“Everybody Deserves a Chance”: Rebuilding Women’s Lives Through Trauma-Informed Care

Through a grant from the Elton John AIDS Foundation, BEAT AIDS in San Antionio, Texas, is receiving in-depth training on trauma-informed care from the University of Houston.

By integrating trauma-informed principles into care, organizations can create environments where people feel safe and supported. When individuals feel understood, they are more likely to engage consistently in their treatment, communicate openly with healthcare providers, and begin rebuilding their lives.

For Violeta, House Manager at the Newly Empowered Women (NEW) program, BEAT AIDS’ transitional housing program for women affected by or living with HIV, this training is another tool to better support the women she works with every day.

“I'm ready to learn whatever I need to learn to help my girls,” she says.

Ever since she was a little girl growing up in Panama, Violeta dreamed of caring for people.

What began as a hope to become a nurse has grown into something just as powerful: helping women rebuild their lives. She has now been with BEAT AIDS for 10 years.

The NEW program provides safe, stable housing for up to ten women at a time, along with counselling and mental health support. “Most of the time when they come here, they don't really know anything about HIV,” Violeta explains. “We educate them and let them know that you can still live a normal life.

Some residents arrive without finishing school. The program helps them pursue a diploma, job training, or a career path, opening doors to long-term stability.

Violeta’s ability to connect with residents comes from her own personal experiences.

She openly shares her past struggles with addiction, family trauma, and faith. Experiences that allow her to build trust with the women she supports. “Most people that went through trauma or addiction don’t want to listen to someone who hasn’t lived it,” she explains. “If I tell them, ‘I’ve been there,’ they know I understand.”

Years ago, Violeta herself was living a very different life.

“Before all of this, I had a disorderly life,” she recalls. “I was drinking all the time and hanging out with bad friends.”

That lifestyle eventually led to the end of her 28-year marriage. But one day, she reached a turning point.

Together with her colleagues, Violeta has helped bring structure, accountability, and stability to the program. From ensuring their rooms are clean to showing up for therapy and work, Violeta encourages routines that rebuild self-worth.

The transformation has been remarkable.

“Now we have more women staying, and even a waiting list. Many have moved into their own apartments, found jobs, and two have even started their own businesses.”

Her strength and compassion embody BEAT AIDS’ mission to transform not just individual lives, but entire communities.

“Everybody deserves a chance. Not a second chance because we’ve all burned through those, but a chance. I don’t care if it’s your fifteen hundredth. You still deserve one.”

Violeta’s bond with one resident, Ashley, is particularly special.

“At the time she came, she was the youngest one here. Everybody else was in the 40s and the 50s,” Violeta recalls. “She was like the like the little kid in the house.”

“She's just very positive. I can always go to her with whatever it is. Any questions that I have, anything that I'm going through,” Ashley told us. “And honestly, she reminds me a lot of my mom.”

Between the ages of four to eight, Ashley moved between foster homes and shelters before being adopted by her father’s aunt, along with her four siblings. Though her parents were incarcerated at the time, Ashley reconnected with them after their release.
She became pregnant at 17 and is now a proud mother of four.

But over time, Ashley battled with addiction which led to the separation from her children and a period of deep instability.

When Ashley first arrived, scared and with low self-esteem, Violeta personally drove across town to pick her up. “Sometimes you have to meet them where they are,” she says. Through tough love and endless patience, she helped Ashley go back to school, start working, and is committed to supporting her in reconnecting with her children.

“I told her, ‘It’s not going to be two days. It’s not going to be six months. But if you stay honest with yourself, we’ll get there.’”

For Ashley, having staff who truly understand what residents have experienced makes all the difference. “If someone hasn't gone through what you’ve gone through, if they don't have similar experiences to yours, it’s hard for them to understand,” she says.

Through their shared experiences and trust, Violeta has become more than a mentor. She represents a powerful reminder to Ashley of where she’s been, and a glimpse of the strength she’s working toward.

Learn more about the Elton John AIDS Foundation's work in the United States.