SAAM 2018: Meet the Nopalera Artist Collective

The Rape Recovery Center partnered with the Nopalera Artist Collective for our 2018 Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) campaign. This incredible group of artists are all about the intersections of art and activism, and we are thrilled to feature their original work this April. 

The Nopalera Artist Collective/Colectiva La Nopalera formed in April of 2017, and identify as a group of migrant and indigenous artists. They chose the nopalera as their symbol because "They're thorny, tough enough to survive harsh conditions, and strong, but also gentle. They plant easily, can adapt to different lands, but most importantly, they work together with each other to grow with intention, their fruits and flowers are for the future generations' growth, and to contribute to our environment, and to our community." 

To learn more about this collective of artists and activists, click here. To learn more about our SAAM 2018 events, visit our SAAM page here. Be sure to stop by one of our SAAM 2018 events to pick up some of our swag, featuring the beautiful art created by the Nopalera Artist Collective. You may also download a poster featuring their art here. 

Members of the Nopalera Artist Collective.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2018 Preview

Every April the Rape Recovery Center participates in Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), a nationwide effort to raise our collective consciousness around issues of sexual violence. This year, we are excited to offer a wide range of events to engage our community in exciting ways. With offerings ranging from Zumba and art workshops to a bar hop, we hope you will find something on our SAAM calendar that fits for you. It all kicks off with a Facebook Live event on April 2nd, where we will give you a tour of the center, introduce you to some of our awesome staff, and give you a preview of the month ahead. See our full list of SAAM events, and stay connected to us on social media for updates all month long. 

You will also find many exciting SAAM events from our partner agencies. The Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault is hosting their annual Utah Sexual Violence Conference and SAAM awards. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center's website has excellent resources and information as part of their 2018 SAAM campaign, including guides on planning your own SAAM event! 

However you decide to participate in SAAM, we hope you will find ways to celebrate hope and healing, and learn about how we can work together to end sexual violence in our communities. 

Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month: A Recap

Each February the Rape Recovery Center participates in national Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. This is an important opportunity to highlight the work our prevention staff does year-round to engage teens in conversations about healthy relationships, consent, and preventing sexual violence for our future generations.

This year the Rape Recovery Center focused on the importance of communicating healthy boundaries at all ages. We held a Facebook Live panel discussion called Beyond Birds & Bees, taught courses at Valley Junior High, East High and Skyline High, and facilitated two workshops in partnership with Beta Theta Pi at the Univeristy of Utah, called DTT: Down to Talk. 

Prevention Educators Luis Lopez and Megan Asadian with several of our partners from Beta Theta Pi and greek row. 

When asked about the importance of Teen Dating Violence Awarness month, Rape Recovery Center Outreach & Access Coordiantor Stephany Murguia said "Teens get so many conflicting messages about what you are supposed to do in relationships. It can feel overwhelming, and it's important that teens and parents know that there are people that can help." Click here to learn more about the work our Outreach and Access Team does year-round with teens in Salt Lake County.

If you missed it, you can still watch our Facebook Live discussion, Beyond Birds & Bees, with panelists Ella Blanchard (LGBT Resource Center),  Megan Asadian (Rape Recovery Center), and Annabel Sheinberg (Planned Parenthood Association of Utah). See the full video below. 

Healing Through Trauma Therapy

At the Rape Recovery Center, we are passionate about trauma-informed care. With an unprecedented amount of research and information available to us, we have modeled all of our healing services using the latest knowledge about healing from trauma. Key to our approach to trauma treatment is our therapeutic services. All of our professionally trained therapists are trained in specific methods for treating post-traumatic stress, like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Click here to learn more about EMDR. 

While there are many ways to practice trauma therapy, and no one treatment works for everyone, we do know one thing - healing from trauma is possible when we couple our expertise in how the brain is impacted by post-traumatic stress with our client's expertise of their own mind, body, and life experience. When asked about her work at the Rape Recovery Center, therapist Phoebe Galvez states "The most rewarding moments in therapy happen when my clients begin to believe in themselves and their capacity to sit with incredibly difficult things, and find moments in life that empower them to thrive, as opposed to just survive." 

To learn more about the basics of trauma therapy, check out this great video from two trauma therapists: 

To learn more about the therapy services offered at the Rape Recovery Center, visit the services section of our website here. Pictured below are the fabulous and talented members of our clinical team. 

And just to prove that therapists can have fun too, here is our clinical team - take two.

Sexual Violence Prevention Advocacy Day on the Hill and Call to Action

Utah's 45 day legislative session is in full swing and Tuesday February 13th was Sexual Violence Prevention Advocacy Day on the Hill. The Rape Recovery Center's Executive Director, Mara Haight, and Development Director, Morgan Stinson, spent some time with our state legislators advocating for survivor-centered policy and state funding the center needs to serve the increasing number of survivors coming forward to report sexual assaults. 

Julie Stephenson, Manager of Training and Education at UCASA, presenting at the state capitol. 

Our partner agency, the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault (UCASA), has created an excellent bill tracker to help you stay up to date on legislation that impacts survivors of sexual violence. Check out UCASA's newly updated website for more news and information about the 2018 legislative session. 

Due to the unique momentum around sexual violence that we have seen on a local and national level over the past few years, the Rape Recovery Center is asking the Utah State Legislature for a funding appropriation of $150,000 to support our Hospital Response Team. We ended our day on the hill testifying to the Executive Offices and Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee about this request. 

Rape Recovery Center (RRC) Executive Director, Mara Haight, testifying on the RRC's state funding request. 

We are hopeful that our request will be receive a high priority ranking from this subcommittee before it gets sent on to the Executive Appropriations Committee. For more information on what this funding would help us pay for, check out the infographic below. 

WE NEED YOU TO CONTACT OUR STATE LEGISLATORS AND LET THEM KNOW YOU SUPPORT THE $150,000 FUNDING REQUEST FOR OUR HOSPITAL RESPONSE TEAM.

Scroll up to read our blog post about our Executive Director and Development Director's day on the Hill.

HOW?? Call, text, or email the members of the Executive Appropriations Committee and tell them why they should prioritize our funding request. Check out their contact info below!

Feel free to reference the script below or share your own reasons this request is personally important to you.

“Hello, my name is _______ and I would like you to prioritize the Rape Recovery Center’s $150,000 ongoing funding request to support their Hospital Response Team. These on-call Advocates show up to support survivors for the duration of their Rape Kit, 24 hours a day, across Salt Lake County. Increases in demand continue at unprecedented rates, and funds from the State of Utah are needed to ensure every survivor in our community receives the support and resources they deserve during this critical time."

Then...let us know! Post a picture or video of you contacting these Legislators, tag us @raperecoverycenter  and include #fundsurvivors to help us spread the word! 

Executive Appropriations committee Members

• Adams, J. Stuart | jsadams@le.utah.gov | 801-593-1776
• Briscoe, Joel K. | jbriscoe@le.utah.gov | 801-946-9791
• Davis, Gene | gdavis@le.utah.gov | 801-647-8924
• Escamilla, Luz | lescamilla@le.utah.gov | 801-550-6434
• Gibson, Francis D. | fgibson@le.utah.gov | 801-491-3763
• Hollins, Sandra| shollins@le.utah.gov | 801-363-4257
• Hughes, Gregory H.| no email available| 801-432-0362
• Iwamoto, Jani | jiwamoto@le.utah.gov | 801-580-8414
• King, Brian S. | briansking@le.utah.gov | 801-560-0769
• Knotwell, John | no email available | 801-449-1834
• Knudson, Peter C. | pknudson@le.utah.gov | 435-730-2026
• Last, Bradley G., House Chair | no email available | 435-817-0064
• Mayne, Karen | kmayne@le.utah.gov | 801-232-6648
• Niederhauser, Wayne L. | wniederhauser@le.utah.gov | 801-742-1606
• Okerlund, Ralph | rokerlund@le.utah.gov | 435-979-7077
• Romero, Angela | angelaromero@le.utah.gov | 801-722-4972
• Schultz, Mike, House Vice Chair | mikeschultz@le.utah.gov | 801-859-7713
• Stevenson, Jerry W., Senate Chair | jwstevenson@le.utah.gov | 801-678-3147
• Van Tassell, Kevin T., Senate Vice Chair | kvantassell@le.utah.gov | 435-790-0675
• Wilson, Brad R. | no email available | 801-425-1028

To access a spreadsheet with the above contact info click here.

Survivors Share Their Stories at #MeToo Town Hall

On January 30, 2018 nearly 100 community members gathered at the Glendale Library in Salt Lake City, Utah to discuss sexual violence and the #MeToo movement. This event was hosted by a coalition of community organizations including KAVA Talks, Men's Anti-violence Network, Pacific Island Women’s Empowerment, Racially Just Utah, Rape Recovery Center, Restoring Ancestral Winds, Start by Believing Utah, and the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault. 

Nearly 100 community members gather at Glendale Library for #MeToo Town Hall

Throughout this two hour event, countless survivors shared their stories of sexual violence and discussed the many ways that their experiences have been silenced. At the end of the evening, partner organizations shared their commitments to moving this movement forward and improving our collective response to sexual violence in Utah. The Rape Recovery Center shared a commitment to provide more opportunities for survivors to share with their community, promote greater survivor leadership in the movement to end sexual violence, and continue pushing for systemic change. 

To hear these powerful stories, please watch the live video feed below provided by the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Please note that many of the stories shared may be difficult to hear, especially for those who have experienced sexual trauma themselves. 

New Volunteers Complete Advocacy Training

Each January, the Rape Recovery Center hosts our first volunteer training of the year. This year, we had a dynamic group of nearly 30 individuals complete this training. Over two weeks these folks spent 40 hours learning about crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, and the resources/systems survivors will interact with throughout their recovery. Now that they are certified Rape Crisis Counselors, we are thrilled to add these compassionate individuals to our volunteer ranks!

January 2018 Rape Crisis Counselor Training Class at the Rape Recovery Center. 

The Future of the #MeToo Movement

2017 was a monumental year for the movement to end sexual violence. With countless individuals coming forward to share their experiences of survivorship and the #MeToo campaign going viral, individuals and institutions all over the world are taking a deeper look at their response to the full spectrum of sexual violence. At the Rape Recovery Center, we have seen the impact of this global conversation on a local level. During the last quarter of 2017, we provided 5,245 services to 498 survivors - an increase of over 40% in both services and survivors served from the same quarter in 2016. 

As we move into 2018, the question "What is next for the #MeToo movement?" seems to be on all of our lips. A coalition of local organizations, including the Rape Recovery Center, will be hosting a town hall conversation on January 30, 2018 to address this question on a local level. This inquiry was also addressed in a recent interview with the website Okayplayer by the founder of the #MeToo movement, Tarana Burke. An excerpt from this interview can be found below. 

Tarana Burke, Founder of #MeToo

“When Burke talks about the future, she says that her focus will continue to be centering marginalized people and supporting survivors. She’s inspired by the #MeToo hashtag in places like Sweden who have taken it to another level, by adding other hashtags like #MeTooWaitresses or #MeTooClergy, or to bring attention to other industries besides politics and Hollywood.

“I never thought I’d see the day where there would be consequences for sexual abuse perpetrators against white women. It makes me hopeful that there’s the possibility for other people and for other industries,” says Burke. “We may not see a Harvey Weinstein level reckoning, but it could help shift the dialogue into low wage jobs or other areas with people that are not just celebrities and politicians.””

— http://www.okayplayer.com/originals/tarana-burke-future-metoo.html

What are your thoughts on the future of the #MeToo movement? How would you like to see organizations like the Rape Recovery Center respond in this vital moment? We would love to hear your comments, below. Don't forget to join us on January 30, 2018 at the Glendale Library in Salt Lake City for a community discussion on this topic. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service with HRC Utah

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, volunteers from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) of Utah spent nearly 10 hours reorganizing and cleaning the Rape Recovery Center offices. The Rape Recovery Center was thrilled to partner with HRC Utah for this inspiring project. These incredible individuals reflect the spirit of service that Dr. King lived his life by.

We recognize that Dr. King's fight for racial justice is inherently connected to our mission to end sexual violence; in order to address sexual violence we must root out all forms of injustice and oppression. The intersection of sexual violence and racism is clear when we examine the statistics and recognize the increased risk that communities of color face for experiencing sexual violence. For more about the dangerous intersections of racism and sexual violence, check out this article from the organization INCITE!. 

On behalf of all of us at the Rape Recovery Center, we wish to thank HRC Utah and the incredible volunteers that dedicated their time and efforts to help advance our mission of empowering survivors and ending sexual violence. In partcular, thank you to:

• Dustin Williams
• Nick Kiahtipes
• Juanita Giles
• Lucas Horns
• Alli Martin
• Ben Martin
• Josh Shutkind
• Claire Martinez
• Riley Richter
• Shayla Peterson
• Tracy Giles

Check out the before and after pictures below to see the stellar organizing these folks did!

Here are just a few of the disorganized storage spaces that needed a little (or a lot) of TLC. 

A few of the beautiful reorganized and redesigned spaces. 

Volunteer Spotlight: Juanita Giles

Juanita has been a dedicated volunteer of the Rape Recovery Center since 2013, and during her time with the Center she has contributed over 2,000 hours of her time!

She sat down with us to talk about her experiences as a volunteer and tell us a little more about herself. Continue reading for her full interview:

Pictured: Juanita facilitating our monthly English Yoga workshop.

How long have you been volunteering with the Rape Recovery Center?
I've been volunteering for almost five years now. I have done both Hospital Response Team and Crisis Line. I no longer do hospital response and hope to continue with the crisis line as soon as my schedule slows down a bit. I now facilitate the English restorative yoga class once a month.

What made you decide to volunteer your time?
I am a long-time survivor of rape and it was important to me to give back in this capacity. I feel that I am a very fortunate individual that has come through the path of healing – reliance and strength does not come easily for some and that is why I feel that I can contribute as well as to be able to hold space for someone who has been impacted by sexual violence.

What have you learned from your time volunteering with RRC? 
Many different things on so many different levels. Primarily, so many individuals want to be a part and want to help with Rape Recovery Center. Even if their time is only a small window, people still gravitate towards wanting to contribute. I have met many that hold such passion and the desire to educate the community. I have learned about myths and facts when it comes to sexual violence. I have learned that it is a lifetime of pain, but can be help in a kind way within oneself. I have learned that everyone’s story is different and should be looked at with non-bias.

What would you say to people considering volunteering their time to the Rape Recovery Center?
If one can look at the entire picture of what RRC does – not just about being there for women, but being there for men as well. Sexual violence is such a large piece of the world. Education is primarily the future, the focus to teach youth about self-respect and creating boundaries within ourselves and others. Creating relationships that are healthy. Providing a service to those impacted by sexual violence is just a portion. It takes a village to build and maintain the center. Support from volunteers and support in a financial capacity from donors is what will maintain services as well as create employee retention. Not only is this a vital piece for those who give their time and money, quite noble for both, but also incredibly rewarding.

If you are interested in joining the Rape Recovery Center's volunteer team, visit our volunteer page here to learn more. 

Surviving the Holidays

With the holiday season upon us, many will be celebrating the close of 2017 with family and friends. While this time of year can bring up feelings of joy, love, and connection, it can also be a deeply painful time. For trauma survivors who were harmed by those closest to them, either through intentional violence and abuse or through invalidation and silencing, this time of year can be especially difficult. 

If you are feeling overwhelmed this time of year, overcomingsexualabuse.com has provided these tips for surviving the holidays:

1.  Decide your boundaries beforehand. 
2. Fill up on love and affirmation before you go.
3. Take an ally with you. 
4. Have an escape plan. 
5. Remember your healthy coping skills.
6. Have a nurturing back-up plan. 

For more on these tips, read the full article from overcomingsexualabuse.com. 

As you create your self-care plan for getting through the holidays, you may find this guide created by Rape Recovery Center advocates useful. Remember, our crisis line and hospital response team are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to offer support. Call us at (801)467-7273 to speak with an advocate. 

Use this simple self-care plan to create your holiday survival plan. 

Hearing About Sexual Violence in the Media? We Can Help.

It seems that we can't turn on any form of media without being confronted with a full spectrum of stories about sexual violence. Sexual violence can range from sexual harassment in the workplace to sexual assault, and rape. Regardless of the type of violence, it is important to remember that any unwanted sexual encounter is traumatic and there is no right or wrong way to feel about your experience. 

If hearing these stories has helped you recognize an experience as sexual violence, the Rape Recovery Center is here to help. You can call our 24-hour crisis line at (801)467-7273 to speak with a trained volunteer advocate. 

Our 24-hour crisis line is equipped to provide emotional support, resources, and referrals. Our crisis line advocate will often refer you to in-house advocacy services, which you can connect to directly by calling (801)467-7282, Monday-Thursday 9 am - 5 pm. Our staff can help you navigate the many ways that sexual violence has impacted your life.

Services might include:

• Safety planning
• Coping skill development 
• Education about trauma and post-traumatic stress
• Education about common myths and facts
• Navigating reporting to various institutions, including your workplace, school, and law enforcement 
• Planning long-term treatment, including individual and group therapy (provided both on-site at the Rape Recovery Center, and in the community)

If you were recently sexually assaulted, please visit this page to find more information about our mobile crisis team and the process of rape kit collection. 

To see our Executive Director, Mara Haight, talking about how the Rape Recovery Center supports survivors of sexual violence, view this news story from ABC 4. 

To learn more about resources throughout the state of Utah, visit the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault's resources page. 

Painting created by survivors, on display at the Rape Recovery Center.  

2nd Annual "Still Not Asking For It" Event Raises Over $20,000 for Survivors

A post shared by Yellow Rose Tattoos (@yellowrosetattoos) on Nov 13, 2017 at 10:12am PST

For the second year in a row Ashley Love, in partnership with Yellow Rose Tattoo, hosted the "Still Not Asking For It" flash event. Last year this incredible group of artists raised just over $17,000 for the Rape Recovery Center - providing nearly 70 survivors with an advocate to support them during the 4-6 hour process of rape kit collection.

While last years event exceeded all expectations, this year the amazing team at Yellow Rose partnered with several other local businesses to raise an astonishing $21,429! These funds will help the center provide services to the rapidly rising number of survivors who are coming forward to report their assaults, get support, and seek long-term healing. 

Stopped by the Rape Recovery Center today and dropped off some checks 🤑 thank you again, to everyone who helped us raise such an amazing amount of money for this cause!

A post shared by Ashley Love (@ohashleylove) on Nov 27, 2017 at 1:24pm PST

Thank you to all the Tattooers and shop managers who donated their time and talents, all the individuals and businesses who donated their goods and services to take this event over the top, and to the 127 individuals who came out to get a tattoo in support of survivors. We are inspired by this powerful community and their commitment to standing with survivors. 

A post shared by Yellow Rose Tattoos (@yellowrosetattoos) on Nov 28, 2017 at 10:20am PST

Some of the tattoos I️ got to do for #stillnotaskingforitslc 🖤🖤🖤 #stillnotaskingforit #nomeansno

A post shared by Ashley Love (@ohashleylove) on Nov 27, 2017 at 11:31am PST

Support Survivors This Holiday Season

Rape Recovery Center Advocates

It’s 3:00 am on a Sunday morning when the call comes in.

Half an hour later the advocate enters the hospital room, met by a tired, overwhelmed woman who just experienced one of the deepest betrayals of her life. Just 9 hours earlier she was full of anxious butterflies as she carefully picked out the dress that would later be taken as evidence by the police. As she recounts the traumatic events from the evening, the advocate offers her a warm blanket and an open ear. They will remain by her side during the next 5 hours as the nurse collects the rape kit.

“[The Advocate] let me know I was in control of my situation. They gave me a voice because I felt lost.”

“I just appreciate the kindness, understanding and support I received. I really felt like I was not alone.”

“[The Advocate] was fantastic in a position that is almost impossible to be optimistic in.”

These are just a few of the words offered by survivors when asked about the Hospital Response Team advocates who stayed with them during the collection of their rape kit. Just 3 of 461 survivors served by these advocates since the beginning of 2017.

As so many brave survivors continue to come forward, sharing their stories and declaring “Me Too,” countless others find the courage to report their assault. Since 2014, the Rape Recovery Center has seen a 40% increase in the number of survivors reporting their experiences of sexual violence. Last month alone 68 survivors were accompanied by an RRC advocate during the collection of their rape kit in Salt Lake County - a 75% increase over October 2016.

As the number of survivors speaking out continues to grow, so does the need for comprehensive, trauma-informed healing services. We've seen record high demand this year and are determined to keep up with the inspiring number of brave individuals reaching out, which makes your support absolutely critical this Holiday Season. 

Stand with survivors and join us as a Partner in Healing by pledging your monthly support of the Rape Recovery Center today. 

Sexual Assault On Campus

View or download this document as a PDF here.

Asalto Sexual En La Universidad

Vea o descargue este documento como PDF aquí.

RRC in the Media: #MeToo Campaign

On the evening of Sunday October 15, 2017, a social media campaign went viral: #MeToo.

Within the next 24 hours, The Rape Recovery Center was contacted by numerous local news outlets to speak to this campaign and the epidemic of sexual assault in our nation.

Please see below for videos and links of our media appearances in regards to #MeToo.

Stephany Murgia, Access and Outreach Coordinator, on the set of Telemundo Utah:

Morgan Stinson, Development Director, during a radio interview with KRCL's RadioActive: 

Hosted by Lara Jones and Dr. Dave, tonight's RadioActive explored the latest data on Utah's fertility rate. Although the highest in the nation, Utahns are falling off the production line a tad -- down to 2.29 per 1,000 women of childbearing ages (15-49) from a 2007 peak of 2.68. Lineup: RadioActive Report: Morgan Stinson of the Rape Recovery Center talked about the recent #MeToo hashtag, a viral social media campaign that demonstrated the extent of sexual assault and harassment. Professional staff and certified volunteers provide 24-hour crisis intervention, advocacy, emotional support and referrals to sexual assault victims, their families, and their friends in 150 languages via a 3-way tele-interpreter service. If you have questions about community services, or are in crisis and need immediate assistance, call Rape Recovery Center's 24-hour crisis line, 801-467-7273. DemographyUTAH's Pam Perlich, whose most recent study shows Utah's fertility rate at an 8-year low. Stephanie Croasdell Stokes of Teen Success, a support and education group for pregnant and parenting teens in the Salt Lake community funded by Planned Parenthood Association of Utah. Teen Success' Daniela Gasca and Diana Muñoz share their personal stories.

Morgan Stinson speaking with Good 4 Utah: Watch on their website.