Trainings

Position Description: Confidential Sexual Violence Advocate

A Confidential Sexual Violence Advocate (CSVA) is often one of the first points of contact a survivor has when reporting an assault. In some cases, it is the first time a survivor is disclosing their sexual assault to anyone. A CSVA assists survivors and their loved ones by providing crisis intervention, emotional support, essential information, and referrals.  For this reason, advocates are of critical importance to supporting survivors’ needs. 

Qualifications:

• 18 years of age or older
• Reside in Ocean County
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation for accompaniments throughout the county
• Confidence in providing direct service to survivors
• Consent to criminal background check
• Willingness to improve knowledge of sexual assault and systems
• Respect and commitment to serve all individuals in the community, regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, faith or spiritual practice, income, or ability

Responsibilities:

• Complete required 40+ hour training, facilitated by sexual assault program in New Jersey
• Maintain confidentiality through all interactions with survivors and loved ones
• Provide understanding of trauma to survivors, loved ones, and community members
• Offer immediate support to callers of 24-hour hotline, delivering compassion, empathy, validation, information and education
• Assist survivors in making informed decisions and supporting them as they navigate medical and legal systems
• Serve as survivor-focused member of Sexual Assault Response Team at hospitals, police stations, prosecutor’s offices, courts, etc.
• Attend regular ongoing education and volunteer meetings

Term:

• A commitment to one year of service
• Availability to take shifts consistently each month

Classes meet Monday nights September 9- December 16, 2019 from 6pm-9pm. 

Austin Oral Surgery will be hosting its first annual Lucy Hobbs Project, “Empowering Women in Dentistry” March 29 at the Westin Austin. The event is named for Lucy Hobbs Taylor, the first woman to earn a dental degree, and is designed to “empower women in dentistry” through education and networking opportunities. The event will foster awareness about sex trafficking and provide tips for helping victims. Attendees will earn four continuing education credits and have the opportunity to dine, network, shop and learn. The event is also a fund-raiser for The Refuge for Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST). The Refuge for DMST is a non-profit, therapeutic, residential community and foster-placement agency for girls ages 11 through 19, who have been rescued from sex traffickers.

“This program is designed to empower women through networking and education. We will be bringing awareness to our community about sex trafficking in the Central Texas area as well as raising money for The Refuge for DMST,” says Renee Dixon, marketing director of Austin Oral Surgery. “When you do an oral exam, certain conditions inside the mouth can indicate a victim, so the dental community is in a unique position to make a big difference.”

The event is sponsored by Benco and 320 guests are expected. Tickets are $50 per person. For more information or to register, contact Renee Dixon or visit http://www.AustinOralSurgery.com/LucyHobbs.

Advocacy programs exist to work in partnership with survivors as they find a way to heal both mind and body. Alongside survivors and educated healthcare providers, our advocacy programs can explore trauma informed ways to meet the medical needs of survivors of sexual violence. Join Leah Green from the Resource Sharing Project to learn more about comprehensive medical advocacy for sexual assault survivors in rural communities. This webinar will focus on the role of the advocate in finding, creating, and partnering with healthcare providers to create healing medical services for survivors.

Rural communities have a deep connection to faith and spirituality. Advocacy programs inevitably must find a way to build relationships with faith communities to provide holistic services to survivors of sexual violence. Yet many rural programs report struggling to build this connection. Join Leah Green from the Resource Sharing Project and Anne Marie Hunter and Alyson Morse Katzman from Safe Havens Interfaith Partnership Against Domestic Violence and Elder Abuse on this CALL that will bring together rural programs across the country to discuss working with faith communities. Our peer sharing calls are a space to share success, challenges, and to brainstorm together how to move forward. This call is capped at 30 participants.

We have all heard the term “trauma-informed care”, but what does it really mean? And what does it look like applied to services for sexual violence survivors? Join Leah Green from the Resource Sharing Project to learn more about trauma informed services in rural communities. This webinar will focus on the ways we can tangibly incorporate trauma informed principles into the services we offer, our environments, and our staff culture. 

Do you facilitate a sexual assault support group in a rural community?  Do you wish you could connect with other support group facilitators to discuss facilitation skills, curricula, and to seek support? Join Leah Green from the Resource Sharing Project on this CALL that will bring together support group facilitators from rural programs across the country to discuss sexual assault support groups. Our peer-sharing calls are a space to share success, challenges, and to brainstorm together how to move forward. This call is capped at 30 participants.

“The Intersectionality of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Substance Use/Substance Use Disorders” will be presented on Tuesday October 23, 2018; from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm; by David J.H. Garvin MSW, LMSW; Vice President, Programs and Facilities, Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County and Founder, Alternatives to Domestic Aggression, Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County; and Barbara Niess May, MPA, MSW; Executive Director, SafeHouse Center. There is a strong correlation between domestic violence/sexual assault and alcohol/other drug use – and correlation does not equal cause/effect nor does it define personal responsibility. Intoxication does not explain abuse or assault, excuse a perpetrator’s behaviors, or justify a person being assaulted or abused. Domestic violence/sexual assault offender and survivor alcohol and other drug use will be central to this discussion.  The audience will be provided with a primmer regarding perpetrator tactics, strategies, and core beliefs which hold the perpetrator accountable for abusive/assaultive behaviors while maintaining and promoting survivor safety. The program will help participants to recognize the critical importance of understanding the relationship between domestic violence/sexual assault and alcohol/other drug use and substance use disorders in order to safely and effectively intervene and/or interrupt the perpetrator's behaviors and support the survivor.  This program is part of the Dawn Farm Education Series, a FREE, annual education series developed to provide accurate, helpful, hopeful, practical, current information about substance use disorders, recovery, family and related issues; and to dispel the myths, misinformation, secrecy, shame and stigma that prevent people with addiction and their families from getting help and getting well.  All programs are free and open to anyone interested.  Registration is not required. 1.5 hours of free C.E. approved by MCBAP (Michigan Certification Board for Addiction Professionals) is provided. A certificate to document attendance is provided on request. The Education Series is organized by Dawn Farm, a non-profit community of programs providing a continuum of services for people with substance use disorders. For information, please contact Dawn Farm at 734-485-8725 or info@dawnfarm.org, or see http://www.dawnfarm.org/programs/education-series.

Sexual Offenses: Mind and Motivation

Aug 20-21, 2018 | Irving, TX | 

Gain an introduction into the psychology, or mindset, of those that commit sexually motivated crimes. Learn about sex offender typologies and patterns of behavior. Explore the relationship between paraphilia such as exhibitionism, voyeurism, and fetishism and criminal acts. Review and dissect real case examples to gain insight into offender modus operandi. Knowledge obtained can be applied during interview and interrogation to help resolve sexually motivated cases.

Cost: $195