03 Jun Providing Rape Crisis Services to Incarcerated Survivors in New York Jails
From 1:00 PM until 2:15 PM
At Zoom Webinar
Presented by the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault, in partnership with Just Detention International / E Bjorkman, ebjorkman@nyscasa.org
This webinar was developed by Just Detention International (JDI) and NYSCASA to train victim advocates at rape crisis centers who will provide emotional support services to incarcerated survivors of sexual abuse and sexual harassment in New York county jails. The webinar will provide useful information about how jails differ from prisons and will feature a conversation with an advocate in the field who has overcome challenges to begin serving survivors in local jail facilities.
This webinar will:
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increase advocates’ understanding of the unique jail setting
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offer tools for building relationships with jail staff for the provision of emotional support services mandated by the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)
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discuss ways to adapt your rape crisis services to best support survivors who are in jail
About the Speakers
Matthew Van Winkle (he/him) is a Senior Program Officer at JDI. He provides training and technical assistance to corrections agencies on sexual abuse prevention and response, especially by implementing the Prison Rape Elimination Act standards. He works closely with rape crisis centers, helping them deliver high-quality services to incarcerated survivors.
Clarissa Espinoza (she/her) holds a Dual Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology and Women & Gender Studies from The College of New Jersey and a Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Management from The New School with a certificate in Leadership and Change. She has worked for 10 years in the not-for-profit services in particular with at-risk youth, vulnerable populations, and victims of crime. In the last 9 years, Ms. Espinoza has worked for WestCOP Victim Assistance Services and is currently serving as the Assistant Director of Programs. She is a certified Rape Crisis Counselor under the New York State Department of Health and Mental Health First Aid Responder under the National Council for Behavioral Health. In her time working with victims of crime she has worked diligently to expand victim and trauma-informed services to college students, incarcerated individuals, Spanish-speaking communities, and the Deaf community. Ms. Espinoza is dedicated to eliminating the service gaps to ensure that all victims of all crimes receive the care, treatment, support, and options they are entitled to.
Yanna Colon (she/her) is the Prison Rape Elimination Act Advocate at WestCOP Victim Assistance Services. Yanna provides advocacy and short-term counseling services to incarcerated individuals in various state prison facilities across the Hudson Valley area and our local county jail. Yanna graduated from the University of Hartford with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology and Criminal Justice. She interned with the Mental Health Unit of Hartford Probation leading to her interest in working with incarcerated individuals.
Logistics and Accessibility
This event will be held via Zoom webinars. Video participation is not enabled. Registrants will receive the meeting link by email. Click here to register.
The meetings will be conducted in spoken English. Please indicate in the registration form or by email (info@nyscasa.org) if you require language interpretation and/or closed captioning. Please provide this information at least 3 business days prior to the start of the session.
Contact
Please contact E Bjorkman (ebjorkman@nyscasa.org) if you have questions or require assistance with registration.