In this month's newsletter we're covering:

• Sexual Assault Awareness Month
• National Child Abuse Prevention Month
• Arab American Heritage Month
• Autism Acceptance Month
• April Dates to Remember
• Teal Talk 2.0
• Join Our Team
• Short-Term Housing Assistance for Survivors!
• Advocacy Day
• Upcoming Trainings, Events, & Meetings
• Prevention Resources & Updates
• OAESV in the News
• Community Corner
• OAESV Job Board

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

&

National Child Abuse Prevention Month

Our foot is on the (advocacy) gas and we are excited to see the ways you will educate your communities about sexual violence, highlighting services available for survivors, and share how we can work to #ShapeOhioTogether.

Will you join us this April by sharing educational resources, participating in the #30DaysofSAAM Instagram Challenge, attending our trainings and events, and more?

Click the image to the right to hear our message to survivors!

Ways to Get Involved

• Keep an eye on the social media accounts of the Ohio Network of Child Advocacy Centers each week to see what's happening in child advocacy centers across Ohio.
• Share RAINN’s Spanish Language Hotline and their 2023 Spanish SAAM Toolkit your audience.
• Engage with the National Sexual Violence Resource Center's SAAM Toolkit. The theme is Prevention Demands Equity.
• Host a SAAM Event: Choose an event to host or create your own. Email Lhamame@oaesv.org to have your SAAM event shared by OAESV!
• Attend an OAESV SAAM Event: Find an event to attend below or go to our calendar here!
• Spread the word on social media using our pre-made graphics & captions and use the hashtags #ShapeOhioTogether and #SAAM2023. Use our Instagram Story stickers and Facebook profile picture frame to show your support.
• Change your Zoom or Teams background. Choose from a variety of backgrounds here!
• Donate to OAESV or an organization that provides services to survivors in your area.

OAESV created materials to support you in providing services to survivors and in educating and engaging your communities during SAAM. We hope these tools will allow you to spark conversations in your communities with the ultimate goal of serving and supporting survivors, engaging co-survivors and community members, and raising funds to support the sustainability of your programs.

Follow along on social media for advocacy opportunities, action items, and other ways to get involved all month long!

April is Arab American Heritage Month

Arab Americans are a group with diverse cultures, languages spoken, countries of origin, racial identities, and religious beliefs; however, due to the way race and ethnicity categories are currently collected by the U.S. Census Bureau, national studies on the prevalence of sexual and domestic violence often do not identify Arab, Middle Eastern, and North African Americans as a distinct category. This means national datasets do not highlight Arab or Middle Eastern survivors as a distinct population.

Based on other research, Arab Americans impacted by sexual and domestic violence often face barriers accessing services that reflect their cultural norms and experiences. These barriers are often greater for refugees and recent immigrants, as they may be less familiar with available supports and resources in the community and are more likely to speak a primary language other than English. Arab Americans also experience barriers to services due to a history of stereotypes about gender roles, and are more vulnerable to forced marriage and genital mutilation. Additionally, the disproportionate history of hate crimes and surveillance of the Arab American community can lead to a lack of trust of resources involving the criminal justice system.

While these facts can be disheartening, we remain steadfast in our mission to end violence for ALL, including our most marginalized, and choose to also celebrate the rich culture and achievements of Arabs in diplomacy, science, technology, art, literature, food, music, civil rights, and social justice.

Last year, President Biden became the first U.S. president to declare April as National Arab American Heritage Month, in recognition of the contributions of Arab Americans to the United States that are as old as America itself.

Learn more:

• The Arab-American Family Support Center (AAFSC) provides culturally and linguistically competent, trauma-informed, multi-generational social services to Arab Americans.
• 13 Ways To Celebrate Arab American Heritage Month in 2023

April is Autism Acceptance Month

Awareness is important, but we shouldn’t stop there. Why? Because as advocates know, ableism increases sexual violence.

A 2022 study found that nine out of 10 autistic women are victims of sexual violence. Autistic people often experience co-occurring conditions like anxiety, dyspraxia, hypermobility, intellectual disability, PTSD, and more. Having multiple disabilities can increase a person’s risk of sexual assault, and children with mental health or intellectual disabilities are almost five times more likely than their nondisabled peers to experience sexual abuse.

Autistic people need not just awareness, but acceptance and inclusion in order to have true support from their communities. While we will always work to spread awareness, words matter as we strive for autistic individuals to live fully in all areas of life.

We need more than awareness. We need Autism acceptance. We need Autism inclusion, love, joy, and authentic autistic-centered supports.

So, as you're bringing awareness and acceptance to autism and autistic people, here are a few reminders:

❤️ A formal diagnosis isn't attainable or safe for everyone. It can be difficult to obtain a diagnosis, especially as adults, so it’s widely accepted in the community that many are self-diagnosed.

❤️ Follow and support Autistic people. Lift up their voices and help share their stories.

❤️Autism is a spectrum and not a linear one. Autism presents very differently in every person. Be open to learning and listening.

❤️Last, but certainly not least, remember Autistic people are individuals with vivid imaginations and goals. Just because they may communicate differently or experience life differently, it doesn't mean they are always suffering or unhappy.

April Dates to Remember

Teal Day/Day of Action  - April 4

Advocacy Day Prep Webinar - April 5 We’re very excited to connect with you to talk all about Advocacy Day! Register to find out all that you need to know in order to make sure our state gets the support needed from the Ohio legislature. Please note that if you are registering to attend Advocacy Day, it’s very important for you to attend this webinar or to watch the recording. Let’s all get on the same page so we can be even more powerful at the statehouse!

Easter - April 9

Volunteer Appreciation Day - April 20

OAESV's Advocacy Day - April 20

Share a picture of your staff taking part in Advocacy Day! You can also tweet throughout the day to keep your followers up-to-date on the most impactful parts of your experience. Include #ShapeOhioTogether

Denim Day - April 26

Join the national moment! For over 21 years, supporters have engaged in wearing jeans as a form of protest against an all-too-common issue of victim blaming.

Teal Talk 2.0 is Live!

We re-launched our podcast! Teal Talk is on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Spotify right now! 🎙️ You can find direct links and episode transcripts at oaesv.org/tealtalk

You'll find our first episode of Season 2 Public Policy Advocacu for Advocates with Emily Gemar, co-hosted by Chief Officer of Communications & Engagement, Taylr Ucker-Lauderman, and Communications & Content Coordinator, Laurie Hamame.

You can also listen to Season 1, hosted by former Social Change & Outreach Manager, Olivia Montgomery!

Join Our Team

Are you relationship savvy? A strategic thinker? Good with resource management? Do you have a passionate and entrepreneurial mindset? This role is calling your name! Join our team as a Contractual Fund Development Coordinator! Open until filled.

Short-Term Housing Assistance for Survivors!

We are excited to announce the launch of our

Meaningful Housing Access Program

This program will allow survivors to have access to short-term housing assistance through a temporary five to seven day hotel stay.

Advocates are able to submit applications on behalf of the survivor to utilize this program. 

11th Annual Advocacy Day

11th Annual Advocacy Day

Register and join us on Thursday, April 20th for an in-person event in Columbus at the Ohio Statehouse.

OAESV’s Advocacy Day provides advocates, preventionists, survivors, and interested members of the public with the opportunity to express the importance of sexual violence advocacy and prevention to members of the Ohio Legislature.

Make sure you're prepared!

Learn about policy advocacy, learn how to work with your meeting group, and prepare for your upcoming legislative meetings at our annual Advocacy Day Prep Webinar. Recommended for everyone who has signed up for OAESV's Advocacy Day legislative meetings. Please register even if you're not able to attend to receive a recording!

Mark Your Calendars!

Connect with an Attorney

The Ohio Survivor Legal Assistance Clinic holds virtual office hours to provide a safe space for Ohio survivors and their advocates to connect with an attorney. Virtual office hours will allow survivors to discuss legal options, connect with resources, and/or have a brief consultation. 

• April 1 from 10am to 12pm
• April 13 from 12pm to 2pm
• April 25 from 4pm to 6pm

Call 216-282-1559 to connect.  

Q&A with Jay

Our Manager of Engaging Men Initiatives, Jayvon Howard will be going live on Instagram April 12 at 12pm to answer questions about building and developing new programming for male survivors. He will be joined by Emiliano Diaz de Leon, Men’s Engagement Specialist, from the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault.

You can view the live broadcast by tapping on our profile picture at 12pm. The live will be shared on our feed afterward, but if you want to interact with Jay in real-time, be sure to tune in! Questions can be sent to jhoward@oaesv.org.

Ohio Campus Coalition for Advocates & Preventionists



Join the April OCCAP meeting to hear Sarah Ferrato, OAESV's Manager of SV Prevention & Public Health Initiatives, facilitate an interactive presentation on primary prevention strategies and creating culturally responsive programming!

OCCAP is a community of practice for advocates and preventionists working on college and university campuses across the state. Register at oaesv.org/registeroccap

Advocate Roundtable

Pull up your chair next to direct service advocates across Ohio to discuss successes, challenges, issues, or concerns faced by advocates! Join us for this month's Advocate Roundtable and relight that fire that led you to the work in the first place.

Register for the April session.

3- Part Spring Seasonal Training Series

Interested in working with grants or gaining skills related to non-profit project management? Learn more about the behind-the-scenes work of how to apply for and manage grants at a non-profit organization.

Register for part 2 of this series that will feature OAESV's Jenn Eidemiller and Shandra Ingram

CIEO Monthly Working Meeting

The Ohio Co-Conspirators in Ending Oppression (CIEO) is a subcommittee of the Statewide Anti-Oppression Committee.

Registration for the April 26 event will only be sent to active working group members. To become a member, or to learn more information, please email co-chairs Becca Getson, bgetson@oaesv.org, and Jenn Eidemiller, jeidemiller@oaesv.org.

Spring 40-Hour Training Institute

Registration Days

March 31 – April 30, 2023

OAESV has created this training opportunity for members to fulfill the Core Standards’ requirement of 40 hours of introductory training for new advocates. Attendees will receive fundamental information necessary for providing effective services to sexual violence survivors in a variety of contexts, with a focus on medical & legal advocacy.

Learn more information and register here. For additional information or questions, email training@oaesv.org.

Local Program Highlights

• Survivor Advocacy Outreach Program's New Leaf Techo-Social Coalition received the Appalachian Community Grant Award. Congrats to the SAOP team!
• Hope & Healing Survivor Resource Center is hosting a screening and discussion of Push Out: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools on April 3rd at Akron Public Library. Register here!
• SARNCO's 15th Annual Central Ohio Sexual Assault Awareness Month Conference is coming up on April 12th! This year's free conference theme is Digitally Facilitated Abuse: Exploring the Impact of Technology in Anti-Violence Work. Register!

Prevention at the Center of SAAM 2023!

• The National Sexual Violence Resource Center 2023 theme is Prevention Demands Equity. This is HUGE! Historically, the focus of SAAM has been awareness raising-- a critical facet of our work-- but with prevention too often as an afterthought. It is heartening to see themes of prevention and anti-oppression center stage this year! Check out NSVRC's full campaign here.
• The OAESV SAAM Toolkit is also filled with prevention-focused resources. Check it out!

To Read

• Explore bell hooks' reflections on how Understanding Patriarchy as a system helps us all to end the suffering caused by it.
• Decolonizing Gender: A Curriculum is a guided reflection on gender identity, race, and colonialism. Designed for both individuals and groups, this zine asks deep and probing questions about why the gender binary is seen as the "norm", despite people who choose to exist outside of the binary having existed forever.

To Watch

• In What Are Obstacles to Accountability, people with years of experience facilitating transformative, restorative, and community accountability processes between survivors of harm and people who have done harm talk frankly about what gets in the way of accountability.

To Listen

• For the next four months, PreventConnect is diving deep into youth engagement, exploring how organizations across our movement are centering youth voices, and how that work is transforming their agencies and communities. Listen to the first episode now!
• Darin Dorsey, violence prevention expert and organizational equity consultant, talks about Anti-Black Racism in the Movement to End Gender-Based Violence and how to hold organizations to their mission and values.
• Check out Equitas Health's Cultural Connections podcast episode where Tea Brown and Dorian Rhea Debussy discuss the modern feminist movement and how trans liberation is linked to women's liberation.

To Engage

• Training for Change is hosting a free Large Online Trainings with Impact workshop on April 27th.
• Join the Ohio Youth-Led Prevention Network (OYLPN) on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, from 10 am - 1 pm at KEMBA Live for the We Are Change Rally! With a theme of "What's Your Real!" we're encouraging over 1,200 Ohio youth to embrace their authentic selves and make a positive difference in their communities and beyond. 
• Register for our May Prevention Pop-in, where we will be joined by OAESV Director of Public Policy, Emily Gemar, to talk all things Erin's Law!
• YWCA’s Racial Justice Challenge will return for its 5th year on April 17th – May 15th, 2023.

In Community,

Sarah

OAESV in the News

Community Corner

Want to add a message to our newsletter? Please email Laurie at Lhamame@oaesv.org at least 7 days prior to the first of the month with the details of your message request. Examples include calls for proposals and event invitations.

YWCA Dayton Survivor Art Show

YWCA Dayton Rape Crisis Center is marking Sexual Assault Awareness Month by hosting an art show open to all survivors. It is free to showcase your work and free to attend the gallery. Art will be showcased to the public throughout the end of April. Anonymous options available.

Questions? Contact mdevivo@ywcadayton.org or call/text 513-963-0551. 

Submissions due April 15.

Hope & Healing SAAM Events

Upcoming SAAM events offered by Hope & Healing:

1. United in Action: Luncheon Ft. Dr. Tyffani Monford Dent on April 6th at Himelright Lodge 11:30am
2. Sip & Seek - a Happy Hour style event at Bounce Innovation Hub Ft. Angie Haze and Eris Eady on April 21st at 5pm
3. A Survivors Retreat - a Day Long Retreat at the Akron Public Library April 28th

Register here.

OAESV's Job Board

Are you or someone you know looking for employment? There are MANY open positions at rape crisis centers, sexual violence coalitions, and other allied organizations in Ohio and beyond? Please visit oaesv.org/employment and share with your networks!

To post a job opportunity, please email Laurie Hamame, lhamame@oaesv.org