Monroe County holds summit Wednesday afternoon to help crime victims heal

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Monroe County is holding a therapeutic summit on Wednesday to support victims of crime.

The summit falls on National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. It aims to help victims heal by raising awareness for victims’ rights and the services available to them. It runs from 1:30 to 6 p.m. and you must register here to attend. You can attend in person at 75 Stutson Street in Rochester or on Zoom.

The event is organized by the Monroe County Department of Public Safety, STOP-DWI Program, and the Coalition for Crime Victims of Monroe County. Refreshments are available at the event.

Workgroups at the event will include self-care, mindfulness, resiliency, multigenerational trauma, primary
emotions leading to anger, compassion fatigue, de-escalation, and more.

Paula Penna, a crime victims specialist at the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, says ultimately victims just want to be heard. She says part of her job is to offer guidance to victims with the next steps and direct them to agencies that fit their needs.

“When you’re a victim, there’s a lot of times where you just have to sit back and wait for people to ask you questions. You don’t get a time to talk to the judge or a jury directly and that’s part of the frustration of victims,” Penna said.

Crime Victims’ Rights Week, which has been observed since the 1980s, runs through Saturday. The Monroe County summit was selected to receive funding through the National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Community Awareness Project.