ucasa history

UCASA, originally the Coalition of Advocates for Utah Survivors' Empowerment (CAUSE), was established in 1996 with federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) funding as a statewide coordinating coalition of rape crisis providers and a response to a critical lack of communication and continuity among sexual violence service providers throughout the state.

In it's first 4 years, UCASA facilitated the creation of 7 new rape and sexual assault programs in underserved rural communities, demonstrating an increase from 4 to 14 programs in 4 years. Also in it's early years, UCASA and the Utah Department of Health launched Utah's first media campaign on rape and sexual assault.

Our ability and willingness to collaborate with key agencies and organizations has directly contributed to the expanse and improvement of victim services throughout the state. The rape recovery programs in Utah have seen improvements in victim services because of the combined efforts of the Utah Department of Health and UCASA. This partnership has tripled the number of programs for survivors of sexual violence in Utah since 1996 (from four to twelve).

In 1998, UCASA implemented the standardized 40-hour rape crisis advocacy training program for rape crisis counselors and advocates around the state and is currently the only agency accredited by the Utah Department of Health to provide and certify rape crisis counselors and advocates. UCASA provides certification upon completion of the 40-hour rape crisis advocacy training that protects rape crisis counselors and advocates under the Confidential Communications Act (78-3c) of 1994. This law exists to "enhance and promote the mental, physical, and emotional recovery of victims of sexual assault and to protect the information given by victims to sexual assault counselors from being disclosed."

In 1999, the Utah Department of Health, Violence and Injury Prevention Program (VIPP) and UCASA originated the idea of enlisting individuals, organizations, and agencies to participate in a statewide multi-disciplinary council addressing sexual violence. From 1999 to 2002, VIPP and UCASA surveyed the degree of stakeholder interest for constructing such a council. A steering committee was created in 2002 with representation from the Office of Crime Victim Reparations, the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, the Rape Recovery Center of Salt Lake, UCASA and VIPP. This steering committee prioritized gaps in services and compiled a list of agencies and professionals who might initiate effective policy and act as a catalyst for structural change.

In 2003, the first executive committee of the USVC was formed with representation from the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, VIPP and UCASA. This executive committee worked stead-fast to facilitate the convergence and formalization of the new multi-disciplinary council.

The USVC brings a variety of resources, voices, and representatives together to implement systemic improvements through identification and prioritization of needs. These individuals conducted data collection and assessment of community needs throughout Utah to develop a meaningful five-year strategic plan. UCASA serves as the primary coordinating body for the Utah Sexual Violence Council, a multi-disciplinary, statewide advisory council that "promotes a climate where sexual violence is addressed as a priority issue that impacts all Utah communities." The council's vision is to change social norms and improve Utah's understanding of the overwhelming significance of this public health, social service, and criminal justice problem. As the participation in this council has grown, so has the need for additional leadership, support, and administration. USVC serves as a statewide Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) that can effect, standardize, streamline, and improve victim services, establish protocols, and make recommendations. USVC can, potentially, be the most influential mechanism to improve the systems that serve victims and perpetrators of sexual violence in Utah.

Thanks to Governor Jon M. Huntman's commitment to the issue of preventing rape and sexual violence, and, in an effort to address the needs of each community, he has worked with UCASA, the Utah Department of Health, and the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice (CCJJ) to restructure the Council so that it can be the most influential mechanism to improve the systems that serve victims and perpetrators of sexual violence in Utah. In January 2006, the Council became a subcommittee of the CCJJ. Michele Christiansen, CCJJ Director, was appointed as Chair and Ned Searle, Director of the Governor's Violence Against Women and Families Cabinet Council, serves as Vice-Chair.

In 2001, UCASA conducted a preliminary needs assessment with each of the fourteen college and university campuses in Utah to determine the availability of rape prevention programs. The results were disheartening. None of the programs acknowledged an active rape prevention program. Rarely did programs even identify local rape recovery/crisis programs as participants or allies to their campus rape prevention efforts. We therefore deduced that there are currently little or no efforts engaged in reducing sexual assault on campuses in Utah. This prompted UCASA's campus collaboration efforts the creation of the more recently released document Collaborations for Creating a Comprehensive Approach to Sexual Violence on Campus.

The Utah Men Against Sexual Violence (UMASV) program engages men in the anti-sexual violence movement and is UCASA’s newest project. UMASV was founded by a group of dedicated men and women in Salt Lake City in 2001. Working directly with the local Rape Recovery Center, the Utah Department of Health, UCASA and a handful of community and student activists brought positive energy to the men's responsibility to end rape. An initial press conference in October 2001, with Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, received media and community attention. The success of this event broadened the initial project scope and vision for UMASV from that of one local education program to a statewide program that could respond to the undeniable gap between campus services, local rape crisis/recovery programs, and victims of rape.

Through a series of meetings, student activists, community members, and staff from the Rape Recovery Center, the Utah Department of Health, and UCASA, UMASV found a permanent home at UCASA. In 2003, through assistance from the Rape Education and Prevention Grant (RPEG) at the Utah Department of Health, UMASV is enabled to work across the state to advance primary prevention by exploring issues and highlight efforts to stop sexual violence before it starts, engage men in preventing sexual violence and build upon the strenghts of the anti-sexual violence movement, public health and other prevention efforts to create social change.

: 2005 annual report

 

UCASA Programs and Services

Rape Crisis Advocacy Training
UCASA provides professionals and member of the communty the opportunity to complete 40 hours of rape crisis advocacy training. This training satisfies the requirements as mandated by confidential communications act (Utah Code 78-3c). UCASA coordinates trainings with rape crisis programs throughout Utah year round.
:training information

Professional Development Training
UCASA provides professional development training to a wide range of organizations and community groups. Professionals commonly represented include advocates, educators, therapists, students, counselors, clergy, law enforcement, and health care professionals.
:training information

Outreach, Education and Awareness
UCASA distributes information and research in a monthly newsletter that focuses on particular issues relevant to the work of advocates in different areas of the anti-sexual violence field. For the most recent news and events click on the link for the most current e-update.
:newsletters

UCASA joins national efforts to promote Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) through the national campaign and theme promotion. UCASA leads the effort to officially declare April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Utah. Recognition of this important month is a vital step towards positive change and the end of sexual violence. UCASA adopts the national theme along with UCASA's annual slogan "Break the Silence, Break the Cycle, Join the Movement". This continuity serves to reinforce the messages and build recognition.

Lending Library
UCASA's lending library allows UCASA members, services providers, and community partners to access videos and other resources on a variety of topics about sexual violence. UCASA attempts to maintain resources that are diverse and provide valuable information.
:lending library

Research and Evaluation
With the growing need for measurable outcomes about sexual violence prevention in Utah, UCASA provides support for evaluation development and research to direct service providers.
:research

Primary Prevention
UCASA has adopted and promotes the CDC's public health approach to prevention that is ultimately concerned with the health of a population rather than the health of an individual. Based on this principle, a public health oriented prevention strategy demonstrates benefits for the largest groups of people possible, because the problem is widespread and typically affects the entire population in some way, directly or indirectly.

The public health approach depends upon collective action. It is a community-oriented approach that takes the onus from victims and advocates to do all the work and encourages the entire community (women, men, and youth) to prevent sexual violence.

Utah Men Against Sexual Violence (UMASV)
For too long, sexual violence has been considered almost exclusively a women's issue. UMASV is UCASA's primary prevention program aimed at promoting men's involvement in violence prevention and engaging men in the anti-sexual violence movement. :umasv

Campus Violence Prevention Program
The primary focus of the campus violence prevention program is improving victim services on campus and improving the relationships between local rape recovery/crisis programs and the colleges or universities in their counties. Through collaboration and local support, UCASA has helped to increase the number of campus programs and improve the capacity for campuses and rape recovery/crisis programs to serve college students.
:campus violence prevention

Sexual Assault Response Team Program Development
UCASA works with communities interested in developing a coordinated community response to rape and sexual assault. This may include creating a rape crisis program or organizing a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART). Communities and jurisdictions include colleges and universities, military bases, and prisons.

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program Development
UCASA also assesses the needs of rural communities for sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE's) in order to support communities without SANE's to develop new programs and standardize evidence collection.

Public Policy
UCASA works with public officials to provide resources, share information about local programs, and draft legislation. Legislative updates highlighting bills of interest are released bi-weekly during legislative session and occasionally throughout the year. UCASA also produces policy statements on issues such as sex offender management, rape victims in the media, racism and rape, male victims of sexual violence, and dna technology.

Statewide Coordination
UCASA represents sexual violence issues on local, regional, statewide, and issue-specific councils and committees throughout the state. UCASA is active on the following coucils and committees:

Governor's Violence Against Women and Families Cabinet Council
Utah Sexual Violence Council (USVC)
Utah Domestic Violence Council (UDVC)
Utah Teen Dating Violence Prevention Joint Workgroup
Interpersonal Violence (IPV) Workgroup
Salt Lake County Sexual Assault Response Team
Utah County Sexual Assault Response Team
Utah State University Advisory Council on Women with Disabilities Who Are Victims of Violence
University of Utah Sexual Assault Response Network



284 west 400 north
salt lake city
utah 84103
tel 801.746.0404
fax 801.746.2929