This week Newberry NOTES will recognize Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands.
Mary Dell Hayes, interim Executive Director, will identify Sexual Trauma Services and address the work the agency is undertaking.
Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands is a private non-profit United Way member agency serving Richland, Lexington and Newberry counties. Services have been provided over 25 years to the Midlands.
The agency’s mission is to provide service to survivors of sexual assault and abuse, and also education about sexual trauma issues. All services are free and confidential.
Two of the most crucial services offered are the 24-hour crisis response — hospital accompaniment and the crisis HOTLINE (1-800-491-7273).
We average one hospital call per day, our HOTLINE averages 25 crisis calls a month. Support, advocacy and information follow-up services, including counseling is provided.
What is Sexual Assault?
Sexual assault is a violent crime that involves power, aggression and control. Rape and sexual assault are never the victim/survivor’s fault.
Sexual assault can happen anywhere, anytime of the day or night to anyone regardless of age, class, ethnicity, social-economic status or gender.
Every 4 hours and 46 minutes someone is forcibly raped in South Carolina. Only 39 percent of violent crimes are ever reported.
Sexual crimes are costly to the community: Nearly $4.1 billion in the direct costs of medical and mental health care, nearly $1.8 billion in the indirect costs in lost productivity.
Newberry County activities
Newberry College is partnering with Sexual Trauma Services to host a special program “Take Back the Night” on April 28. The event will start at Yost Portico, Newberry College, with a gathering and celebration of survivors and community advocates.
Then, a one mile walk scheduled to honor survivors and symbolize the community’s commitment to supporting them in their journey for healing and justice.
Faith-based leaders training
Sexual Trauma Services will host training for faith-based leaders in Newberry on April 5.
This training is appropriate for church leaders and ministers. The training focuses on prevention of child sexual abuse and trauma-informed care.
The instruction period is limited to 20 registrants. Interested participants must apply early by calling 803-790-8208 (Mary Dell Hayes) or by visiting www.stsm.org
This type of training is very important because churches are often places where predators seek vulnerable people.
A vulnerable person may be a child, an adult who is going through a hard time, or a drug addict seeking recovery.
Churches have a responsibility to put polices in place that help to protect vulnerable people.
Additionally, because churches and faith leaders are where many people turn in times of turmoil, faith leaders must be able to respond to disclosures of trauma.
It is difficult to hear that someone you care about has experienced a sexual assault. This training helps to prepare faith leaders to receive that disclosure and to respond to it in a way that encourages healing.
Often we hear from survivors that the first person they told was their pastor and the pastor told them something along the lines of if they prayed hard enough the pain would go away.
This comes from a place of great intentions, but it has an incredibly painful effect on the survivor and can completely turn them away from faith.
Faith is such important part of many people’s healing process and this training can help faith leaders find ways that help survivors to embrace and find comfort in faith instead of unintentionally making it more difficult.
Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands’ mission is to support survivors from the trauma associated with sexual assault and abuse and educate the community to identify and prevent sexual violence. Through advocacy, counseling, awareness, prevention and a strong organizational capacity, we will succeed in fulfilling our vision of helping survivors heal and ultimately ending sexual violence.
We take this opportunity to honor “Ginny” Waller, former Executive Director, Sexual Trauma Services of Midlands for six years of professional, influential and quality service. She excelled the Agency’s services, financial growth and promoted South Carolina citizens’ safety.