Turning Points Network chief recognized for putting crisis center on the map

CONCORD - The executive director of Turning Points Network, a crisis center for Sullivan County serving survivors of domestic and sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking, is the recipient of the seventh annual Sandra Matheson Award.

Sandra Matheson created the Office of Victim/Witness Assistance at the Attorney General's Office and was its director for 26 years until her retirement. Her pioneering work in the development of laws, policies, and collaborations led to improvements in the systems that respond to victims of crime. The Sandra Matheson award was established in 2013 to recognize other individuals that "embody commitment, collaboration and leadership to improve the rights and services for victims of crime in New Hampshire."

The award winner, Deborah Mozden, has grown Turning Points Network from 1.5 staff in the 1980s to eight full-time staff today, serving 1,000 families and individuals annually.

She is a skilled ambassador, advocate, and administrator of all the complex layers in human services, and she has cultivated strong, effective collaborations with police departments, medical providers, and other social service agencies to build a network of services for victims of crime, a release from the Attorney General's Office noted today.

Attorney General John M. Formella remarked that Mozden is "a great example of what you can achieve and the impact you can have when you dedicate yourself to something that is important to you. She has put her energy into this over her career, and there is going to be an organization and help that continues because of her."