SPRINGFIELD (MA)
Republican
Friday, December 10, 2004
By BILL ZAJAC
wzajac@repub.com
SPRINGFIELD - Clergy sexual abuse victims who have problems with mental health, substance abuse, housing, employment or other issues will be able to get help through a newly created resource position that one victim said could become a national model.
A victim resource coordinator position has been created and an accompanying $50,000 grant from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield to fund it has been awarded to Behavioral Health Network, the diocese announced yesterday.
"The goal is to refer individuals to the appropriate place to get help," said Laura F. Reilly, victim advocate for the Springfield diocese.
"If, for instance, it is a housing problem, the victim resource coordinator will be able to refer the person to the places where help can be found. It's not to pay for the housing, it is to point the person to the professionals who can help address the person's housing problem," Reilly said.
Also, the diocese's Fund for Help and Healing, which was established to provide short-term emergency financial help to clergy abuse victims, has spent $9,000 in responding to 32 requests for help since the fund was established in the spring, fund committee members Sandra L. Tessier and Sister Elizabeth Broughan reported yesterday.
Posted by kshaw at December 10, 2004 09:20 AM