OUTREACH & EDUCATION
PREVENTION STARTS EARLY
Education, one of the foundational components of RCIS, provides community members of all ages the opportunity to become active advocates for prevention and support for victim-survivors of sexual violence. Prevention starts early with children learning about positive and negative relationships and setting healthy boundaries with friends, and adults, including coaches, religious leaders, and other adults in a supervisory role. As adolescents, topics such as Consent, Coercion, Sexual Harassment, Intimate Partner Violence, Dating Violence, Safety Planning, Campus Safety, and Human Responses to Trauma are sensitive issues that can be challenging to discuss. RCIS offers presentations with a trauma-focused approach, acknowledging that students may be victims or know victims. We provide resources to public and private schools, Parent groups, student organizations, youth sports teams, religious organizations, and scouts.
If you are interested in giving a presentation to students in a classroom, youth sports team, youth organization, or religious youth group, don’t hesitate to contact Kristen Johnson, Outreach Educator, at 410-857-0900 or kjohnson@carehealingcenter.org
GET INVOLVED
Our dedicated and passionate volunteers are the backbone of our work, and we would be happy to have YOU join our team! We are looking for compassionate, personable, and dependable individuals who wish to develop their advocacy skills and actively participate in the recovery of survivors and their loved ones.
PROGRAMS
We offer age-appropriate, MSDE-based health curricula presentations to both public and private schools in Carroll County, most often in health classes. For frequently requested presentations
Safe Boundaries
Children need to learn that they are in charge of their bodies. Boundaries can be physical and emotional. Establishing safe boundaries with family members, teachers, coaches, and friends are essential skills that help children gain confidence, respecting others—teaching children the importance of telling a trusted adult when a personal boundary has been crossed in another life skill. This is appropriate for ages 4 and older – presentation is approximately 30-45 minutes.
Healthy Relationships
Healthy relationships are essential to our overall mental well-being. Parents, family members, teachers, coaches, religious figures, musicians, and sports players are all role models. Children learn how to have healthy relationships through modeling. Therefore, children must learn that good communication skills, maintaining friendships, and respect for differences will help children become confident and resilient to unhealthy relationships in the future. This presentation is appropriate for ages 4 through adults and is approximately 45-90 minutes, depending on the age of attendees.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is a form of sexual violence. Informing adolescents what sexual harassment is and how to be active bystanders and advocates for themselves empowers individuals to maintain safe boundaries and healthy relationships. Teaching respect for others regardless of race, gender, identity, culture, age, or difference is essential. Sexual harassment is seen in elementary, middle, and high schools as well as on college campuses. Examples include:
Through education and encouragement, children should know to tell a trusted adult, coach, teacher, school staff member, or parent. https://www.verywellfamily.com/examples-of-teen-sexual-harassment-at-school-2611301
Relationships Shouldn't Hurt
Dating violence is the use of abusive tactics to gain, assert, or maintain the power and control in a dating relationship. Violence does not always mean there is physical abuse present.
1 in 3 adolescents will experience emotional, sexual, and/or physical abuse every year
57% of teens wait 6 months or more to seek help for an abusive relationship.
An understanding of healthy relationships and maintaining safe boundaries are essential in the prevention of dating violence. This program is approximately 45 minutes long and can be adjusted to meet the needs of your scout organizations, youth group, youth sports team, and classroom. It is also offered as a two-day event.
Professional Workshops
As partners in the community, CARE also a wide variety of topic-specific workshops and presentations to businesses, organizations, partner agencies, government agencies, and more. Commonly requested topics include Sexual Harassment, Statistics and Trends Related to Sexual Violence, Bystander Intervention, Dating, Intimate Partner Violence, Sexual Violence Prevention, Trauma-Focused Workplaces, Stalking, Supporting Victims, Victim-Survivors Disclosure and Support, and much more. We are more than happy to discuss scheduling a professional workshop, which includes all presentation material, promotional items, and snacks-all for a nominal fee based on the number of attendees. Accommodations can be made for evening and weekend presentations as well. Please call Kristen Johnson, Outreach Educator, at 410-857-0900 or email kjohnson@carehealingcenter.org.
Understanding Sexual Violence
Sexual violence includes sexual assault, rape, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, sexual harassment, coercion, dating violence, physical abuse, emotional abuse, digital abuse (sexting, sending nude photos, and gaming), and physical abuse. Other important topics associated with sexual violence includes consent, healthy relationships, active bystanders, options after sexual assault, and how to support victim-survivors.
Rights and Responsibilities Against Sexual Violence
Health 2 focuses on learning about Maryland laws. Scenarios related to consent and other forms of sexual violence are discussed. Then students use information learned about Maryland laws and penalties to determine a possible outcome based on the scenario. Review of consent, active bystanders, and safety planning are also included in this 90-minute program.
Sexual Violence Prevention on Campus
Living on a college campus instantly changes one’s perception of a safe space. Healthy relationships and safe boundaries learned as a child are now impactful as a newly independent adult. Looking honestly at the statistics of sexual violence on college campuses and how to decrease one’s risk are offered year-round. A second workshop suggested is considered a more robust and in-depth workshop about sexual violence, which includes sexual assault, rape, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, sexual harassment, coercion, dating violence, physical abuse, emotional abuse, digital abuse (sexting, sending nude photos, and gaming), and physical abuse. Other important topics associated with sexual violence include consent, active bystanders, advocates, body responses to trauma, options after sexual assault, and how to support victim-survivors.
Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Professional Trainings
Recently, we have been partnering with local law enforcement agencies as part of our Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) initiative to present targeted trainings to law enforcement officers and other first responders. Topics covered in these trainings include Sexual Violence and Consent, The Neurobiology of Trauma and Stress Responses, Rape Culture, Perpetrator Behavior & Characteristics, Investigation and Implicit Bias, Vicarious/Secondary Trauma, and more. Please contact our office to learn about upcoming trainings or to request a training tailored to the needs of your agency. Please note some trainings are subject to a nominal fee based on number of attendees. Do not hesitate to contact Kaity Huber, SART Coordinator to schedule a training at 410-857-0900 or email khuber@carehealingcenter.org.
