of torture and their families. PSOT's mission is to assist individuals subjected to torture and other human rights abuses to rebuild healthy, self-sufficient lives, and contribute to global efforts to end torture. Since its inception in 1995, PSOT has provided care to help rebuild the lives of more than 5,000 men, women, and children from over 100 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spirasi</span>

Spirasi is the Irish national independent centre for the rehabilitation of victims of torture.

References

  1. ↑ "The Organization." The Program for Torture Victims (PTV). Program for Torture Victims. Web. 13 July 2011. <http://ptvla.org/organization.html>
  2. ↑ L.A. Magazine, Feb 2013, pp 62-65
  3. ↑ Meyerson, Harold (2010-06-24). "L.A., a refuge from the unspeakable". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011-05-08.
  4. 1 2 "Program for Torture Victims Celebrates 31st Anniversary." International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims. International Rehabilitation Clinic for Torture Victims. Web. 19 July 2011. <http://www.irct.org/Default.aspx?ID=3843>.
  5. 1 2 Kruer, Rachel. "MAYOR AND COUNCILWOMAN ENDORSE “PROFIT FOR PEACE”." The Mayor of the City of Los Angeles. City of Los Angeles, 25 June 2010. Web. 19 July 2011. <http://mayor.lacity.org/PressRoom/PressReleases/LACITYP_010646>
  6. 1 2 Quiroga, J. and Jaranson, J. (2005). Politically-motivated torture and its survivors. A desk study review of the literature. [Thematic Issues] Torture, 2-3, 1-111.
  7. 1 2 3 California Department of State Office of Admissions Refugee Processing Center (2009). Bureau of population, refugees, and migration: Summary of refugee admissions as of September 30, 2009. Retrieved October 5,2009 from http://www.wrapsnet.org/LinkClock.aspx?
  8. 1 2 U.S. Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review Statistical Yearbook 2002-2008.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Ortiz, Michael, and Carolina Sheinfeld, eds. Los Angeles Guide for Torture Survivors. Publication. Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA), 2005. Web. 19 July 2011. <http://www.lri.lsc.gov/pdf/Apriltopdownloads/9.pdf>.
  10. ↑ "Services." The Program for Torture Victims (PTV). Program for Torture Victims. Web. 18 July 2011. <http://www.ptvla.org/services.html>.
  11. ↑ "Services - Medical." The Program for Torture Victims (PTV). Program for Torture Victims. Web. 18 July 2011. < "The Program for Torture Victims (PTV) - Services - Medical". Archived from the original on 2010-06-26. Retrieved 2010-04-12.>.
  12. ↑ "Services - Psychological." The Program for Torture Victims (PTV). Program for Torture Victims. Web. 18 July 2011. <http://www.ptvla.org/services-psychological.html>.
  13. ↑ U.S. Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review Statistical Yearbook 2002-2008
  14. ↑ "Services - Legal Support and Training." The Program for Torture Victims (PTV). Program for Torture Victims. Web. 18 July 2011. <http://www.ptvla.org/services-legal.html>.
  15. ↑ "Services - Social Services and Healing Groups." The Program for Torture Victims (PTV). Program for Torture Victims. Web. 18 July 2011. <http://www.ptvla.org/services-case-management.html>.
  16. ↑ "Services - Research." The Program for Torture Victims (PTV). Program for Torture Victims. Web. 18 July 2011. <http://www.ptvla.org/services-research.html>.
  17. ↑ "Services - Public Education, Advocacy, & Legislative Work." The Program for Torture Victims (PTV). Program for Torture Victims. Web. 18 July 2011. <http://www.ptvla.org/services-education-advocacy.html>.
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