NJCASA Survivors of Sexual Violence Assessment and Resources Project

The New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault NJCASA (NJCASA) is one of the leaders in the anti-sexual violence movement in New Jersey and the capacity building specialist working with all 21 county-based rape crisis centers and the Rutgers University Office of Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance. These agencies offer 24-hour hotlines and crisis intervention, counseling and education, and prevention programming. This funding will analyze the impact of COVID-19 on survivors of sexual violence and service provision across New Jersey and to identify resources and strategies to make service delivery systems more resilient and adaptive in the months and years ahead. Under this project, NJCASA will collect data and examine (quantitative and qualitative) from various partners, including their membership programs, members of a new Community Council, and existing culturally specific service provider partners that work closely with marginalized communities throughout the state.

NJCASA will also conduct robust community outreach, coordinate stakeholder meetings, and handle updates and dissemination of information from/about the groups and their findings. Additionally, NJCASA will research best practices and develop a comprehensive suite of resources, webinars, and other educational content, and provide trainings and workshops for partners and allies across the state, such as colleagues in the aforementioned groups, as well as allies in related fields like law enforcement, health care, and education. NJCASA will also work on public communications regarding this project, including the creation of a website resource page, provision of updates across social media platforms and other avenues and the development and release of a final report. Combined, the purpose of these activities is to raise awareness about the needs of sexual violence survivors in NJ post-COVID, establish programmatic improvements for supporting them in the months and years ahead, and create adaptabilities and resiliencies to address future public crises and potential disruptions in services.