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Who We Are

HISTORY

The Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture (PSOT) was established in 1995 by medical and mental health professionals at Bellevue Hospital as the first program to address the complex needs of torture survivors.

We are the only comprehensive torture treatment center in the New York City area, providing medical and mental health care, as well as social and legal services to survivors of torture and war traumas and their family members.

PSOT is the only program in the nation that has developed and implemented treatment services for Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender (LGBT) survivors of torture, addressing the particular challenging intersection of immigration issues, persecution, trauma, and sexual identity.

STATISTICS

  • In 2010, we provided multidisciplinary services to nearly 700 people from 70 countries.
  • In our program's history, our clients have come from over 80 countries.
  • More than 400,000 torture survivors are estimated to reside in the United States.
  • Of these, 75,000 to 90,000 are estimated to live in the New York metropolitan area, possibly making New York home to more survivors of torture than anywhere else in the nation.
  • Among our clients, 43% are West African, 23% East Asian, 15% Central African, 4% Eastern European, 4 % South and Central American, 3% from the Former Soviet Union, 1.4 % Middle Eastern, and 1.3% North African.

PROGRAMS

We consider patients within the context of their total experience and circumstances to provide well-informed treatment planning and useful therapeutic services. Our team comprises physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, administrative staff, community liaisons, and volunteers such as English teachers and client chaperones. We have found that the medical, mental health, social and legal difficulties clients face are typically interrelated. Our Program operates from the premise that our clients are individuals with resources and assets that helped them survive the traumatic events that they experienced and that can be mobilized to help them as they rebuild their lives in the United States. If given support and relief from immediate stressors, most survivors can mobilize their inherent capacities for adjusting, healing and coping.