Founder & Executive Director of the Central Iowa Trauma Recovery Center and a Mid-Iowa Health Foundation HealthConnect Fellow
(April 2022-September 2023)
Elevating the standard of care provided to surviving family members of trauma and loss
Simmons is leading efforts to establish a trauma recovery center model in Iowa. The model is unique in that it offers a holistic public health approach to supporting survivors of violent crimes and other kinds of trauma. Those services include mental health treatment, medication management and care coordination services. Through a comprehensive intake process, the center conducts a clinical mental health evaluation as well as a life stability assessment to determine issues that could be pressing for new clients that extend beyond their victimization. Many clients come to the center with issues such as a pre-existing mental health condition, physical pain, lack of social relationships, and unmet basic needs. A clinical care coordinator works to address those issues simultaneously while a client begins therapy to treat their trauma. Reducing barriers to care and addressing a client's basic needs increases the likelihood of them remaining in treatment.
During the fellowship, Simmons worked to engage local, state, and federal officials to foster understanding how the center’s approach significantly improved survivors’ mental and emotional well-being. Simmons had the opportunity to meet with two U.S. Senators, who served on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, to discuss the outcomes of survivors served in Iowa. One of the Senators toured the center and held a roundtable discussion with clients and stakeholders. Under new leadership, the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, including the Attorney General and the new Victim Assistance Chief, reached out to tour the facility and to learn about the model.
In the fall of 2022, the Attorney General’s Office contracted with the Central Iowa Trauma Recovery Center to take on the certification, training, and technical assistance for all providers working with surviving family members of homicide victims and agencies who receive support funds from the Attorney General’s office. This work has allowed the center to also support those who are serving trauma survivors and to encourage them to adopt aspects of the center’s philosophy and approach to care in their work.
Assertive outreach, building new partnerships, and developing a more consistent message through the fellowship aided Simmons in the shift of Iowa decision makers toward supporting a trauma recovery model of care. Elected officials at the state and national levels continue to approach Simmons to learn more about the center’s approach. The center has joined the Iowa Attorney General’s Crime Victim Assistance Division’s leadership convenings to discuss high-level issues regarding victim services in Iowa and to help guide future efforts.
Establishing relationships with federal stakeholders also helped the Trauma Recovery Center secure federal funds from the Department of Justice. Fiscal year 2023 moved the center from being a pilot initiative to being awarded a three-year contract through the competitive process. The center saw a 30 percent increase in funding last year through that grant, as well as two state grants. The center is a member of the National Alliance of Trauma Recovery Centers (NATRC), where Simmons serves as an Executive Steering Committee member. Through relationships with the NATRC and the Alliance for Safety and Justice, the center was able to contribute to developing messaging strategies utilized with federal policymakers and agencies.
Through training for victim-serving agencies, more providers and agencies are aligning their work with core elements of the trauma recovery center model. Some have adjusted their intake process to better assess client needs and are placing greater emphasis on addressing the social determinants of health in addition to providing medical care.
The center has been able to track clinical outcomes and program data that shows how many individuals heal and recover through this evidence-based model of care. What drives Simmons’ work is the importance of responding to a fundamental belief in healing the human condition and bearing witness to the recovery of the clients at the center she serves. Survivors have a right to receive care in a safe and restorative space that validates their experiences and gives them the tools to move forward.
