Howard County gets a rape crisis center
Family Service Association to provide trauma-informed services to victims
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One in four women in Indiana will experience sexual assault in their lifetime. The state has the fifth-highest rate of rape committed against high school girls. This violence is a serious problem, but the Family Service Association of Howard County (FSA) is prepared to help these victims.
The FSA formally unveiled its Rape Crisis Center on April 18. Though its physical location is undisclosed to ensure victim safety, its services will be palpable for those in need in Howard, Cass, and Miami counties.
“Our mission is to help and empower individuals and families through education, prevention, and crisis intervention,” said FSA Executive Director Tracy Martino. “We are dedicated to serve the most vulnerable in our community. That is why we made this a priority to become a rape crisis center; a place that is non-judgmental, listens and believes and helps those for in need in Cass, Miami, and Howard counties.”
Angie Cisky, FSA Director of Community Resources, explained that the organization has operated a domestic violence shelter for nearly 20 years. In that time, the shelter expanded the scope of its services. It is now a 24/7 operation, staffed with advocates and case managers. It also operates a 24-hour crisis help line.
“While for many years, our services were only for women and children, we now also serve men fleeing domestic violence and sexual assault,” said Cisky. “Our services are client-driven and trauma-informed. We have two full-time sexual assault advocates. They provide services to in-house clients, but they're also the ones that respond to those outside calls.”
FSA actually has been providing services to sexual assault victims for years. The advocates accompany victims to the hospital, help with filling out protective orders, and even advocate for victims in the courts. And over the past two years, the staff has completed training to address human trafficking.
“The goal is to ensure a seamless, coordinated response to sexual assault victims and their loved ones,” said Cisky.
The official designation as a rape crisis center means something more, however. As Beth White, president and CEO of the Indiana Coalition to Combat Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking, explained, the designation confirms the legitimacy of the FSA’s efforts.
“It’s a designation that the federal government has indicated is a place that has a full complement of services and is meeting the service standards that are established by the Department of Justice through our organization and the state,” said White. “I know that FSA has been providing these services for a while. But what we now know is they have met all the standards.
“What we know about sexual assault is that it is an equal opportunity problem: rural, suburban, urban, everywhere in the state of Indiana. We know people are suffering. And when they're suffering, we need to know there is help available.”
Howard County Commissioner Jack Dodd was on hand for the announcement. As a former on-call mental health therapist, he is acutely aware of the problems of sexual assault and domestic violence. And he was excited to celebrate the rape crisis center’s launch.
“Thank God we have a place now that survivors can go to that is safe and secure,” said Dodd. “It's been a long time in the making. You worked hard for a very long time, almost 20 years. Congratulations to you for making this become a reality. We are excited to have this here in our county. Thank you on behalf of all Howard County. We so appreciate it.”