Community Training: Housing Survivors of Sexual Assault

In the first half of this training, participants will learn the basics of sexual assault and how it affects unique populations. Participants will also be given an overview of all Sojourner House resources, with a specific focus being put on Sojourner House sexual assault services that can be accessed both by clients and by the community at large.

In the second half of the presentation, participants will learn about the new housing protections guaranteed to survivors of sexual assault in the VAWA Reauthorization and how it impacts RI survivors. They will also learn about the unique intersection of housing and sexual assault, including how housing status affects survivor safety planning and how survivors can access funding available specifically to victims of abuse.

Objectives

• Attendees will leave with a basic understanding of sexual violence
• Attendees will learn about the sexual health & sexual assault services Sojourner House provides to their clients and community
• Attendees will learn how to safety plan around housing and shelter with survivors of sexual assault. 
• Attendees will learn about the Housing Protections in the 2023 VAWA Reauthorization.
• Attendees will learn how to access resources and gain an understanding of the crisis housing/shelter system in RI for sexual assault survivors.

Presenters

Kelly Henry has been working for domestic violence and sexual assault agencies for nearly thirty years; first in Illinois, then Nevada, and most recently in Rhode Island, her home state. When she moved back to Rhode Island eleven years ago, Kelly began her journey at Sojourner House.  During her tenure here, she has played a pivotal role in developing many of the innovative programs that Sojourner House clients now rely on. Much of her work has focused on centering our most vulnerable populations, ie, survivors who are LGBTQ+, people of color, immigrants, youth, disabled, and victims of trafficking. She is passionate about providing trauma informed services, finding innovative solutions to help survivors, and using education to prevent and end intimate partner and sexual violence. She currently serves on the Board of RI Continuum of Care and Youth Moving Forward. 

Caely Flynn joined Sojourner House after transitioning from a role as a Middle School teacher for a number of years. She has a background in gender-based professional work, nonprofit work, as well as direct classroom education. Caely has a goal of delivering even more sexual health based education on top of what Sojourner House already provided to the community, as well as being an effective advocate for survivors. She hopes to help individuals feel that equity and access leads to a healthier life – for everyone.

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