A few months after the SAFE Alliance ended its forensic exam program, the nonprofit said it will resume next year thanks to a new partnership.
The Austin nonprofit ended the clinic, known as Eloise House, in May after falling short nearly $2 million in operating costs.
CEO Pierre Berastain said until then, the Eloise House program would perform about 600 exams a year.
Mayor Kirk Watson said in May the Brave Alliance, another organization that provides forensic exams for assault survivors, would work with local hospitals to perform them.
But Berastain said the goal is to build a system that can provide survivors with multiple options, especially outside of a hospital setting.
“I think survivors deserve choice,” Berastain said. “The city and hospitals said they wanted a multi-provider model, but what we have right now is not really a multi-provider model. It is SAFE’s intention and desire to see how we can help the ecosystem and provide services for survivors.”
Starting Jan. 3, 2027, the SAFE Alliance will partner with Forensic Center of Excellence, operated by the nonprofit Texas Forensic Nurse Examiners (TxFNE). The group aims to ease access to exams for people who have experienced sexual assault and connect survivors with resources and support services. They will provide funding and help staff the Eloise House with nurses to administer the exams.
Khara Breeden, founder and CEO of the Forensic Center of Excellence, said the organization started in Houston in 2019 and has grown to include more than 200 facilities in Houston, San Antonio, Corpus Christi and soon Austin.
She said organizations like the SAFE Alliance are an example of safe places for people to turn to.
“We are excited to bring TxFNE’s services to SAFE Alliance and the Austin community, our fifth community expansion, and to work side by side with a partner who shares our commitment to survivors,” she said in a press release. “Together, we will make sure Austin survivors have access to expert, compassionate care when they need it most.”
Michael Minasi
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KUT News
The SAFE Alliance’s Eloise House is pictured on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, in Austin, Texas.
The Eloise House has provided medical and legal advocacy for survivors of sexual assault for 50 years. Through the exams, nurses collect evidence from the assault that is then turned over to police and district attorneys to investigate and prosecute sexual violence. That part of the program ended in May. Berastain said other support services have continued despite funding challenges.
“So a survivor might come for a forensic examination, but they might stay for counseling and therapeutic services. They might stay for legal assistance. They might stay for shelter,” he said. “The forensic exam is part of it, but often it becomes an entry point into a life-long engagement with healing and services they need.”