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FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
Q.
What is Building Connections: The Sexual Assault/Mental Health
Project?
A. Building Connections is a project of the Office
of Mental Health (OMH) Trauma Initiative which began in 1995.
The Trauma Initiative works in four arenas: statewide policy and
programs, state psychiatric centers, community programs, and training
and technical assistance. In May 2000 OMH established a Trauma
Unit which guides the Building Connection Project; a collaborative
effort between New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault,
Inc. (NYSCASA) and Mental Health Association in Ulster County,
Inc. (MHAUC).
The
goals of the project are as follows:
- Assist OMH Trauma Initiative Regional committees and committee
leaders in assessing resources and needs, develop mission statements
and goals, and increase participation of key constituents in
all counties across New York State.
- Identify and document successful models of Mental Health and
Rape Crisis Center collaborative efforts, using their histories,
resources, goals and accomplishments as examples to other regions.
- Provide referral services for requests of current -resources,
speaker’s lists, manuals, upcoming trainings, conferences,
and other information related to sexual trauma and mental illness.
- Coordinate and/or facilitate trainings on such topics as developing
collaborative models; implementing trauma-based curriculum,
as well as other related sexual assault/mental health topics.
Consider the following regarding sexual violence and mental
health issues:
- An estimated 1 of 4 females and 1 of 6 males will experience
a sexual assault in their lifetime. (National Institute of
Justice, 2000.)
- 31% (almost one-third) of all rape survivors develop post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) at sometime during their life. (Rape
in America: A Report to the Nation.) (National
Victim Center and Crime Victims Research/Treatment Center,
University of South Carolina, Charleston. 1992)
- Girls who experience sexual violence are about three times
more likely to suffer from psychological disorders, and over
four times more likely to suffer drug and alcohol abuse in
adulthood. (Medical College of Virginia Commonwealth University,
2000.)
- About 70%-80% of those diagnosed as borderline personality
appear to have experienced some form of sexual and/or physical
abuse in childhood. (PTSD/Borderlines In Therapy:
Finding a Balance. Kroll, Jerome. 1993. Department
of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School.
- Studies of survivors of childhood sexual abuse who present
for treatment reveal an extensive list of severe symptomatology,
including depression, suicide attempts, self-mutilation, substance
abuse, eating-disorders, dissociative phenomenon, and multiple
identities. (Courtois, C.) Sexual Abuse and Eating
Disorders. 1996. Schwartz, Mark F. and Leigh
Cohn, Ed., Sexual Abuse, Eating disorders, and Prevention:
Political and Social Realities, Sermac, L., et al.
- Child and adult histories of sexual and physical abuse appear
to be the first experience in a sequence that leads to homelessness
for both women and men. (The Interface of Homelessness,
Addictions and Mental Illness in the Lives of Trauma Survivors.
Catherine M. Anderson and Katherine B. Chiocchio. Sexual Abuse
in the Lives of Women Diagnosed with Serious Mental Illness.
1997. Harris, Maxine, Ed., pp. 21-37.)
- Sexual violence histories are prevalent among 50-70% of women
in substance abuse treatment programs. (The U.S. Public Health
Service Office on Women’s Health.)
- Sexual abuse histories are prevalent among 50-70% of women
in inpatient psychiatric facilities, and 22-54% of women receiving
case management mental health services. (On Record:
Facts About Mental Health and Physical/Sexual Abuse.
1994. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Center for
Mental Health Services.)
- Rape survivors are thirteen times more likely than non-crime
victims to attempt suicide. (Rape in America:
A Report to the Nation. 1992.
National Victim Center and Crime Victims Research and Treatment
Center, University of South Carolina, Charleston.)
- An independent assessment of severely mentally ill recipients
of public mental health inpatient and outpatient services
revealed 43% had a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder
not previously assessed by any of the facilities. Mental health
staff had noted a diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder
in the charts of only 2% of the patients. (Mueser, K.T., et
al., 1998. “Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
in Severe Mental Illness.” Journal of Consulting
& Clinical Psychology, 66(3), pp. 493-499.
- Estimates indicate that 25%-50% of rape and child sexual abuse
survivors receive some form of mental health treatment as
a result of the victimization. With only a quarter to one-half
receiving mental health treatment, an estimate of the total
annual cost of mental health care for adult survivors of child
sexual abuse is $2.1 billion. An estimate of the total annual
cost of mental health care for victims of attempted or completed
rape is $863 million. (Victim Costs and Consequences:
A New Look. 1996. Miller, Ted R., Mark a Cohen,
& Brian Wiersama. U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of Justice
Programs, National Institute of Justice.)
Q.
Does NYSCASA or the Building Connections Project provide direct
services for sexual assault/trauma survivors?
A. Building Connections: The Sexual Assault/Mental
Health Project is not a direct service provider, nor is NYSCASA.
If you need crisis or therapy services, please contact your local
Rape Crisis Center, County Mental Health Department, or Mental
Health Association, Inc.
Q.
What is meant by a trauma-based model, or trauma framework?
A. The co-directors of the Building Connections
project are qualified to train and give presentations utilizing
a trauma-informed model. A trauma-based model differs from the
biological model or medical model of mental illness by recognizing
the significance of environmental and life, particularly traumatic,
experiences. A trauma model focuses on the strengths of the individual
rather than her or his weaknesses. DSM-IV criteria such as dissociation
are viewed as adaptations to horrific events. With this model,
it is imperative that service providers be well versed on the
subject of trauma and be mindful of intervention methods that
do not re-traumatize the consumer. We are available to answer
any other questions you may have regarding trauma; please contact
us at the above number.
Q.
What kind of individuals do you typically assist?
A. We frequently receive telephone calls from
survivors, mental health treatment providers, rape crisis center
staff, students, clergy, volunteers, social workers, health care
providers, researchers, law enforcement personnel, policy makers,
educators and members of the community-at-large.
Q.
What kinds of resources might I obtain from you?
A. A resource library of 1,000+ books, texts,
journals, videos, and other media are available to loan to members
of NYSCASA.
The topics range from general information regarding sexual assault
and trauma, to more specific topics and target audiences pertaining
to sexual assault and mental health issues. Also available are
materials that address psychological intervention and issues regarding
diversity of population or culture, such as women of color, men
as sexual abuse survivors, and lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender
issues. Additionally, statistical fact sheets have been developed
and are available upon request and through this website or by
fax/mail. Trauma-sensitive tips for service providers to use when
responding to the needs of sexual assault survivors are also available.
Q. How do I go about starting a trauma task force in
my county to address the needs of trauma/sexual abuse survivors?
A. You might consider hosting an open meeting
with interested community agencies and individuals, sexual assault
survivors, and mental health consumers. Use this forum to discuss
gaps in services, prevention education, and goals for improvement.
Contact Building Connections: The Sexual Assault/Mental Health
Project for assistance in creating a Trauma Task Force in your
area. We can facilitate or co-facilitate your first meeting, or
suggest speakers that would be helpful regarding a specific area
of expertise. One of the tasks of Building Connections is to keep
county Task Forces and Coalitions connected and well informed.
Members of NYSCASA can borrow video tapes from the Resource Library
to jumpstart a discussion within your new Task Force. Non-members
may become members by signing up for a one year period which costs
a minimum of $10.00 for limited income, student, or senior citizen,
$30.00 for individuals, and upward for a donation of your choice.
Your local Rape Crisis Center also has materials you can draw
from if becoming a member of NYSCASA is not possible. But don't
hesitate to allow us to assist you.
Q.
What specialized curricula do you use to teach particular topics
regarding trauma/sexual abuse?
A. One such resource is titled Risking
Connection: A Training Curriculum for Working with Survivors of
Childhood Abuse by Saakvitne, Gamble, Pearlman,
and Lev and published by The Sidran Press. It offers a helpful,
philosophical framework for anyone who works with survivors of
childhood abuse. It contains five modules which provide training
on the following:
- understanding trauma and its effects
- using connections to develop treatment goals with survivors
- maintaining a trauma framework when responding to crisis
situations
- self-awareness as a tool for providers and recipients and
- the significance of vicarious traumatization.
Other tools we offer in trainings include guides to facilitation,
and in-depth articles on collaboration for change. Workbooks are
also used extensively, such as Growing Beyond Survival:
A Self-Help Toolkit for Managing Traumatic Stress
by Vermilyea, Trauma Treatment for Adolescent Girls:
A 15-Week Group Model by Lozada-Portalatin, Understanding
and Dealing with Sexual Abuse Trauma: An Educational Group for Women
by Muenzenmaier, Sampson, et.al. Check with Building
Connections for other available resources.
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