Member Spotlight

The Member Spotlight profiles the work and accomplishments of National Center for Victims of Crime members.

The Member Spotlight is on . . .

Vilma Torres Victim Advocate Safe Horizon Manhattan, New York

For 25 years, Vilma has worked with families affected by homicide in all five boroughs of New York City. Currently, she supervises the Bronx Criminal Court Reception Center and Complaint Room that provides crisis intervention, safety assessment and risk management, shelter placement, and advocacy with the New York City Police Department and the District Attorney's office. 

Vilma conducts Safe Horizon's staff training on grief and loss, bereavement, and the impact of homicide on families' lives, which adapts Dr. Edward K. Rynearson's group model of therapeutic intervention for families of homicide victims. 

Vilma has launched activities, such as the Safe Horizon Children's Chorale, to support the most vulnerable family members. She has also helped coordinate large-scale events, such as Safe Horizon's National Crime Victims' Rights Week observance, the Children's Requiem, and the Million Mom March. Such initiatives build on victims' strengths and convey attention and respect to those harmed by crime. She also presents regularly at national conferences and regional trainings throughout the country.