MCASA Newsletter : Frontline

2021 proved to be another challenging year as we continue to navigate a global pandemic, funding cuts for service providers, and manage the overarching uncertainty these threats may bring. These challenges have also highlighted the importance of the work of Maryland’s Rape Crisis Centers and service providers to support survivors through these difficult times. As we reflect on the past year, we are incredibly grateful for the work of all our partners in the fight to end sexual violence. We turn this gratitude into renewed energy and strength for the work of the year to come, beginning with the 2022

Fall 2021 has been a busy time for MCASA as we continue to adjust to a ‘new normal’ with ongoing pandemic and public health concerns. MCASA continues to be here to serve you through these changing times. This fall MCASA hosted its sexual assault victim advocate training fundamentals online and kicked off another virtual campus training series. An annual highlight of the fall, the Maryland Women of Color Network hosted its 16th Annual Conference on November 19th following the theme Truth, Transformation, and Healing: Supporting Survivors & Rebuilding Our Communities.  This season has also brought challenges

Summer 2021 is a time of continuing change.  Many people who have been teleworking are slowly returning to in-person work or school, while others may be visiting friends and family, traveling, or enjoying activities likes movies or dinner out for the first time in over a year. This is a transitional time, and one where we must keep our efforts to prevent and respond to sexual violence on the forefront. Returning to in-person spaces increases or changes some risks for sexual violence, and many survivors may be continuing to struggle from the combined trauma of COVID-19 and sexual violence.  

We are in the final days of Maryland’s Legislative Session, and we still need your support. We have already advocated for bills that help stabilize legal services funding, improve responses to sexual harassment in mental health facilities, provide privacy when people change their names, and more. But there are still many bills up in the air.  We’re still in the final push for bills to improve laws on workplace sexual harassment (SB834), repeal marriage as a defense to sex crimes (HB147/SB250), and create a reasonable response when teenagers engage in sexting (HB180).

We have finally put a close to 2020, a singularly challenging year that left us grappling with a global pandemic, a reckoning on racial justice in the U.S., and a turbulent election. We start 2021 with these ongoing challenges but with hope that we can move forward, heal, and grow.  MCASA will be moving forward by continuing to advocate for legislation that promotes justice for survivors of sexual violence, accountability for offenders, and protection for the general public in the 2021 Maryland Legislative Session. The 2021 session will have tremendous challenges as the General Assembly strives to keep members, staff, and the

Fall is often a time of exciting new beginnings; students are returning to school, some may be heading to college campuses for the first time, and many of us look forward to new opportunities to spend time with friends and family as holidays approach. Fall 2020 looks a lot different than in previous years as we’ve settled into a routine marked by social distance and public health precautions. Despite all these changes, MCASA hasn’t stopped working to end sexual violence and support survivors. We have been busy ensuring that we continue to offer quality training, technical assistance,

Maryland has moved into the summer months following a Spring of turmoil and change. The end of May and June brought historic protests throughout the country and throughout the world in response to police violence against the Black community and our nation’s history of persistent racism and oppression. MCASA reaffirms its commitment to addressing systemic racism. We know that all forms of oppression are inextricably linked, that we cannot end sexual violence without ending racism, and that sexual violence is linked to other forms of violence. MCASA unites with other advocates working to change this permanently; in

Sexual violence does not stop because of a virus.  As Maryland and the United States take precautions for the health and well-being of our communities, MCASA and the SALI are here for you and will continue to provide services to our clients, Rape Crisis Centers, SARTs, and other professionals.  Our staff is teleworking, but we are open full time to support you.   During this time survivors of sexual violence may be experiencing increased dangers and isolation.  Now more than ever, it is important to share accurate information and resources with our community to make sure that