HOUSTON, TX—Today, FBI Director Christopher Wray presented the 2022 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award to Mrs. Lucresia Montez on behalf of the San José Clinic in Houston, Texas. Mrs. Montez serves as the Human Trafficking Grant Coordinator for the San José Clinic.

“Human trafficking survivors deserve the best care and assistance we can offer,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge James Smith. “The San José Clinic generously aids human trafficking victims in a manner consistent with the FBI core values of respect, integrity, and compassion. Their staff serves as an invaluable resource in connecting victims to appropriate medical providers and ensuring survivors’ needs are comprehensively assessed and addressed.”

The San José Clinic is a leading healthcare provider which serves uninsured and under-resourced individuals in the Greater Houston area. Volunteer healthcare providers and community volunteers from institutions of higher learning, church groups, community service organizations, and retirees work together alongside San José Clinic staff to offer high-quality healthcare services. Since its founding in 1922, it has become part of the ministry of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, a Texas Medical Center member institution, and a United Way partner. In 2021, the time and talents of its 500 volunteers provided over 24,000 hours of specialty medical and dental care as well as vision, laboratory, and pharmacy services to the community.

Mrs. Montez, who received the FBI award on behalf of the San José Clinic, provides compassionate and necessary health services to individuals with limited access to medical care. As an experienced social worker, her nearly two decades in healthcare management, therapeutic intervention, medical training, recruitment, and community outreach has improved the Houston region and its underserved community. As the Human Trafficking Grant Coordinator for the San Jose Clinic, Mrs. Montez ensures that uninsured survivors of human trafficking are able to have their healthcare needs fulfilled. She also works with the Greater Houston Pathways for Advocacy-Based Trauma-Informed Healthcare (PATH) to ensure dental, vision, and other medical programs are available for human trafficking victims. In addition to her other responsibilities, Mrs. Montez serves on the United Against Human Trafficking Coalition as a Survival Committee Service representative.

“The greatness of a community can only be measured by the compassion of its members,” said Mrs. Montez. “Too often we choose to make a living by what we receive, when in reality we can only make a life by what we give. Through the works of San José Clinic and Pathways for Advocacy-Based Trauma Informed Healthcare, survivors of trafficking can receive quality medical and mental health care from compassionate professionals.”

The FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award was formally created in 1990 to honor individuals and organizations for their efforts in combating crime, terrorism, drugs, and violence in the United States. Every year, FBI field offices throughout the country select a community partner to receive this prestigious award. Last year’s Houston area recipient was Goya Foods.

FBI Houston congratulates the San José Clinic and thanks all of its employees and volunteers for their service to our Texas community.