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Tragically, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are at much higher risk of experiencing sexual assault. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and The Arc of California is committed to ongoing advocacy to both protect individuals with developmental disabilities from sexual assault and to provide trauma-informed care for individuals with disabilities who are survivors of sexual assault. One of these major efforts is our partnership with VALOR in creating the California Advocates Leading in Engagement, Accessibility and Developmental Disability Services (C.A. LEADDS) project, which aims to develop more awareness and better coordination between disability service providers and rape crisis centers. We are hosting a training on April 24th titled: Reporting and Supporting: Approaching Mandated Reporting with Care, and we encourage all disability service providers to attend so you can become more informed about the importance of balancing your legal obligation as a mandated reporter and supporting survivors with trauma-informed practices.
In addition to the upcoming webinar, C.A. LEADDS has recorded previous webinars and has created several resources all on the topic of supporting sexual assault survivors with disabilities in California:
- Responding to Sexual Assault Disclosures by People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Trauma-Informed Approach, Part One and Part Two
- Responder a las Revelaciones de Abuso Sexual por parte de personas con Discapacidades Intelectuales y del Desarrollo: Un Enfoque Informado por el Trauma, Primera Parte y Segunda Parte
Resources-
- Supporting Sexual Assault Survivors with Developmental Disabilities in California: A Resource Guide
- Best Practices for Including Survivors with disabilities During Mandated Reporting
- Reporting Abuse: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How
- Reportando el abuso: Quién, Qué, Cuándo, Dónde, Por Qué, y Cómo