{"id":3426,"date":"2018-04-16T10:35:47","date_gmt":"2018-04-16T14:35:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.providecare.org\/?p=3426"},"modified":"2024-09-16T21:11:43","modified_gmt":"2024-09-16T21:11:43","slug":"a-reflection-for-sexual-assault-awareness-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.providecare.org\/blog\/a-reflection-for-sexual-assault-awareness-month\/","title":{"rendered":"A Reflection for Sexual Assault Awareness Month"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Tamika<\/a><\/p>\n

Tamika Holliday implements Provide\u2019s abortion referrals work within targeted systems in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Georgia. Before joining Provide, she worked for several years in Alabama for agencies focused on preventing sexual assault and supporting survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.\u00a0 She shares her reflections in observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Tell us about your experience in the area of sexual assault.<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

When I was doing that work in Alabama\u00a0<\/a>\u2014 whether in prevention, or case management, or teaching life skills \u2014 I had to address the stigma of sexual assault.\u00a0 There was a hesitation about addressing the realities of sexual assault.\u00a0 I spent a lot of times presenting to organizations, community leaders, and churches about the prevalence of sexual assault, and it was difficult to get people to talk about it.\u00a0 Alabama was one of the last states to criminalize marital rape, so there was a culture of shame that survivors had to overcome.\u00a0 There was still some of the thinking that a husband couldn\u2019t rape his wife. So a lot of work was about reminding people that anyone can be a victim.\u00a0 In many instances, survivors weren\u2019t allowed to see themselves as \u201cvictims\u201d and were made to feel responsible for the violation they experienced.\u00a0 Sexual assault was often an unspoken secret surrounded by a lot of stigma.\u00a0 That work reinforced for me the importance of talking openly about sexual assault, and the importance of removing shame whenever possible to really support survivors.<\/p>\n

Looking back, how could you have benefitted from Provide\u2019s Referrals training as a sexual assault advocate?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

I definitely would have really benefitted from our Referrals training<\/a> when I was advocating for survivors of sexual assault<\/a>.\u00a0 When you have a client or patient sitting in front of you after such a terrible experience \u2014 they are often feeling like they have no power.\u00a0 Part of your role is to show them that they can make decisions, and reclaim their strength.\u00a0 Our training gives providers the tools to give the people they serve all of their options when it comes to unintended pregnancy. The training teaches important skills for providers who may, among other things, need to address the reproductive health needs of their clients.<\/p>\n

I remember leading a Referrals training at a sexual assault agency. A counselor told me that she once had a client who didn\u2019t realize she was a victim until she was sitting in the hospital.\u00a0 She had believed all along that it was somehow her fault. But having someone name that for her \u2014 to tell her the truth \u2014 it changed things for her.\u00a0 And that\u2019s the type of impact our Referrals training can have.\u00a0 If a counselor has a survivor who is experiencing pregnancy, there is an opportunity to offer non-judgmental options counseling. The client can be empowered even in the most difficult circumstances, and reminded that she can make the choice that\u2019s best for her.<\/p>\n

\n

The Referrals training offers tools and skills to make sure that the advocate is a resource and not a barrier when a woman is considering all of her options.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

The 2018 theme for Sexual Assault Awareness Month is \u201cEmbrace Your Voice.\u201d What does that mean to you as you reflect on the work supporting survivors of sexual assault?<\/span> <\/strong><\/h2>\n

As an advocate, you have to embrace your own voice before you can be most effective for your clients.\u00a0 That means having clarity about your own beliefs and how that can impact the way you provide services.\u00a0 It also means you need to have accurate and comprehensive information that you can share confidently.\u00a0 Professional development is key in building that confidence, and trainings like ours build skills that can transform the way that care is offered.<\/p>\n

\n

By the time a counselor or nurse sees a survivor, that person has already had something taken away from them.\u00a0 We have the chance to add something \u2014 to help them to regain their voice. We have the opportunity to reinforce that they can make the decisions that are best for them.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\"Provide<\/p>\n

\n

Back to Blog Home<\/a><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“When you have a client or patient sitting in front of you after such a terrible experience \u2014 they are often feeling like they have no power.\u00a0 Part of your role is to show them that they can make decisions, and reclaim their strength.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10015,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[147,100],"tags":[148],"class_list":["post-3426","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dv-sa","category-provider-voices","tag-sexual-assault"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBlog | A Reflection for Sexual Assault Awareness Month | Provide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Tamika Holliday shares her reflections on working for agencies focused on preventing 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