Indiana Coalition To End Sexual Assault Inc

ICESA EMPOWERS INDIANA COMMUNITIES TO PREVENT SEXUAL ASSAULT AND SERVE THOSE IMPACTED BY IT THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING, ADVOCACY, INCREASED PUBLIC AWARENESS AND COORDINATED SEXUAL ASSAULT SERVICES.

TRAINING - ICESAHT PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING TO ADVOCATES, MEDICAL AND LEGAL PROFESSIONALS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, POLICY MAKERS, EDUCATORS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE TRAININGS ARE GROUNDED IN TRAUMA INFORMED, SURVIVOR CENTERED BEST PRACTICES ADDRESSING THE CONTINUUM OF SERVICES SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING NEED AND DESERVE. THE TRAININGS ALSO LIFT UP ISSUES THAT HINDER ACCESS TO SERVICES AND HEALING INCLUDING OPPRESSION AND SYSTEMIC RACISM. TRAININGS INCLUDE: A STATEWIDE CONFERENCE, TOPICAL TRAININGS, WEBINARS, CORE 40 AND GENERAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. THE EVALUATIONS FROM THE TRAININGS, CONFERENCES AND WEBINARS WE HAVE HOSTED ARE CONSISTENTLY STRONG.

ADVOCACY - THE FOUNDATION OF ICESAHT'S WORK IS TO ENSURE VICTIMS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING HAVE ACCESS TO SERVICES. TO THAT END, ICESAHT CONTINUES TO: ADVOCATE FOR AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF RAPE CRISIS CENTERS AND SEXUAL ASSAULT RESPONSE TEAMS (SARTS). RAPE CRISIS CENTERS CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH SURVIVORS FEEL SAFE AND EMPOWERED. TRAINED ADVOCATES HELP SURVIVORS PROVIDE COMPASSIONATE SUPPORT AT ANY POINT DURING A SURVIVOR'S HEALING JOURNEY. SERVICES INCLUDE: 24-HOUR CRISIS LINE, HOSPITAL/MEDICAL ADVOCACY, CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADVOCACY, PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING/THERAPY AND SUPPORT GROUPS. SEXUAL ASSAULT RESPONSE TEAMS (SARTS) PLAY A POWERFUL ROLE IN IMPROVING THE COLLECTIVE RESPONSE TO SEXUAL VIOLENCE BY INCREASING ACCESS TO JUSTICE AND HEALING. SARTS IMPROVE ACCESS TO SERVICES BY ADDRESSING BARRIERS, DEVELOPING COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE DELIVERY, INCREASING OFFENDER ACCOUNTABILITY AND WORKING WITH VICTIMS WITH TRAUMA INFORMED, VICTIM CENTERED AND CULTURALLY COMPETENT BEST PRACTICES.

PREVENTION - GIVEN THAT SEXUAL VIOLENCE IS 100% PREVENTABLE, ICESAHT IS FOCUSED ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EVIDENCED BASED PRIMARY PREVENTION STRATEGIES. ICESAHT CREATED AND CONTINUES TO IMPLEMENT THE SPEAK UP SPEAK OUT PROJECT ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES IN INDIANA. THE 8-MODULE CURRICULUM FOCUSES ON HEALTHY MASCULINITY, RAPE CULTURE, BREAKING OUT OF THE MAN BOX AND HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE BYSTANDER. IN ADDITION, ICESAHT OFFERS A BYSTANDER TRAINING TO HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS - EQUIPPING THEM WITH THE SKILLS TO EFFECTIVELY AND SAFELY INTERVENE TO STOP SEXUAL ASSAULT BEFORE IT OCCURS.

PUBLIC AWARENESS - A COMPANION PRIMARY PREVENTION STRATEGY IS ICESAHT'S PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN STEPIN. TARGETED TO CAMPUS PARTNERS AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES, STEPIN, IS A BYSTANDER AWARENESS CAMPAIGN EDUCATING STUDENTS, CAMPUS EDUCATORS, ADMINISTRATION, STAFF AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON HOW TO RECOGNIZE AND INTERVENE IN A POTENTIAL SITUATION. THE SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN IS DELIVERED THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, STUDENT RUN MEDIA OUTLETS AND LOCAL MEDIA. ANTI-TRAFFICKING - ICESAHT CONTINUES TO COORDINATE THE INDIANA PROTECTION OF ABUSED AND TRAFFICKED HUMANS TASKFORCE (IPATH). THE 150-MEMBER IPATH TASKFORCE INCLUDES SIX WORKING COMMITTEES AND USES A SURVIVOR-CENTERED APPROACH TO MORE EFFECTIVELY PREVENT, DETECT, AND PROSECUTE HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN INDIANA AND TO EMPOWER AND SUPPORT SURVIVORS. MEMBERSHIP INCLUDES LAW ENFORCEMENT, ADVOCACY GROUPS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, WORKER ORGANIZERS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS. ICESAHT AND THE IPATH TASKFORCE PROVIDE YEAR-ROUND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR IPATH TASKFORCE MEMBERS AND PARTNER AGENCIES. ICESAHT HAS ALSO ASSUMED THE COORDINATION OF THE WHAT WOULD I DO CURRICULUM. THE EVIDENCE-BASED TRAFFICKING PREVENTION CURRICULUM FOR INDIANA'S YOUTH OFFERS THREE AGE- APPROPRIATE MODULES TO 5TH THROUGH 12TH GRADERS. THE CURRICULUM OFFERS YOUTH SPACE TO THINK CRITICALLY AND SPEAK OPENLY ABOUT HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS, CULTURAL MESSAGES, HARMFUL STEREOTYPES, BARRIERS TO SEEKING HELP, STRATEGIES FOR STAYING SAFE, AND ACTION STEPS FOR RESPONDING TO UNSAFE SITUATIONS. LEGISLATIVE IMPACT - ICESAHT, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ICE MILLER LLP, CONTINUES TO WORK TO INCREASE STATE FUNDING IN THE SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM'S ASSISTANCE FUND. THE FUNDING IS USED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF RAPE CRISIS CENTERS AND EXPAND SEXUAL ASSAULT SERVICES IN INDIANA.