Center for Survivors of Torture

Current News

In April, the Center for Survivors of Torture Network began a cooperative relationship with Catholic Charities in Houston to provide services to refugees and asylum seekers in the area.

CST’s Gulf Coast Outreach Center is located at the main offices of Catholic Charities, on 2900 Louisiana Street, upstairs in the counseling department. Our offices are open to all asylum seekers, asylees and refugees who have been tortured in their home countries.

“I have seen that while there are services aplenty to serve the incoming population, a main problem is that most of the services are going at it alone,” said Laura Egan, the summer intern at the Houston office. “CST is here to help provide coordination and education to those who wish to serve the refugees and asylum seekers better by bringing together doctors, lawyers, social workers, and other providers, so they can help every individual to the best of their abilities.”

The Houston Outreach Center will progress from coordinating services for refugees and asylum seekers to providing rehabilitation services such as psychological and psychiatric services, spiritual care, acculturation activities, and community trainings.

“It is providential the way the doors have opened so that we could expand our services at this time,” Dr. Manuel Balbona, director of the CST Network, said.

CST saw its first clients in the Houston area during the summer of 2007 at the Catholic Charities refugee offices and by video conferencing. At the time of publication, there were at least twenty referrals for torture survivors seeking services in Houston. During calendar year 2007, the Houston area handled 37% of refugees in Texas—more than Dallas and Fort Worth combined. The number of refugees originally settling in Houston is roughly equal to all other resettlement areas other than Dallas.

“I’m thrilled that we will finally be able to begin coordinating wraparound services to the area within the largest refugee and asylum-seeking community in the south-central United States,” said Rev. Sharmin DeMoss, assistant director. “We are very appreciative of the agencies and pro bono providers who have stepped up to make this possible.”

At this time, the budget for the Houston Center is $40,000 annually, mainly for accounting, oversight, training, and travel expenditures. Soon, the Houston Outreach Center will need a coordinator and office assistant. To sustain services in Houston, the CST Network is seeking donations totaling approximately $200,000 over the next twelve months. As a part of 2020 Vision, CST’s sustainability planning program, the Center is looking for 505 donors in the Houston area.

“Houston is a large, wonderful city with every type of person possible, including refugees and asylum seekers,” Egan said. “CST's opening of the Houston office has definitely helped illuminate the road to a new day for all those in Houston seeking our help.”