Talking about Sexual Violence Curriculum 2 in the Returning and Healing Training Slide 2: Returning and Healing IMAGE: Venn Diagram showing the overlapping interest of "formerly incarcerated survivors of sexual violence" between Re-Entry Agencies and Rape Crisis Centers Slide 3: Goals for today: 1. How to ask re-entering people if sexual violence is an issue they need to address; 2. How to respond if they say yes Slide 4: Talking About Sexual Violence is Hard Slide 5: To successfully ask about sexual violence... We need to understand why our clients may want to talk about it, and why they might not, and; Why weÕre afraid of talking about it, as providers. Slide 6: Biases: sexual violence vs. other violence * Who do I think this type of violence happens to? * How do I think this type of violence happens? * What do I think about people whoÕve been through it? Slide 7: Men who are survivors Shock, disbelief and confusion because never told that rape could happen to men Men socialized to not seek help More common to display anger More likely to become confused about sexual orientation Ashamed and embarrassed that they werenÕt able to defend themselves Victims who experience sexual arousal or ejaculation may be concerned that people will believe they engaged in consensual sex Slide 8: What are we afraid of? Triggering Clients Not comfortable talking about sexual issues Offending Clients DonÕt know what to do Slide 9: How do we deal with these? Triggering: Understand sexual trauma response Offending Clients: indirect techniques Uncomfortable: Practice talking about it in safe space DonÕt know what to do: SEEK method Slide 10: How do you talk to the people you serve now? ...about other challenging topics? WhatÕs your process for intake and interviews? Slide 11: Talking to formerly incarcerated people about sexual violence Slide 12: Assumptions about the population 1. Men donÕt want to talk about victimization. Framing conversation as survivor v. perpetrator may not work. 2. Almost everyone whoÕs been inside has experience with their bodily autonomy being violated, through searches or something similar. 3. ItÕll take time and repeated offers to talk before someone will want to do so. Slide 13: Assumptions about the population continued 1. If we seem scared to talk, then clients wonÕt talk either. 2. Many formerly incarcerated people are already dealing with shame and stigma. If they believe they will be judged for talking about this, they wonÕt talk. Slide 14: Scenario set-up A client comes into the office for services. How old are they? What gender? How did they find you? What do they say are the reasons for them coming in? Slide 15: Rebalancing the scales Why would this client want to talk about sexual violence with you? Why would they not want to talk about sexual violence with you? IMAGE: Imbalanced scales Slide 16: Three-part model * Impersonal, Direct questions o Timeframe: o Initial conversations, first few meetings * Non-Clinical Trauma Questions o Timeframe: o After rapport established, 2-3 months into client work * Symptomatic Questions o Timeframe: o After relationship established, 3-6 months Slide 17: Impersonal, Direct Questions What is it? Questions that ask directly about sexual violence, but are not specific to the individual client. Why this timeframe? Asking these questions early shows clients that the office has always cared about their trauma past. WhatÕs the purpose? Asking these questions early Òopens the doorÓ for clients to bring up sexual violence if they want to, and shows them the office is one of the places they CAN talk about it if they want to. Slide 18: Impersonal, Direct Questions (2) Notes: Should be asked of everyone End of sessions List to ÒhideÓ the sexual violence part. Just planting the seed! Examples ÒA lot of folks coming home might be dealing with things like addiction, rape or sexual assault, or dealing with some of the violence they saw inside. Do you want to talk about any of that kind of stuff?Ó ÒIs there anything else youÕve been dealing with that you want to talk about? We can try to help connect you to places that work on stuff like mental health, sexual assault, or substance use.Ó Slide 19: WhatÕs a good list of other issues? ? Need to be things people actually face ? Need to be things you can help them address! Slide 20: Non-clinical trauma questions What is it? Questions that ask about some of the experiences that clients have started to talk about, but without clinical words. Why this timeframe? As you build rapport with clients, they are more likely to talk about some of the things theyÕve experienced. WhatÕs the purpose? These questions give clients the opportunity to talk about their feelings on specific experiences they may have brought up with you, or alluded to, without touching on personal biases or concerns about victimhood. Slide 21: Non-clinical trauma questions (2) Notes: Focused on what people said Framed as Òcheck-inÓ questions How is someone dealing with an experience? No clinical language Examples ÒYou mentioned that youÕve been thinking about your time inside a lot. How are you feeling about that?Ó ÒYou said that a screw (correctional officer) used to mess with you inside and youÕve been thinking about that. How are you feeling about that? Do you want to talk about that?Ó ÒYouÕve been through some tough stuff. How are you feeling about it? Do you want to talk to someone about it more?Ó Slide 22: Symptomatic Questions What is it? Questions that ask about behaviors or symptoms that are closely associated with responses to trauma. Why this timeframe? Once you have a solid relationship with a client, they may be more likely to tell you how they are coping with life outside. WhatÕs the purpose? Clients who have a relationship with you, might still be reticent to identify as survivors, but might be willing to talk about the indicators of it. This lets them start a conversation about sexual trauma without having to say it. Slide 23: Symptomatic Questions (2) Notes: Lots of symptoms are related to sexual violence Used as a ÒproxyÓ for talking about the trauma Can connect well to a non-clinical trauma question Symptomatic ÒHow are you sleeping? Are you doing ok getting rest? If not, do you have any sense of whatÕs making it hard to sleep?Ó ÒHow are you finding it being in groups of people again? On the train or at work? Is that going OK? If thatÕs been tough, how are you feeling about it? Do you want to talk to someone about that?Ó ÒHow are you finding it focusing on things, at work or at home?Ó Slide 24: Questions about sexual violence - scenario * Quick Roleplay: based on the scenario client we brainstormed before, what are a couple of ways to ask these questions? What language feels natural to you? * How do you think the client would respond to these types of questions? How would that change as you build rapport with them? * What kinds of things have clients talked with you about when you have formed strong relationships with them? Slide 25: What are you listening for? 1. Experiences that sound like sexual violence even if words like rape and assault arenÕt used: coercive protective pairings, searches, any stories about being forced or pushed into doing things. 2. Descriptions of emotions that sound like trauma reactions, even if those arenÕt the words used. Anytime someone says they felt powerless. 3. Indicators that someone had an unwanted or bad experience, and things were a lot different after they went through it. Slide 26: Responding to Disclosures Slide 27: What disclosures can look like Someone comes to your office and discloses they are the survivor of a sexual assault. Without thinking too much: In your mind, how were they acting? In your mind, what happened to them? In your mind, what gender were they? How old were they? Slide 28: What disclosures can look like (2) Disclosures may not look the way we expect them to. How do the people you work with talk about traumatic things they have experienced with you now? Slide 29: How to Respond SEEK Safety Empowerment Empathy Knowledge Slide 30: Step 1: Safety What are the safety concerns for the client? ¥ Physical ¥ Emotional ¥ Social Slide 31: Safety Techniques ¥ Safety consultations (asking what they need for safety) ¥ Room is safe/confidential (people canÕt overhear you) ¥ Limit outside stimuli ¥ Check-ins for safety ¥ Explain confidentiality Slide 32: Step 2: Empowerment Powerlessness is a major component of sexual violence. Helping survivors find options for making decisions can be a real way of helping them heal. These decisions can be incredibly granular! Slide 33: Empowerment Techniques ¥ Open-ended questions (where possible) ¥ Silence Ð let the client drive the conversation (where possible) ¥ Highlight decision-making points Slide 34: Step 3: Empathy Put yourself in their shoes Validate their experience, emotions and actively listen. Communicate that survivors are never to blame for an assault. Use responses that feel genuine to you, donÕt use Òits not your fault,Ó put it in the context of what happened. Slide 35: Empathy Techniques ¥ Summarizing ¥ Validating clientsÕ feelings ¥ Mirroring their language ¥ Active listening Slide 36: Step 4: Knowledge ¥ Know your role Ð Immediate response - not trying to be a clinician! Ð Believe and empower Ð Limitations: this is not a long-term therapeutic setting. ¥ Be prepared Ð Have key questions and comments in mind Ð Have access to information: how to refer to BARCC, for example. Slide 37: Knowledge Resources What sorts of things will you need to have available to you quickly? ? BARCC 24-hour hotline number and contact person? ? Any groups or organizations you know of that do peer support for this issue? ? Quick information about health care and/or hospital needs, if an assault was pretty recent? Slide 38: Roleplay Scenario Our scenario client from before mentions in a meeting that they are having a really hard time sleeping, and that they canÕt focus. They keep thinking about this one CO who used to Òcause a lot of problems for them, and used to do these weird searches.Ó Role play out talking through their disclosure Slide 39: Questions and reactions? Slide 40: Next Steps ? Finalize referral process to BARCC ? Pilot asking questions ? Debrief after 2-3 months. WhatÕs working/not working about questions? ? Debrief referral process: whatÕs working/not working? ? Change/alter questions if necessary ? Additional training if necessary ? How is everyone feeling? Slide 41: Boston Area Rape Crisis Center 99 Bishop Allen Drive Cambridge, MA Office: 617-492-8306 Hotline: 617-492-7273 DaveÕs desk: 617-649-1264 DRini@BARCC.org