The Eloise House is closing. The program, which was developed by the SAFE Alliance and is considered a national model for the provision of forensic exams for survivors of rape, has run out of money. It will shut its doors on June 8.
“This marks the end of an era for SAFE and for our community,” SAFE’s leader, Pierre Berastaín, wrote in an online post. “For years, our nurses, advocates, and staff built one of the most survivor-centered forensic response models in the country, providing trauma-informed care outside of overcrowded emergency rooms and helping thousands of survivors navigate unimaginable moments with dignity and support.”
The Eloise House first began providing forensic exams to survivors of sexual assault in 2015. But SAFE’s leaders warned in February that budget cuts by federal, state, and local sources had put the program at risk. For the last three months, Mayor Kirk Watson has worked to wrangle new agreements and sources of funding for the Eloise House from local hospitals, which are required by law to provide forensic exams to survivors of assault. On May 5, Watson announced a plan developed by Ascension Seton, Baylor Scott & White Health, and St. David’s HealthCare to provide the exams, with no mention of the Eloise House. A different service provider – the Brave Alliance – will coordinate with the hospitals to provide the exams.
Berastaín said that SAFE learned it had been cut out of the process in the same way the community did, through the mayor’s press release. He said his organization remains focused on survivors and their safety.
“We have already reached out to Brave Alliance and to the Mayor’s office to offer partnership and support during this transition,” Berastaín told the Chronicle. “We have made clear that if there is expertise, operational knowledge, or coordination we can provide to help ensure survivors remain centered throughout this process, we are ready to help.”
Mayor Watson spoke to the Chronicle about his effort to ensure there was no lapse in serving survivors of sexual abuse, but he was reluctant to divulge the details of the negotiations. “When SAFE delivered this problem, many of us agreed that we needed a community solution,” the mayor said. “We now have a community solution. The hospitals have stepped up to fulfill their obligations and the Brave Alliance gets praise from survivors, advocates, [police departments], and prosecutors.”
Crystal Love-Carroll, the leader of Brave Alliance, told us the group provided 390 forensic exams in Central Texas last year – compared to SAFE Alliance’s approximately 600 – and currently serves multiple counties with a 24/7 response model. “Our team has continued to grow in preparation for increased demand, including adding nurses in training and experienced sexual assault nurse examiners,” Love-Carroll said. “We recognize this is a major responsibility, and our focus is on maintaining patient access to trauma-informed, high-quality care during this transition.”
Berastaín emphasized in recent months that the Eloise House was meant to save survivors from having to wait six or more hours in the unpleasant environs of an emergency room. Love-Carroll said Brave Alliance’s program is designed to reduce waits for exams by providing a dedicated on-call nursing team that can respond to a patient’s location or the hospital where an exam is to be conducted. The group also has its own free community clinic 1 mile north of Austin, in Cedar Park.
Berastaín also pointed out that the Eloise House is just one of 20 programs at SAFE that are threatened by the budget shortfall. “Right now, one of our most urgent concerns is sustaining our domestic violence shelter, where approximately 70 children are currently living,” he said. “These are high-lethality situations, cases involving active risk of lethal violence. This is not simply a nonprofit funding issue; it is a public safety issue and a community infrastructure issue. Sustaining these services requires the same seriousness and commitment we would expect for any other essential safety system.”
Editor’s note: We originally stated that Brave Alliance provided 390 forensic exams since 2018. They provided 390 forensic exams in 2025 alone. The Chronicle regrets the error.
