How Crime Victims Can Get Free Therapy in California

Crime victims deserve quality mental health care to recover from trauma. I am proud to work with the California Victim’s Compensation Board (CalVCB) to offer up to 60 free therapy sessions to crime victims.

How It Works

CalVCB provides financial assistance to victims of crime and their families by giving reimbursement for crime related expenses. Victims of crime and their family members can apply to CalVCB for benefits including mental health care. Once you are approved you provide me with your application number, and instead of charging you for the sessions I bill CalVCB and they pay me directly. There is no cost to you.

Who is Eligible

To be eligible victims must be a California resident at the time of the crime or have been victimized in the state of California. Victims of crime and their family members can receive benefits. The crime must involve physical injury, emotional injury, or death.

Victims must cooperate with the police and court to arrest and prosecute the perpetrator (with some exceptions). The application must be within seven years of the crime, or seven years after the direct victim turns 21 years of age, or seven years from when the crime could have been discovered, whichever is later. 

Types of Crime Covered

Crimes covered by CalVCB include but are not limited to:

  • Assault with a deadly weapon

  • Battery

  • Child abuse

  • Child sexual assault

  • Child endangerment and abandonment

  • Domestic violence

  • Driving under the influence

  • Elder abuse

  • Hate crimes

  • Homicide

  • Human trafficking

  • Hit and run

  • Kidnapping

  • Murder

  • Online harassment

  • Rape

  • Robbery

  • Sexual assault

  • Stalking

  • Sexual battery

  • Terrorism

  • Vehicular manslaughter

  • Other crimes that result in physical injury or a threat of physical injury to the victim

For some crimes, victims may be eligible for compensation for emotional injury alone. These crimes include:

  • Child abandonment

  • Child abduction

  • Neglect

What Else is Covered?

CalVCB also reimburses for expenses such as medical and dental treatment, funeral and burial costs, income loss, home security installation, relocation and more.

Can I Really Recover After Being Victimized?

Healing is possible. I have worked with many crime victims throughout my career who have survived crimes such as domestic violence, sexual assault, physical assault, and kidnapping. Through our work together they have processed their experiences, reduced traumatic stress, and even faced their perpetrators in court. You do not have to this alone.

How to Apply

You can apply for CalVCB benefits online here or you can get support with the application from an advocate at your local county victim witness assistance center. I recommend using an advocate, because they can walk you through the application as well as help you locate supporting documents that may be needed such your police report number or other proof the crime occurred.

If you have questions about this process or want to get started using your CalVCB benefits for therapy you can schedule a free consultation with me here.

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