BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – When domestic violence survivor Mariah Gardner was in an abusive relationship, she said she didn’t knew where to turn.
“A lot of the danger is just not knowing; not having the information,” Gardner said. “The people I called didn’t listen to me.”
Gardner believes if she had received support and validation earlier, she wouldn’t have endured the tragedy that happened back in 2023, when her ex-husband Stephen Clare attacked her and their two daughters, killing their youngest.
Earlier this year, Clare pleaded guilty to capital murder and two other charges in connection with the attack. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Down the road in her recovery, Gardner eventually found the STAR program, which stands for “Safety Team Active Response.”
“Helping people immediately in the moment to navigate the system but then also helping people moving forward,” Gardner said.
About two years ago, Bexar County Commissioners Court invested more than $4 million into the support system specifically for domestic violence survivors in unincorporated Bexar County.
Here’s how it works:
- An abuse survivor calls 911
- A Bexar County Sheriff’s deputy on scene calls MEDCOM, which is operated by STRAC (Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council); MEDCOM does a quick assessment of how high-risk the victim is for dying from abuse
- At-risk and high-risk survivors are all navigated to STAR specialists
“For the last year, it was about 2,700 calls through the MEDCOM line, and about 23% to 25% of those were considered high risk,” Bexar County Director of Public Health Dr. Andrea Guerrero said. “So, it’s not a small number.”
Guerrero said the quick contact timeline is what sets the STAR program apart from others.
“If someone is high risk, they are connected to a STAR specialist for immediate safety planning within an hour,” Guerrero said. “Our STAR team is on call 24-7-365. We have 13 STAR specialists. We have supervisors and a program manager.”
Guerrero said safety planning includes housing at a shelter or hotel, rideshare vouchers to get there, H-E-B gift cards and help with pets.
“One of our clients wanted to go to a shelter, but she had a dog and a cat and that shelter couldn’t accept her pets,” Guerrero said. “So, we connected with Bexar County Animal Care, and they were able to house those pets for three months while this person waited for their housing voucher to come through.”
After the initial safety stage, those case managers don’t go anywhere. They stick around long term, through a complicated system.
“The top needs that our clients talk to us about are help navigating the system: to get a protective order, how to access the civil courts,” Guerrero said. “We can connect them to counseling, to legal services, legal aid, child care.”
“You are up against systems that don’t communicate well. You’ve got the police. You’ve got the courts. You’ve got health care,” Gardner said. “What the STAR program provides, in my opinion, is that center point.”
Gardner said her STAR case worker has helped her gain stability in her life in ways other programs haven’t been able to facilitate.
“If I don’t reach out, you know, then I get checked in on,” Gardner said. “Like, ‘Hey, how are things going?’’ “There’s someone there listening and saying, ‘Yeah, I hear you, and I believe you.’”
Gardner hopes the program can spread beyond unincorporated Bexar County so more survivors have access to the team.
STAR specialists began holding consistent trainings with law enforcement in 2025, and immediately saw referrals double. They continue those trainings as well as sessions for any organization that wants to learn more about STAR.
Survivors who are not in current emergencies can fill out an online form to get in touch with STAR specialists.
Anyone in immediate danger should call 911.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic violence, there is so much help for you. KSAT has a list of resources on its Domestic Violence webpage, which also explains how to identify different types of abuse.
If it’s an emergency, text or call 911. For wrap-around services, including the Battered Women and Children’s Shelter, call Family Violence Prevention Services at (210) 733-8810.
You can also contact the Bexar County Family Justice Center, which also provides wrap-around services at (210) 631-0100.