NYSCASA
NEWSLETTER
DEC. 6 2023
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Welcome to this edition of NYSCASA’s email newsletter, where we share recent items of interest with our community.
Interested in sharing your news with the community? Send us an email with "Newsletter" in the subject line. Please contact Anna Woodworth: awoodworth@nyscasa.org
We want to hear from you! Advocates, programs, and survivors doing ground level work are why we’re here. Please reach out to NYSCASA with needs, concerns, and updates.
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WEBINAR: Embodied Organizations: Using Somatics & Liberatory Frameworks to Mitigate Vicarious Trauma & Burnout | |
12:00 - 1:30PM EST: This learning session will explore new frameworks for mitigating vicarious trauma and burnout, with an emphasis on how liberatory and somatic practices can shape a new foundation for our work. Topics covered include: principles or practices of an embodied organization, how embodiment influences our work, and strategies for integrating theory into practice. NYS-based victim services administrators, staff, volunteers, and others working with survivors are invited to participate in this training and opportunity for peer sharing. | | |
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WEBINAR: Enhancing Language Access for Victims of Domestic and Sexual Violence in Rural, Urban, and Border Towns | |
2:00PM EST: The API on Gender-Based Violence and ABA Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence invite legal service providers and advocates supporting survivors and victims of domestic violence and sexual assault to join a panel discussion addressing the challenges of, and promising practices in, providing language access to victims of domestic and sexual violence who are limited English proficient or use different modes of communication, including those who speak indigenous languages. | | |
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SURVEY: NAESV Annual Rape Crisis Center Funding Survey | |
The National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV) has extended the deadline of its Annual Rape Crisis Center Funding Survey to Friday, December 8. This survey is vital in NAESV’s federal advocacy efforts and indicates the funding needs of each and every region in our country. Please take a few minutes of your day this week to complete the survey: only one response is needed for each program. You can access and share the survey at this link: www.surveymonkey.com/r/QKWVTMT | | |
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WEBINAR: Community Centered Evaluation | |
12:00PM EST: Maya Pilgrim, Filipina/Cajun mother, partner, and independent consultant, will be discussing how we are most accountable to our communities and how to center them in our evaluative and learning practices in addition to effective evaluation practices and principles that enhance relationships, affirm culture, and steward trauma. | |
Recent Milestones and News | | |
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Investing in a New Era of Campus Safety | |
NYSCASA and the Alliance (NYCAASA) held a dynamic conversation about how New York State can best support student survivors through "Enough is Enough" Education Law 129B. Panelists included Emily Miles, executive director of the NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault; William Rivera, interim executive director of the NYS Coalition Against Sexual Assault; Tracia Banuelos-Rovaris, summer research fellow for the NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault; and Tandile Jackson-Vinson, campus intern at the NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault. Capitol Press Room host David Lombardo moderated the virtual event: we were pleased to welcome over 70 attendees. |
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IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Hundreds of attendees of the Primary Prevention Summit sit in primary conference room with back of heads visible. Attendees watch Sarah Podber introduce speaker Lisa Fujie Parks. Image courtesy of NYSCADV. | | |
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Primary Prevention Summit 2023 | |
IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Four Summit attendees pose together, smiling and facing forward, in front of NYSCADV logo backdrop. Image courtesy of NYSCADV. | |
NYSCASA collaborated with the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NYSCADV) to host the 9th annual Primary Prevention Summit in Albany. The 2023 summit focused on increasing health equity through effective approaches to preventing sexual violence and intimate partner violence before it begins. Speakers discussed intersectional, community-based prevention strategies at the local, state, and national levels, as well as ways to engage men and youth. We were excited to welcome over 200 attendees. | |
IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Speaker Chris Kosakowski stands in conference room presenting to seated audience with backs of heads visible. Projected slideshow titles "Following Their Lead." Image courtesy of NYSCADV. | |
Speakers included: Lisa Fujie Parks (Prevention Institute), Ponny White (Girls for Gender Equity), Brian Heilman (Equimundo), Phillip A. Burse (In Our Own Voices), Rus Ervin Funk (MensWork, Ohio Men’s Action Network, North American Men’s Engagement Network), Harvey Herne (Seven Dancers Coalition), Chris Kosakowski (OVW Campus Grant Project Director, Coordinator of Student Inclusion Initiatives for SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry), James Young (Queery), Maya Pilgrim (Independent Consultant), Farah Tanis (Restore Forward, Black Women’s Blueprint), Sarah Podber (NYSCASA), and Lorien Castelle (NYSCADV) | | |
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Donations to Oakwood Community Center’s Food Pantry | | |
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Our organization was pleased to contribute food and monetary donations to Troy’s Oakwood Community Center, where their food pantry provided 100+ community members with Thanksgiving bags of holiday-related food, cleaning products, and personal hygiene items to community members.
IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Six blue and yellow tote bags with soup cans and other non-perishable food items in car before being donated.
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Transgender Day of Remembrance & Transgender Awareness Week | | |
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NYSCASA celebrated forensic nurses’ contributions supporting those impacted by sexual violence.
IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Screen of Facebook post from NYSCASA sharing article regarding Forensic Nurses.
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IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Twenty-two college students smile, facing forward, as they pose for a group photo in conference room. Three students in front wear blue "It's On Us" t-shirts. | | |
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SANASA Attends It’s On Us! Meeting | |
The Student Activist Network Against Sexual Assault (SANASA) sent representatives to the It's On Us! Regional Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts on November 4, where student activists met to network, educate, and empower the next generation of changemakers. We were grateful to have a SANASA representative join the NYSCADV/NYSCASA Prevention Summit in Albany Nov 29. | |
Public Policy and Government Affairs | | |
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Expiration of the Adult Survivors Act: Press Release | |
NYSCASA issued a press release regarding the expiration of the Adult Survivors Act (ASA) on November 23, 2023. | |
We joined lawmakers in calling for a Digital Day of Action and a Call-In Day to urge Congress to prevent catastrophic cuts to lifesaving services for victims and survivors through the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). | |
IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Screenshot of Training and Technical Assistance Center website landing page. Landing page reads: "The New York State Enough is Enough Technical Assistance and Training Center. We provide training for rape crisis and sexual violence programs." Overlay of photo with subject in blue shirt with curly, dark brown hair facing forward, smiling at individual with long hair, back of head visible. | | |
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Training and Technical Assistance Enough is Enough Website Launch | |
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NYSCASA is proud to collaborate with the Alliance (NYCAASA) and the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV), under the guidance of Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) coordinators, to produce a new Training and Technical Assistance Enough is Enough website for all to use in navigating New York Education Law 129-B. This launch builds upon eight years of EiE legislation, contributing new information as well as centralizing and revising older information to meet current needs.
Some of the updated items contained in the website include:
- A password protected provider portal for EiE providers to collaborate and share resources
- Student Survivor Toolkit
- Sample MOU for SART
- Archived webinars
- Specialized resources
- Updated onboarding videos for new EiE staff (coming soon!)
Access the website at this link: www.trainingandtacenter.org
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IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Eleven blue Post-t notes are organized in a square on a wooden backdrop. Notes include students' statements, in their own handwriting, of how they ask for consent. Sample note: "I ask for consent by reading body signals and verbally asking." Photo taken during SANASA welcome package event. | |
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Student Activist Network welcome packages were delivered directly to student leaders on campus. We put together an assortment of NYSCASA swag and a few resources (including a copy of Sexual Citizens, a groundbreaking study NYSCASA has previously sent to member programs) in a NYSCASA tote bag.
Click here for more information about SANASA and here to register for the next All-Campus Meeting.
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Recent Publications and NYSCASA in the News | | |
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Interim Executive Director interviewed by Yahoo! News | | |
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Enough is Not Enough Report | |
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The New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault (the Alliance) and the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NYSCASA) released the new Enough is Not Enough: Maintaining New York State as a Leader in Campus Sexual Violence Prevention report. The report details the current landscape of addressing sexual violence on campuses in a post-COVID context and the on-going impact of insufficient funding to support the goals of EIE on campuses across the state. Included is a list of recommendations for action for policymakers and legislators, including calls to:
- Increase annual funding by $5.1 million for Enough is Enough Programs to $9.6 million
- Assign $1.5 million to fund a three-year, statewide Campus Coordinated Response Team demonstration project
- Conduct an Enough is Enough Compliance Evaluation Post COVID-19
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NYSCASA welcomed new leadership this autumn, including Interim Executive Director William Rivera, Public Policy Director Brittni Gulotty, and Communications Director Anna Woodworth. | | |
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Interim Executive Director Will Rivera
With over seventeen years of experience assisting victims and survivors of crime, sexual violence, and houselessness, Will is committed to providing solutions, assistance, and enhancing services for victims/survivors of sexual and structural violence at all levels.
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Public Policy Director Brittni Gulotty
Brittni brings over a decade of experience in the nonprofit field at the intersection of reproductive health, rights, and justice, LGBTQIA+ equity, and domestic and sexual violence.
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Communications Director Anna Woodworth
Anna previously worked in the refugee and immigrant nonprofit community in Utica and has taught cultural anthropology.
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Interested in supporting NYSCASA’s activities and long-term planning? We seek to affirmatively recruit candidates who are reflective of and sensitive to the needs of the diverse communities affected by sexual violence in New York State. All are encouraged to apply to our Board of Directors.
Learn more about our Board of Directors at this link. Click here to apply to join our Board of Directors.
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End-of-Year Giving
This time of year can bring joy, and it can also challenge us. We pause and honor the needs of survivors and victims, and we ask you to do what is right for you.
You can support us by:
With your help, we continue to advocate for survivors/victims and responsive services for all those affected by sexual violence. Today, tomorrow, and every day, we are grateful for your support.
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