Rebuilding Hope Expands Sexual Assault Services
We’re honored and excited to share that we’ve been selected by the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy to begin providing sexual assault support services to Kitsap County! This transition is bittersweet, as we look back on the legacy of Kitsap Support, Advocacy, and Counseling (KSAC), a long-standing pillar of services and resources for sexual assault victim-survivors in the region.
For nearly 50 years, KSAC played an invaluable role in providing care, support and advocacy to those affected by sexual assault and abuse. With their unfortunate closure, the Kitsap community has leaned on neighboring Community Sexual Assault Programs (CSAPs) like Rebuilding Hope and Turning Pointe Survivor Advocacy Center for assistance since earlier this year. Now, KSAC’s decades of service and impact will inform our approach to the future for sexual assault services needed in the Kitsap community.
Following a competitive call for Kitsap County CSAP proposals, we were chosen to step into this critical role. In our initial phase, Rebuilding Hope will offer essential services including crisis intervention, information, referrals, and general, medical and legal advocacy via our 24/7 Helpline, confidential email and online chat. We’re also hard at work developing critical partnerships in the County and building our workforce to support in-person advocacy services and responses as soon as possible (check out open positions in the hiring announcement below!). Additionally, we plan to introduce in-person and virtual therapy options over the next year and are in the process of identifying a future physical office to be located within the county.
While excited about this incredible growth opportunity, we’re also acknowledging the challenges ahead. The funding provided by the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy (OCVA) falls short of supporting the full range of services needed by both the Pierce and Kitsap communities. Currently, our Tacoma office faces a waiting list of over four months for survivors and victims seeking sexual assault and abuse-specific therapy services; which we anticipate will grow as new clients are added to the program. We are asking you, our wonderful community of supporters, to lend your support through this transition so that every victim-survivor in need can access our services without delay.
While Rebuilding Hope has a learning curve ahead as we continue to learn about the unique needs, systems and resources of the Kitsap community, we remain committed to supporting its residents who have been impacted by sexual assault and abuse.
If you or a loved one is a victim-survivor of sexual assault or abuse in Kitsap County, please reach out for confidential information, support or referrals 24/7 by calling (253) 474-7273, emailing advocacy@hopesacpc.org or accessing our confidential online chat here daily between 8am-8pm.
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Hey there!
This is so encouraging to hear, especially in light of the close of KSAC. As a teen and adult therapist it will be so valuable to have resources like this in our county. Is there any timeline that we can follow for this project? Looking forward to having you here!
Thanks so much for asking, Julia! Telehealth (aka virtual) therapy appointments and 24/7 crisis support and referrals are already available to Kitsap Co. residents. Folks looking to get connected with services should call our 24/7 Helpline at 253-474-7273. Additional in-person services like medical advocacy (responding to hospital calls), in-person therapy, and prevention education will be launched incrementally as we’re able to hire, fund and find office space for our growing team. Our hope is to have a Kitsap-based office within the next year. We’ll announce each service expansion here on the blog and on our social media platforms. You can follow us on Instagram at @Rebuildinghope_ and Facebook at @RebuildingHopeSACPC. Also, feel free to reach out directly so that we can chat more by emailing Development@hopesacpc.org.