For Advocacy Programs
Tools That Help You Explore Advocacy Practice
This page has tools for advocacy programs seeking to strengthen services for survivors of sexual violence. The tools below will help individual advocates explore their advocacy practice, and advocacy programs build their capacity to provide comprehensive sexual assault services. In addition to these tools, our staff provides specialized support and training for rural advocacy programs and folks with a transitional housing program. For more exploration, conversations, collaboration, brainstorming, or connection with peers reach out to our staff.
Upcoming Events
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Resources for Advocacy Programs
Click each category to explore the resources within.
Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse is complex and can affect survivors’ physical health, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, social relationships, and sense of safety well into adulthood. Far too many adult survivors of child sexual abuse suffer in silence, neglect, and isolation. The resources below will help your rural program navigate advocacy for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
Available Resources
Recorded Calls & Webinars
Organizational Highlights
Advocacy Skills
Our ability to help survivors of sexual violence navigate their own personal journey of healing is dependent upon the knowledge we gather and the skills we practice. Sexual violence advocacy requires many intangible skills such as active listening, empathy, building rapport, empowerment, and collaboration. With the resources below you will be able to practice these advocacy skills in order to help survivors find their voices and reclaim their power.
Available Resources
Maturing Your Services: Advocating for Survivors of Sexual Violence in Later Life, National Sexual Violence Resource Center
Sexual Violence Against Farmworkers: A Guidebook for Social Service Providers, Victim Rights Law Center
Healing the Body: Exploring Comprehensive Medical Advocacy
Listen Up! Active Listening as Advocacy
It Matters! How Defining Sexual Violence Defines Advocacy Programs
Throw Away the Menu: Broadening Advocacy
A Welcoming Introduction to Services
Tips for Active Listening
Creating Spaces of Healing: Exploring Housing Advocacy
Finding the Path Forward: Exploring Employment Advocacy
Building Cultures of Care: A Guide for Sexual Assault Services Programs
Strengthening Our Practice: The Ten Essential Strengths of Sexual Violence Victim Advocates in Dual/Multi-Service Advocacy Agencies
Holistic Healing Services for Survivors
Advocating for All Communities
Advocacy programs have a responsibility to prioritize sexual violence services for the most marginalized and oppressed survivors in rural communities. Learning about marginalized communities should not be seen as “extra” or an “add-on,” but instead essential to the mission of the program. The resources below will help your program learn more about providing services to specific marginalized communities present in your rural community. All of the resources here are cross-listed into other topics present in the toolkit.
Available Resources
Why Look At Census Data?
Trauma Informed Principles through a Culturally Specific Lens, National Latin@ Network
Maturing Your Services: Advocating for Survivors of Sexual Violence in Later Life, National Sexual Violence Resource Center
Sexual Violence Against Farmworkers: A Guidebook for Social Service Providers, Victim Rights Law Center
Transgender Sexual Violence Survivors: A Self-Help Guide to Healing and Understanding, Forge
Fuerza Unida: An Approach for Engaging Communities, National Latin@ Network
Making Sexual and Domestic Violence Services Accessible to Individuals with Limited English Proficiency: A Planning Tool for Advocacy Organizations, National Latin@ Network
Culturally Relevant Services for Tribal Communities and Communities of Color
Building Meaningful Partnerships: Supporting Native Survivors in Rural Communities
Supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Rural Sexual Violence Survivors
Cultivating Inclusive Practices: Working with Rural Immigrant and Refugee Communities
Eight Step Advocacy Plan for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Survivors of Sexual Assault
Serving Sexual Violence Survivors with Disabilities
Recorded Calls & Webinars
It’s My Prerogative: Consent and Healthy Sexuality for People with Disabilities, End Abuse of People with Disabilities
Nothing About Us Without Us: Centering the Movement Around Self-Advocates, End Abuse of People with Disabilities
One Size Does Not Fit All: Serving Culturally Diverse Survivors with Disabilities, End Abuse of People with Disabilities
Responding to Survivors with Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Overview for Sexual Assault Advocates, National Sexual Violence Resource Center
Anti-Racism is Fundamental to Sexual Assault Services
Rural Resilience: Addressing Sexual Abuse in Later Life
Supporting Multilingual and Bicultural Rural Advocates Webinar
Serving Sexual Violence Survivors with Disabilities
From the Ground Up: Supporting Rural Multilingual Advocates
Serving Our Whole Community: Welcoming Male Survivors
Assessment & Evaluation
Evaluation is the backbone of strong sexual assault advocacy. Evaluation proves out success to employees, community leaders, and funders. It lets us measure what we are doing right and figure out how to do more of it. Most importantly, evaluation gives survivors and community members a voice in our empowerment-based agencies. We cannot know if services are working for survivors unless we ask. The resources below will help your rural program meaningfully assess where you are currently and where you want to go.
Available Resources
Picturing Your Program: Planning for Organizational Growth
Opening Our Doors: Building Strong Sexual Assault Services in Dual/Multi-Service Advocacy Agencies
Strengthening Our Practice: The Ten Essential Strengths of Sexual Violence Victim Advocates in Dual/Multi-Service Advocacy Agencies
Listening to Our Communities: Assessment Toolkit
Program Evaluation: Knowing is Half the Battle
Children & Youth
Youth who experience sexual violence deserve our advocacy services and support. Children and teens are resilient, creative, and capable of healing. The resources below will help you strengthen your advocacy skills when working with minors and help your program create strong advocacy services with children and youth in mind.
Available Resources
How do I Talk about the Violence I Experienced?, Victim Rights Law Center
Mandatory Reporting of Non-Accidental Injuries: A State-by-State Guide, Victim Rights Law Center
Ending Child Sexual Abuse: A Transformative Justice Handbook, Generation Five
Teen Suport Group Guide, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs
Serving Teen Survivors: A Manual for Advocates, National Sexual Violence Resource Center
Considering Family Reconnection and Reunification after Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Road Map for Advocates and Service Providers, National Sexual Violence Resource Center
The Advocate’s Guide: Working with Parents of Children Who Have Been Sexually Assaulted, National Sexual Violence Resource Center
Linking the Roads: Working with Youth Who Experience Homelessness & Sexual Violence, National Sexual Violence Resource Center
Strategies for Becoming an Adult Ally, National Sexual Violence Resource Center
No Safe Place: Sexual Violence in the Juvenile Justice System, Just Detention International
Tip Sheet on Teen Survivors and Parents/Guardians
College-Aged but On the Streets: Young Adults Who Experience Homelessness and Sexual Violence
Working with Teen Survivors of Sexual Violence
Recorded Calls & Webinars
Confidentiality
Confidentiality builds trust and provides the foundation for our relationship with survivors and our community. In rural communities confidentiality can be difficult to navigate, which makes it all the more important to survivors of sexual violence. The resources below will provide your program with the tools to create truly confidential sexual violence services.
Available Resources
Jurisdiction-Specific Guides: Privacy Laws Impacting Survivors, Victim Rights Law Center
Tips: Protecting Survivor Privacy in Rural Areas, Victim Rights Law Center
A Privacy Toolkit for Coordinated Community Response Teams, Victim Rights Law Center
Privacy Chart Mandatory Reporting Tool, Victim Rights Law Center
FAQ about U.S Federal Laws & Confidentiality for Survivors, National Sexual Violence Resource Center
Listening to Survivors- Essential Steps for the Intake Process
Organizational Highlight
Healing
Sexual violence deeply affects so many areas of our lives: health, spirituality, emotions, sexuality, and relationships. These are areas of hurt and areas where we can focus our healing services. Advocacy is about helping survivors find their path to healing from trauma and that goal can only be achieved by supporting the whole person. The resources below will help your program envision healing services for survivors of sexual violence.
Available Resources
CAPACITAR: Healing Trauma, Empowering Wellness, A Multicultural Popular Education Approach to Transforming Trauma, Capacitar International
Holistic Healing After Sexual Violence, The Breathe Network
Trans Sexual Violence Survivors: A Self-Help Guide to Healing and Understanding, Forge
Throw Away the Menu: Broadening Advocacy
How Does Cultural Appropriation Affect Rural Sexual Assault Services?
Holistic Healing Services for Survivors
Helplines
Our rural helpline services allow sexual violence survivors, their family and friends, and professionals 24-hour access to connection, information, and supportive services. Helpline services, more than any other service, give sexual violence survivors unencumbered access to trauma informed support in rural communities. The resources below will help your programs structure helpline services for survivors of sexual violence.
Available Resources
Recorded Calls & Webinars
Housing Advocacy
Home is supposed to mean safety, security, and comfort. But for many survivors of sexual violence, home can be a triggering space fraught with memories of violence and trauma. The resources below will help your rural program use housing advocacy to create spaces of healing and comfort for survivors of sexual violence.
Available Resources
Satisfaciendo las necesidades de lxs sobrevivientxs de la violencia sexual en viviendas de transición
Kit de herramientas sobre el mejoramiento de los servicios para sobrevivientxs de violencia sexual en viviendas de transición
Iniciativa de acceso a viviendas de transición para lxs sobrevivientxs de la violencia sexual
En edad universitaria, durmiendo en las calles: adultos jóvenes sin hogar que han sufrido violencia sexual
Bases fuertes para la sanación: refugios y la violencia sexual
Meeting Sexual Violence Survivor Needs in Transitional Housing
Sexual Violence and Housing Resource Collection from National Sexual Violence Resource Center
Housing, Homelessness, and Sexual Violence Annotated Bibliography
Toolkit on Enhancing Services for Survivors of Sexual Violence in Transitional Housing
Sexual Violence Survivors’ Transitional Housing Access Initiative
Opening the Door: An Advocate’s Guide to Housing and Sexual Violence, National Sexual Violence Resource Center
Creating Spaces of Healing: Exploring Housing Advocacy
College-Aged but On the Streets: Young Adults Who Experience Homelessness and Sexual Violence
Strong Foundation for Healing: Shelter and Sexual Violence
Recorded Calls & Webinars
Satisfacer las necesidades de vivienda de transición para las personas adultas sobrevivientes de abuso sexual infantil
Orientación a la Iniciativa de Acceso a la Vivienda de Transición de lxs sobrevivientxs de la Violencia Sexual
Sanación holística para lxs sobrevivientxs de la violencia sexual en viviendas de transición
Trabajando con lxs sobrevivientxs de la trata de personas en las viviendas de transición
Sirviendo a lxs sobrevivientxs de violencia sexual en viviendas de transición
Meeting The Needs of Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse in Transitional Housing
Orientation to Sexual Violence Survivors’ Transitional Housing Access Initiative
Holistic Healing for Sexual Violence Survivors in Transitional Housing
Serving Survivors of Human Trafficking in Transitional Housing
Serving Survivors of Sexual Violence in Transitional Housing
Connecting Homeless Survivors of Sexual Assault to HUD’s Continuum of Care and Emergency Solutions Grant Program
Meeting the Needs of Sexual Violence Survivors in Shelter
Medical Advocacy
Sexual violence has profound and long-term impacts on the physical health of survivors. Comprehensive medical advocacy extends beyond the immediate medical needs of survivors after sexual violence and into long-term health needs. The resources below will help your program envision medical advocacy that can meet all of the healthcare needs of survivors of sexual violence.
Available Resources
TA Bulletin: Engaging Your Rural Healthcare Provider, International Association of Forensic Nurses
SANE 365, International Association of Forensic Nurses
Sexual Violence and HIV: A Technical Assistance Guide for Victim Service Providers, National Sexual Violence Resource Center
SANE Program Development and Operation Guide, International Association of Forensic Nurses
SANE Program Succession Planning Worksheet, International Association of Forensic Nurses
Healing the Body: Exploring Comprehensive Medical Advocacy
Recorded Calls & Webinars
Organizational Highlight
Organizational Management
Dual/multi-service advocacy programs are in a unique position to provide excellent rural sexual assault resources when offered effective strategies in organizational structure, staff training, and community partnerships that successfully balance programmatic needs and meet the unique needs of sexual violence survivors. The resources below will help you create an organizational structure and culture to best serve survivors of sexual violence.
Available Resources
Developing Program Policies on Staff Use of Personal and Remote Devices: Ten Tips, Victim Rights Law Center
An Integrated Anti-Oppression Framework for Reviewing and Developing Policy, Springtide Resources
Organizational Trauma and Healing, a book by Pat Vivian and Shana Hormann
Managing to Change the World, a book by The Management Center
Making Sexual and Domestic Violence Services Accessible to Individuals with Limited English Proficiency: A Planning Tool for Advocacy Organizations, National Latin@ Network
ReShape Newsletter: Supervision Tools (July 2019)
SADI Lessons
It Matters! How Defining Sexual Violence Defines Advocacy Programs
Throw Away the Menu: Broadening Advocacy
Listening to Survivors- Essential Steps for the Intake Process
Board of Directors Toolkit for Nonprofit Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Organizations
Sexual Assault Demonstration Initiative: Final Report
Building Cultures of Care: A Guide for Sexual Assault Services Programs
Remote Supervision in Rural Dual/Multi-Service Advocacy Agencies
Board Diversity: Resources on Diversifying Your Board of Directors
Opening Our Doors: Building Strong Sexual Assault Services in Dual/Multi-Service Advocacy Agencies
Community Donations for Sexual Violence Survivors
Core Services and Characteristics of Rape Crisis Centers
Lecciones para los programas locales
Adiós al menú: cómo ampliar el alcance de la intercesoría
La supervisión a larga distancia
La cultura de la atención integral
Abriendo Nuestras Puertas: Desarrollo de Servicios Sólidos para la Asistencia a Víctimas de Agresión Sexual en Agencias de Servicios de Auxilio y Servicio Duales/Múltiples
Donativos de la Comunidad para Los Sobrevivientes de Violencia Sexual
Servicios principales y características de los centros de atención de crisis por violación
Recorded Calls & Webinars
Rural Sustainability Part 1: Orientation & Training
Change Starts Within- Strengthening Services Through Supervision
Anti-Racism is Fundamental to Sexual Assault Services
Serving the Whole Community
Rural SADI Lessons: Part 1
Rural SADI Lessons: Part 2
Opening the Door: Services for Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
Board Development 101: Understanding the Roles and Responsibilities of Your Board of Directors
Remote Supervision in Dual/Multi-Service Advocacy Agencies
Comprehensive Sexual Assault Services within a Rural Context
Empowering Your Board to Lead: Understanding the Roles and Responsibilities of Your Board of Directors (Series)
Outreach
The purpose of outreach is to inform our community of the many services we have available to support the long and short term needs of sexual violence survivors and their support systems. Outreach to our rural communities is how we let survivors know that our services exist and welcome them to join us to explore their healing. The resources below will help you create a strong outreach plan for your rural community.
Available Resources
Let’s Talk About It Sample Letter to the Editor, National Sexual Violence Resource Center
Before You Start Checklist, Safe Havens
The First Visit Checklist, Safe Havens
Fuerza Unida: An Approach for Engaging Communities, National Latin@ Network
Building Meaningful Partnerships: Supporting Native Survivors in Rural Communities
Rural Outreach
Rural Communications Resources
Supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Rural Sexual Violence Survivors
Cultivating Inclusive Practices: Working with Rural Immigrant and Refugee Communities
Eight Step Advocacy Plan for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Survivors of Sexual Assault
Serving Sexual Violence Survivors with Disabilities
Recorded Calls & Webinars
PREA
The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) calls on corrections officials to take concrete steps to detect, prevent, and respond to sexual abuse and harassment inside detention facilities. While the PREA standards don’t apply to advocacy programs, only corrections agencies, advocacy programs have a responsibility to serve the entire community, jails and prisons included. The resources below will help your program learn more about PREA and how to provide advocacy to survivors who are incarcerated.
Available resources
Justice for Victims Behind Bars: Improving the Response to Cases of Sexual Abuse in Confinement, Aequitas
Hope Behind Bars: An Advocate’s Guide to Helping Survivors of Sexual Abuse in Detention, Just Detention International
Targets for Abuse: Transgender Inmates and Prisoner Rape, Just Detention International
Words of Hope: Starting a Correspondence Advocacy Program for Incarcerated Survivors, Texas Association Against Sexual Assault
No Safe Place: Sexual Violence in the Juvenile Justice System, Just Detention International
Shedding Light on the System: A Corrections Primer for Victim Advocates
Mapping It Out: A Tool to Get Started on Providing Victim Services for Incarcerated Survivors
Rural
Addressing sexual violence in rural communities comes with its own specific set of strengths and challenges which are distinctly different than urban communities. The resources below are some of our favorite resources that specifically address the realities of working in rural communities.
Available Resources
Support Groups
Support groups offer a powerful and unique form of healing for survivors of sexual violence. Hearing other survivors speak and receiving peer level support provides a different form of healing than therapy or advocacy can provide. The resources below will help your program create sexual assault specific support groups for rural survivors in your area.
Available Resources
The Power of Social Connection: Developing and Coordinating Sustainable Support Group Programs for Survivors of Sexual Violence, North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Peer Support Guide, Male Survivor
How to Start and Facilitate a Support Group for Victims of Stalking, Stalking Resource Center
Getting Safe and Sober: Real Tools You Can Use, Alaska Network to End Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
Circle of Hope, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs
Latin@ Support Group Guide, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs
Parent Support Group Guide, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs
IPSV Support Group Guide: A Guide to Psychoeducational Support Groups for Survivors of Intimate Partner Sexual Violence, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs
Teen Suport Group Guide, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs
Supporting Staff
The strength of advocates comes from being emotionally healthy and well-supported. When individual advocates and their organizations are healthy, we can bring our best self to the work every day. As we build our sexual assault services, it is imperative to have a plan that is both proactive and responsive to vicarious trauma experienced by those doing direct service. Healthy leadership also recognizes the unique isolation felt by multilingual advocates and staff of color working in rural areas. The resources below will help your programs create policies and practices to support staff.
Available Resources
Trauma Stewardship: An Everday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others, a book by the Trauma Stewardship Institute
An Integrated Anti-Oppression Framework for Reviewing and Developing Policy, Springtide Resources
ReShape Newsletter: Supervision Tools (July 2019)
Building Cultures of Care: A Guide for Sexual Assault Services Programs
Supporting Multilingual and Bicultural Rural Advocates
Recorded Calls & Webinars
Change Starts Within: Strengthening Services through Supervision
Supporting Multilingual and Bicultural Rural Advocates Webinar
From the Ground Up: Supporting Rural Multilingual Advocates
Empowering Ourselves: Incorporating Self-Care into Our Everyday Interactions
We Are the Victims We Serve: Supporting Advocates Who are Survivors
Trauma-Informed Services
Trauma informed services are services created to support the healing and growth of survivors while avoiding re-traumatization. Trauma informed services provide a framework for understanding the impact of trauma on survivors, communities, and those that serve them and ensures that our services are responsive to the needs of sexual violence survivors. The resources below will help your program understand what trauma informed services look like so you can re-envision services for survivors of sexual violence.
Available Resources
Trauma-Informed Care
Trauma Informed Principles through a Culturally Specific Lens, National Latin@ Network
Creating Cultures of Trauma-Informed Care (CCTIC): A Self-Assessment and Planning Protocol, by Roger D. Fallot & Maxine Harris
Trauma Stewardship: An Everday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others, a book by the Trauma Stewardship Institute
Creating Trauma-Informed Services: A Guide for Sexual Assault Programs and Their System Partners, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs
Throw Away the Menu: Broadening Advocacy
Listening to Survivors- Essential Steps for the Intake Process
A Welcoming Introduction to Services
Building Cultures of Care: A Guide for Sexual Assault Services Programs
Building Comprehensive Services for Survivors of Sexual Violence
Recorded Calls & Webinars
Volunteer Programs
Volunteers are an important part of the work we do with survivors. With the help of volunteers we are able to provide services to our entire community, prevent burnout and reduce vicarious trauma, and increase our fundraising efforts. A sustainable and strong sexual violence advocacy program is difficult to maintain without a thriving volunteer program. The resources below will help your program create your own volunteer program in your rural community.
Available Resources
Recorded Calls & Webinars
Online Training for Advocacy Programs’ Boards
Please note, the course audio will play automatically as soon as you click the “View the Course” button below. Please check your volume before clicking on the button.
Looking for some basic board training? You’re not alone! RSP and the National Network to End Domestic Violence created an online board orientation course that provides introductory, core training tools for coalitions and local programs to use with board members, executive directors, and agency staff about non-profit governance.
Board members can take this training at their own pace, on their own time. The course is broken down into stand-alone sections so you can use just the pieces you need to supplement a larger coalition board orientation. Sections can be viewed in any order. If you want to talk with us about how other advocacy programs have used this training as part of a larger board orientation, reach out to an RSP team member.
Recorded Webinars
Below you can find recordings of recent webinars.
Satisfacer las necesidades de vivienda de transición para las personas adultas sobrevivientes de abuso sexual infantil
Descripción: Las personas sobrevivientes de abuso sexual infantil pueden vivir en silencio y con miedo, sin…
전환주거에 있는 아동 학대의 성인 생존자의 필요 충족하기
설명 아동 성적 학대 생존자들은 누구에게 그 사실을 털어놓거나 도움을 요청해야 할지 모른 채 침묵과…
Meeting The Needs of Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse in Transitional Housing
Description: Survivors of child sexual abuse may live in silence and fear, uncertain how to…
Rural Sustainability Part 1: Orientation & Training
This webinar was recorded on August 12th, 2021. We all know what it feels like…
Serving Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
This webinar was recorded on July 7th, 2021 for our Rural Training & Technical Assistance…
Change Starts Within- Strengthening Services Through Supervision
This recording is a conversation between two state/national Program Directors as they talk about trauma-informed…