Who: The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay plans to open a second sexual assault services facility in south Hillsborough County in August of 2022. The facility will be located in the Hillsborough County South Shore Community Resource Center.
Why this is important: The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay provides specialized services to survivors of sexual assault in Hillsborough County. These services are currently provided at the Crisis Center’s main facility in North Tampa. The south county location will make it significantly easier for south county residents, including undocumented individuals, to access services.
TAMPA, Fla., December 15, 2021 –The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay announced today that it plans to open a second sexual assault and crisis services facility in south Hillsborough County. The new facility will be a second location in Hillsborough County where victims of sexual assault can receive a rape kit where DNA evidence is collected from victims to assist in the prosecution of sexual assault cases.
The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay is the certified rape crisis center for Hillsborough County. It has created a very private and empowering process for survivors to receive a rape kit, work with a victim advocate, and connect to community resources. These services are currently provided at the Crisis Center’s main facility off Bearss Avenue in Tampa. The same system of care will continue at the Bearss facility and will be replicated at the south county location to bring these resources closer to Ruskin, Brandon, Wimauma, and the rest of south Hillsborough.
“We are extremely thankful for the support we have received from the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners and especially for the advocacy of Commissioner Harry Cohen and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. South County has seen a dramatic population boom and it has a population that is underserved when it comes to crisis intervention services. We look forward to creating an effortless experience for people to connect to support,” said Clara Reynolds, President & CEO of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.
The new Crisis Center of Tampa Bay facility is planned to open in August 2022 and will be located within the Hillsborough County South Shore Community Resource Center at 201 14th Avenue S.E., Ruskin, Florida. The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners recently voted to adopt a resolution authorizing the approval of a license agreement regarding the utilization of the space.
Anyone can connect to these services by calling 211. Calls are confidential and are answered 24 hours-a-day, 365 days-a-year.
About the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay/TransCare
The mission of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay is to ensure that no one in our community has to face crisis alone. The organization is the community’s gateway to help, hope, and healing, and is Tampa Bay’s elite provider of crisis and trauma services. Responding to over 160,000 requests for help each year, the nonprofit agency offers a range of evidence based programs designed to meet community needs:
• Gateway Contact Center (211: suicide prevention, crisis counseling, and information and referral services)
• Corbett Trauma Center (trauma counseling and sexual assault survivor services)
• TransCare (911 emergency and mental health ambulance services, medical van transportation, community paramedicine)
For more information about the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, please visit www.crisiscenter.com
Media Contact: Ken Gibson
Crisis Center of Tampa Bay
Phone: 813-410-4129
Email: kgibson@crisiscenter.com
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