Prevention

The Women’s Resource’s Medical Advocacy Program (MAP) continues to expand our presence in Lackawanna and Susquehanna counties. Medical Advocacy includes the healthcare-based identification of domestic violence, sexual assault & human trafficking victims within the healthcare setting. This program includes developing and implementing policies and procedures to enhance the health care response to these victims at various medical practices & institutions. WRC  establishes relationships with health care systems to better serve patients and healthcare professionals alike. Trainings provided by our MAP are at no cost and cover a variety of issues related to Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking. 

Our Task Forces in both Lackawanna &  Susquehanna County are made up of Medical Professionals who meet quarterly to discuss current/ongoing issues and help configure solutions for these problems. Our Lackawanna County Task Force began in January 2021. Susquehanna County’s Task Force had their first meeting in February of 2022. Both counties are accepting new task force members. To join you must work in either Susquehanna or Lackawanna County within the medical field (doctor, nurse, EMS, substance abuse, mental health ect).

Through support from the AllOne Foundation, WRC has been able to collaborate with VIP, the domestic and sexual assault crisis program serving Wayne & Pike Counties. This partnership with valuable input, is ongoing and has led to such things as SANE Training in fall of 2021. Our goal is to continue to provide SANE Trainings for all four counties.  If you’re interested in joining the task force, scheduling a training or have some questions please contact MA@wrcnepa.org

Using existing evidence based curriculum, WRC offers Healthy Relationships Programs for youth in grades 5-8.  These interactive sessions include communication skills, setting boundaries, identifying healthy relationships and more. 

WRC staff are available to host a table at a variety of events on campus.

Students Speak Out is a traveling art display of work from students who have participated in the Safe Dates Program. All supplies and set up/take down are included in the following public displays. These can be displayed at anytime, however many groups like to coordinate the display with Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month in February.

Women’s Resource Center staff have undergone specialized training on facilitating these trainings, in addition to extensive training on intimate partner violence and violence prevention and response.

WRC offers training at no cost, although some schools offer an honorarium or make a donation to WRC.

In addition to training and prevention programs, WRC also has counselors who work specifically with middle and high school aged youth who have experienced dating or sexual violence, stalking, or human trafficking.

Contact Sarah Dawgert for more information sarahd@wrcnepa.org

Youth spend a majority of their time in schools or on school grounds.  Educators, coaches, counselors and any school staff have a role to play in creating safe schools.  Identifying and responding to dating violence, sexual violence, stalking and human trafficking can help create safer schools.  These trainings raise awareness on these issues and also give educators skills and resources needed to identify warning signs in the classroom, respond in a trauma informed way to a disclosure of abuse, and to develop a tool kit of resources and referrals.

Self-care is an important component of a school professional’s health, but there are misconceptions about what it is. It’s common to dismiss self-care  as “selfish” or “superficial”, especially with the competing priorities of schools and teachers.  But for teachers and other school staff, self-care is not self indulgent-it’s about taking care of your health so that you’re prepared to be the best teacher you can be for yourself and your students. When left unchecked, stress can lead to burnout and contribute to the high turnover rate in education.  We will explore what self care looks like in reality and how this can translate into classrooms.  Also we will touch on trauma, and the collective trauma we are experiencing in light of the pandemic.

Youth spend a majority of their time in schools or on school grounds.  Educators, coaches, counselors and any school staff have a role to play in creating safe schools.  Identifying and responding to dating violence, sexual violence, stalking and human trafficking can help create safer schools.  These trainings raise awareness on these issues and also give educators skills and resources needed to identify warning signs in the classroom, respond in a trauma informed way to a disclosure of abuse, and to develop a tool kit of resources and referrals.

Trauma affects all communities, and responses to those experiences are critical. WRC offers training to campus professionals to raise awareness of trauma and provide skills to shift understanding and practice around trauma informed campuses and classrooms. Topics include the prevalence of trauma, understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences, principles for understanding trauma, practices for addressing trauma, working with students who have experienced trauma, and the importance of self-care and support for faculty and administrators.

This 90 minute interactive program encourages participants to become positive bystanders in instances of sexual and interpersonal violence and harassment. Rather than focusing strictly on the roles of perpetrator and victim, the highly interactive, evidence based Bringing in the Bystander® curriculum uses a community responsibility approach. It teaches bystanders how to safely intervene in instances where sexual violence, relationship violence or stalking may be occurring or where there may be risk that it will occur. Participants learn to identify problem situations; they also learn practical skills for safe and effective intervention including the 4 D’s of safely intervening. It is specifically geared to college/university students and facilitated by WRC staff trained in the program.

Identifying and responding to dating violence, sexual violence, stalking and human trafficking can help create safer campuses. These are a basic “101” trainings including prevalence and statistics, definitions, warning signs, and how to respond to disclosures, as well as local and national resources.

WRC staff are available to host a table at a variety of events on campus.

Additionally WRC displays the Empty Place At The Table, a powerful display honoring those in Lackawanna County who have lost their lives to domestic violence.

Women’s Resource Center staff have undergone specialized training on facilitating these trainings, in addition to extensive training on intimate partner violence and violence prevention and response. 

WRC offers training at no cost, although many campuses offer an honorarium or make a donation to WRC. 

In addition to training and prevention work with campuses, WRC also has counselors who work specifically with college aged youth who have experienced dating or sexual violence, stalking, or human trafficking.

Contact Nuris at nurisp@wrcnepa.org for more information about any of our campus programs.

Respect at Work™ is an employee training program developed by Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) to help organizations prevent sexual harassment and abuse by developing work environments that are safe and healthy.  The best approach to prevent workplace sexual harassment and abuse requires more than liability-focused training on definitions and policies. It requires shifting norms and changing behaviors within the workplace to create a culture of safety, equality, and respect. Customized trainings are designed to meet the specific needs of your workplace while protecting against behaviors that are experienced as disrespectful or harassing.

WRC staff are available to host a table at a variety of events on campus. 

All supplies and set up/take down are included in the following public displays.  These can be displayed at anytime, however many groups like to coordinate the display with Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April, or Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month in February. 

The Empty Place At The Table is a powerful display honoring those in Lackawanna County who have lost their lives to domestic violence. 

Students Speak Out is a traveling art display of work from students who have participated in the Safe Dates Program. 

Women’s Resource Center staff have undergone specialized training on facilitating these trainings, in addition to extensive training on intimate partner violence and violence prevention and response. 

WRC offers training at no cost, although many groups offer an honorarium or make a donation to WRC. 

In addition to training and prevention work with campuses, WRC also has counselors who work specifically with college aged youth who have experienced dating or sexual violence, stalking, or human trafficking.

Contact Sarah Dawgert for more information sarahd@wrcnepa.org