April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)

Apr 01st, 2023

Join us in honoring the 22nd annual SAAM

Silver Spring, Md., April 1, 2023 — April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), an annual opportunity to reflect on and advance our work to prevent sexual violence. Today marks the start of the 22nd anniversary of the first official SAAM.

The Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA) looks forward to engaging Marylanders in our SAAM activities throughout the month. This year, MCASA is uplifting the stories of advocates, service providers, preventionists, survivors and educators in Maryland about why they do this work. We will be sharing responses to the prompt ‘'I am raising awareness because....' across our social media platforms to highlight the work of dedicated folks in sexual violence prevention and response. We look forward to gaining renewed energy and inspiration through the power of our collective action this April. 

MCASA is also launching a new MCASA On the Go SAAM podcast series, with new episodes releasing each week in April. MCASA’s Program Interns will lead discussions on a variety of topics, including self-care for survivors and advocates during SAAM. Newly released episodes will be available on our MCASA on the Go page, as well as YouTube and Spotify. 

Community members can stay up-to-date with MCASA’s Online #SAAM on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We will also share details on upcoming SAAM events hosted by Maryland’s Rape Crisis Centers and other community organizations on our website. Learn more by visiting: https://mcasa.org/prevention/sexual-assault-awareness-month.

Support is available to survivors of sexual violence. To find information on your local Rape Crisis Center, including hotline numbers and available services, please visit: https://mcasa.org/survivors/find-a-rape-crisis-center. The Sexual Assault Legal Institute (SALI) provides comprehensive legal services related to sexual violence to victims and survivors of sexual assault in Maryland, including child sexual abuse. For legal inquiries, please contact SALI at 301-565-2277.

MCASA is the federally-recognized state sexual assault coalition responsible for certifying comprehensive rape crisis/sexual assault programs to ensure services are survivor centered. MCASA's core members are the State's 17 rape crisis centers, and the Coalition also represents the voices of many other member professionals, programs, and service providers working with sexual assault survivors. MCASA includes the Sexual Assault Legal Institute (SALI), which provides direct legal services to victims of sexual violence across the state of Maryland. MCASA is the leading public policy advocate for survivors of sexual assault in Annapolis and more information about 2023 legislative priorities and services for survivors can be found at www.mcasa.org.

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