Eps. 48 The Kimberly Hurst Episode!

Broadcasting LIVE from the Sold by Eldon Studio, at MediaSkapes, the fellas chatted with Kimberly Hurst.

Kimberly is the Founder and CEO of Avalon Healing Center, a non-profit, 501(c)3, comprehensive organization that provides compassionate and trauma-informed care to survivors of sexual assault.

In 2001, she took a Basic Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner course, and was hooked! She began working as an independent contractor for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Programs in both Oakland and Macomb counties. After gaining experience in the field for 2 years, she felt it necessary to embark on implementing SAFE services in Wayne County.

It took two years more to obtain start-up funding and their 501c3 status, but in January of 2006, WC SAFE (later became Avalon) opened its doors out of one small clinic location in northeast Detroit, with only Kimberly and a handful of SAFE nurses. That first year they cared for approximately 120 sexual assault survivors. Each year the number of patients served grew and in 2010, WC SAFE added additional services to become the first stand-alone comprehensive sexual assault center in Southeast Michigan. This now included providing not only 24/7 medical-forensic services, but crisis intervention, advocacy, counseling (individual and group), community outreach, prevention education and social change work. Now, in their 14th year of service, WC SAFE services over 1,500 survivors annually with numbers growing each year – reaching over 17,000 survivors of sexual violence to date.

These services have been provided at no cost to all ages of survivors of sexual violence.

Under Kimberly’s leadership, WCSAFE has grown to 6 clinic sites around Wayne County and employs 25 full time staff & 5 contracted SAFE nurses and recently rebranded as the Avalon Healing Center. The expert witness testimony that Kimberly and her Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner team have provided over the years has helped to hold sex offenders and rapists accountable through countless guilty convictions. Working to build a safer community and change rape culture in this country.

In addition, Kimberly has been an integral part of helping to have solved the issue of un-submitted kits in Detroit. She has participated in research projects on this issue and has been invaluable, helping develop best practice approaches to this particular issue for sexual assault survivors.

You’ll be amazed at the perseverance and fortitude by Kimberly in her career.  She is a wonderful person and we are honored to have her on our show!

Love,

CT & Rich … and Phil!!!