The Center for Victims of Torture

What The Center for Victims of Torture does

The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1985 in St. Paul, Minnesota, as the first U.S. center for rehabilitative care for survivors of torture. It provides holistic, evidence-informed clinical and social services to refugees, asylum seekers, and torture survivors across the United States and internationally, with active offices in Minnesota, Georgia, Arizona, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Uganda, Mexico, and Iraq. Core service lines include Healing Care (mental health counseling, physiotherapy, group counseling, social work, destination case management, and the Healing Hearts program for Karen refugees), Building Resilience (staff wellbeing training, IDREAM, ProQOL, and capacity development for human rights defenders), Advancing Research (in-house evaluation and outcome studies, including publications in journals such as BMC Family Practice), and Advocating for Change (policy advocacy on asylum, refugee protection, and legacy U.S. torture issues).

CVT's operating model is funded through a mix of approximately $10 million in government contracts and medical/case management billing and approximately $7 million from individuals, foundations, corporate philanthropy, and institutional donors, against an FY2026 total budget of $17 million. Services are delivered free of charge to clients and the organization relies on walk-in healing centers, community outreach, referral networks with healthcare and legal partners, and online resource platforms (HealTorture.org, ProQOL.org, New Tactics in Human Rights) for distribution. In 2025, the Trump administration's cuts to foreign aid forced CVT to close 75% of its overseas work and prompted the organization to join a lawsuit against the U.S. government, while simultaneously launching new programming in Syria and an ECHO-funded project in Tigray, Ethiopia. Across its 40-year history, CVT has reached more than 560,000 people from 68 countries of origin and served 8,601 survivors and family members in 2025.

Name

The Center for Victims of Torture

Legal name

The Center for Victims of Torture

Website

https://cvt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Center for Victims of Torture is a St. Paul-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1985, that provides trauma-informed rehabilitative care, social services, and policy advocacy to refugees, asylum seekers, and torture survivors across the United States, Africa, and the Middle East, with a $17M FY2026 budget funded by government contracts and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health and Rehabilitation Services for Torture Survivors

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Safeguarding) (BPADAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Refugee Camp Coordination & Management (CCCM) (BPADAHAC)

Keywords

• Torture survivor rehabilitation
• Refugee mental health services
• Trauma recovery programs
• Human rights advocacy
• Capacity building training

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts: Federal and government funding through contracts for torture survivor rehabilitation programs in the U.S. and internationally. The Fiscal Year 2026 budget totals $17 million, with $10 million earned through government contracts and medical and case management billing.
2. Individual and Foundation Donations: Contributions from individuals, foundations, corporate philanthropies and other institutions. The Fiscal Year 2026 budget includes $7 million contributed from these sources.
3. Medical and Case Management Billing: Revenue from medical and case management billing services as part of the $10 million earned revenue portion of the budget.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) provides direct rehabilitative care for survivors of torture and conflict-related trauma through integrated mental health counseling, physiotherapy, group counseling, and social work. The organization also builds the capacity of humanitarian workers and human rights defenders, conducts applied research on rehabilitation outcomes, and advocates for policy change to prevent torture and protect refugee rights globally.

Product overview

The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) offers a portfolio of interrelated humanitarian programs rather than a technology product. The core offerings include: Healing Care (providing direct rehabilitative services to torture survivors including mental health counseling, physiotherapy, group counseling, and social work); Building Resilience (capacity development and training for humanitarian workers and human rights defenders via programs like IDREAM, ProQOL, and Staff Wellbeing Training); Advancing Research (evaluation and applied research services supporting prevention and healing); and Advocating for Change (policy advocacy for international justice and torture prevention). Online resource platforms include HealTorture.org (national capacity building resources) and ProQOL.org (professional quality of life tools for trauma workers). These services are delivered through CVT offices in the U.S. (Minnesota, Georgia, Arizona), Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda), and the Middle East (Jordan, Iraq), with additional project sites worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• New Tactics in Human Rights: A program that promotes tactical innovation and strategic thinking within the international human rights community through workshops, publications and online discussions.
• HealTorture
• ProQOL
• IDREAM
• Healing Hearts
• Proyecto Mariposa

Products and services

• Healing Care CVT's holistic rehabilitative care program for survivors of torture, integrating mental health counseling, physiotherapy, group counseling, social work, destination case management, and the Healing Hearts sub-program. For torture survivors and refugees.
• Mental Health Counseling Trauma-informed mental health counseling for torture survivors delivered by licensed clinicians, addressing PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other trauma-related conditions.
• Physiotherapy Trauma-focused integrated physiotherapy that adapts clinical assessment tools for different languages and cultures, treating chronic pain and physical injuries while considering mental health.
• Group Counseling Ten-week group counseling sessions for adults using the CVT Group Counseling Model, with adapted models for children. Incorporates cultural competency, trauma-informed approaches, and a structured journey through coping skills, mind-body awareness, grieving losses, and reconnecting to community.
• Social Work Social work services addressing urgent needs like housing, food, schooling, and medical treatment. Includes walk-in social work clinics at CVT healing centers.
• Destination Case Management Virtual case management services at U.S. border shelters for asylum seekers, connecting clients to medical care, mental health care, shelter, schooling, and other social services during their migration journey.
• Healing Hearts Holistic, team-based program providing specialized care to Karen refugees from Myanmar, integrating mental health services with primary care at M Health Fairview clinics. Includes culturally competent, on-site mental health services with targeted case management and psychotherapy.
• Proyecto Mariposa Project in Arizona providing destination case management to asylum seekers as they enter the U.S. and move to their new homes, part of cross-border collaboration with CVT Mexico.
• Building Resilience Programs that develop and support the resilience and professional capacity of humanitarian workers, civil society partners, and human rights defenders. Includes capacity development, staff wellbeing training, training activists, IDREAM, and ProQOL initiatives.
• IDREAM Project providing capacity development for human rights defenders working in exile and their organizations. Incubates a global network of HRDs in exile to identify solutions, build solidarity, support peer mentoring and resource-sharing, and decrease isolation.
• HealTorture.org National Capacity Building Project offering training, technical assistance, eLearning, and resources to rehabilitation centers and professionals who work with survivors of torture in the United States.
• ProQOL (Professional Quality of Life) Tools and website for professionals working with people who have experienced traumatic events, including health care professionals, social service workers, teachers, and attorneys. Provides assessment tools for burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction.
• New Tactics in Human Rights Program promoting tactical innovation and strategic thinking within the international human rights community through workshops, publications, and online discussions. Enables local activists to share strategies and tactics for application across regions and issues.
• Advancing Research Evaluation and research services integrated throughout CVT initiatives to support prevention, healing, and pursuit of justice. Provides needs assessments, program evaluations, research studies, monitoring, learning products, reports, and publications, and training services.
• Advocating for Change Policy advocacy protecting and promoting human rights, advocating for international justice and an end to torture worldwide. Includes asylum and refugee protection advocacy, legacy of U.S. torture work, and shining light on torture initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8,601 survivors and family members served in 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• M Health Fairview Clinic-RoselawncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCVT partners with M Health Fairview Clinic-Roselawn to provide culturally competent, on-site mental health services to Karen refugees through the Healing Hearts program. CVT clinicians provide targeted case management and psychotherapy in coordination with primary care staff.
• M Health Fairview Clinic-BethesdacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCVT partners with M Health Fairview Clinic-Bethesda as part of the Healing Hearts program providing specialized mental health services to refugee patients.
• IDREAM NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCVT's IDREAM project incubates a global network of human rights defenders in exile to identify novel solutions, build solidarity, support peer mentoring and resource-sharing, and decrease isolation.
• U.S. Torture Rehabilitation CenterscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCVT's HealTorture National Capacity Building Project provides training, technical assistance and resources to rehabilitation centers across the United States.
• HealTorture.orgcoreOthersCVT's National Capacity Building Project website providing resources, eLearning and information to help professionals who work with survivors of torture in the United States.
• ProQOL.orgcoreOthersProfessional Quality of Life tools and website for those who work with people who have experienced traumatic events including health care professionals, social service workers, teachers, attorneys, and emergency responders.
• New Tactics in Human RightscoreOthersCVT program promoting tactical innovation and strategic thinking within the international human rights community through workshops, publications, and online discussions.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• International Rescue Committee (IRC): Major global humanitarian organization serving refugees and displaced populations in crisis-affected countries, with health, protection, and economic wellbeing programs. Serves overlapping populations to CVT but with vastly broader scope and larger budget.
• HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society): One of the oldest refugee resettlement and protection agencies, providing legal, social, and mental health services to refugees, asylum seekers, and torture survivors globally. Overlaps with CVT on refugee services but operates at significantly larger scale across a broader mandate.
• Mercy Corps: Global humanitarian and development organization operating in conflict-affected regions including Ethiopia, Syria, and Iraq — overlapping CVT geographies. Broader scope covering food security, economic development, and peacebuilding alongside health and protection.
• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): Operates in many of the same conflict-affected geographies as CVT, providing protection, health, and humanitarian assistance. Far larger scale and broader mandate, but relevant given shared operating environments and protection-focused programming.

Direct peers

• Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture: Provides comprehensive rehabilitation services to survivors of torture and refugee trauma in New York City, including mental health, medical, social, and legal services. Directly comparable to CVT in mission, model, and target population, making it the closest U.S. peer.
• Heartland Alliance International: Provides mental health and psychosocial support to survivors of torture and conflict in multiple countries, with a focus on capacity building of local providers. Closely aligned with CVT's Healing Care and Building Resilience service lines.
• Survivors of Torture International: San Diego-based nonprofit providing holistic rehabilitative services to survivors of torture, including mental health, case management, and community integration. Operates with the same interdisciplinary care model and similar government/foundation funding mix as CVT.

Others

• Physicians for Human Rights: Uses medicine and science to document and prevent torture and mass atrocities, including forensic documentation of torture survivors. Shares CVT's mission to end torture and serves overlapping populations through complementary documentation/advocacy rather than rehabilitation services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CVTorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/CenterForVictimsOfTorture

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Center for Victims of Torture