Programs & Services
AVA is unlike any other crime assistance organization in the United States. Our services are culturally responsive, victim-centered, and through many key partnerships, we offer a variety of programs aimed at addressing the needs of our community, including education, healthcare, and social services. Learn more about our programs and services, and how you can benefit from them.
Programs
Our programs and services allow AVA to serve domestic violence survivors, children and youth witnesses of violence, survivors of a loved one’s homicide, sexual assault survivors, and many other Atlanta residents affected by crime.
And unlike other crime assistance organizations, when there are crimes committed against people, AVA offers support to victims and witnesses regardless of the arrest status of the offender. For these victims, AVA is often the only organization connecting them with resources and helping them to cope, grieve and move forward with their lives.
Safety 1st
In collaboration with the Atlanta Public School System and Purpose Built Schools, we have onsite advocates at Maynard Jackson and Carver STEAM high schools who offer support services and violence prevention programs to students.
Law Enforcement Advocacy Program (LEAP)
We work closely with the Atlanta Police Department (APD) within all six zone precincts and several special crime units. Our trained advocates accompany law enforcement officers to respond to victims at crime scenes and those who call the agency service line.
Court Advocate Program
AVA partners with the Atlanta Municipal Court and the Office of the City Solicitor for the Court Advocacy Program, which provides on-site court advocates to assist victims of crime whose cases are assigned to the Atlanta Municipal Court.
Services
Temporary Protective Orders (TPOs)
When survivors of domestic violence seek TPOs to keep themselves and their children safe from their abusers, AVA helps survivors complete and expedite requests.
COMING SOON: Community Care Unit
We are expanding our services with our new Community Care Unit (CCU), a one-of-a-kind mobile unit that offers victims a safe onsite healing space immediately after a crime, allowing them to decompress, process their experiences, and receive services and referrals. The unit was funded by a grant from Impact100 Atlanta.
Homicide Support
Our monthly homicide support group helps grieving family members cope with the loss of a loved one due to crime. Loss is a deeply personal experience and in some cases when no arrest is made or the perpetrator isn’t identified, loved ones can experience long-lasting grief with no sense of closure. For many, this group provides sources of comfort and healing for months and even years.
Survivors are given a safe space to not only mourn together, but also to honor their loved ones, and draw inspiration from each other’s resiliency and strength. Interested in participating? Click here to sign up to receive emails about our next support group, or call Tremayne Rucker at (404) 396-4936 for more information.
Community Outreach & Education
We host events, resource fairs, and vigils to help Atlanta’s residents heal from violence as well as provide ways to prevent it from happening to them. Advocates also attend community meetings to make residents aware of our services. We annually host ceremonies for National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in April, a Domestic Violence Resource Fair in October, and a Celebration of Life Candlelight Vigil in December to commemorate victims and their families.
AVA's Closet
Because crime victims are sometimes forced to leave their homes, lose access to their personal belongings, or they may find themselves with limited resources, AVA’s Closet is a safe place to help them regain essential belongings like clothing, food, toiletries and more.
Non Discriminatory Policy
Atlanta Victim Assistance, Inc. does not discriminate against or harass any employee, applicant for employment or any potential recipient of services because of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, veteran status or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal or state law.
