Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center

DARCC PROVIDES SURVIVORS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS WITH CRISIS INTERVENTION AND RESOURCES TO RECLAIM THEIR LIVES. SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO ANYONE IMPACTED BY SEXUAL VIOLENCE. ALL SERVICES ARE CONFIDENTIAL, OFFERED FREE OF CHARGE, AND AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.

ADVOCACY - DARCC PROVIDES IMMEDIATE SUPPORT TO THOSE IMPACTED BY SEXUAL VIOLENCE. ALL ADVOCATES, BOTH STAFF AND VOLUNTEER, COMPLETE A RIGOROUS AND COMPREHENSIVE 40-HOUR, OAG-APPROVED SEXUAL ASSAULT ADVOCATE TRAINING PROVIDED BY DARCC ON A QUARTERLY BASIS. IN 2021, THE ADVOCACY TEAM TRAINED 145 COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS TO PROVIDE HOTLINE AND HOSPITAL ADVOCACY. 130 OF THESE TRAINED VOLUNTEERS DONATED ALMOST 14,500 HOURS OF THEIR TIME TO SUPPORT SURVIVORS. THESE ADVOCATES ACCOMPANY SURVIVORS TO THE HOSPITAL TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND INFORMATION DURING THE FORENSIC SEXUAL ASSAULT EXAM AT ANY TIME OF THE DAY OR NIGHT. THEY ALSO STAFF DARCCS 24-HOUR CRISIS HOTLINE AND STAND READY TO OFFER EXPERT CRISIS INTERVENTION, INFORMATION, AND REFERRALS IF NEEDED, INCLUDING REFERRALS TO NO COST LEGAL SERVICES. ADVOCATES FURTHER PROVIDE CLIENTS WITH ONGOING SUPPORT SERVICES INCLUDING A NEEDS ASSESSMENT, ASSISTANCE WITH CRIME VICTIM'S COMPENSATION AND TEXAS VINE (VICTIM INFORMATION & NOTIFICATION EVERY DAY).

COUNSELING - DARCC PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL, TRAUMA-INFORMED COUNSELING SERVICES TO THOSE IMPACTED BY ANY FORM OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE (INCLUDES SEXUAL ABUSE, ASSAULT, HARASSMENT, STALKING ETC.), ALL AT NO COST TO THE SURVIVORS OR THEIR LOVED ONES. DARCCS CLINICAL TEAM IS MADE UP OF LICENSED, MASTER'S-LEVEL COUNSELORS OR INTERNS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF LICENSED STAFF. COUNSELING SERVICES INCLUDE SHORT ANDLONG-TERM INDIVIDUAL, COUPLE, FAMILY, AND GROUP COUNSELING, AND ALL SERVICES ARE GUIDED BY TRAUMA-INFORMED PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES. THE CLINICAL TEAM FOCUSES ON PROVIDING CARE TO THE WHOLE PERSON USING VARIOUS COUNSELING INTERVENTIONS. THESE INCLUDE ART THERAPY, MINDFULNESS, EMDR, COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY AND MORE. IN 2021, DARCCS COUNSELING TEAM CONTINUED TO PROVIDE ALL SERVICES USING A TELEHEALTH PLATFORM TO ENSURE THAT ALL SURVIVORS HAD UNINTERRUPTED ACCESS TO COUNSELING ANDSUPPORT THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.

OUTREACH, PREVENTION, & EDUCATION - DARCC EDUCATORS TAKE VITAL INFORMATION ABOUT TOPICS SUCH AS SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT, BULLYING, AND GENDER SOCIALIZATION INTO THE SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY TO EFFECT CHANGE IN BELIEFS AND BEHAVIOR FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENDING SEXUAL VIOLENCE. THESE SKILLED EDUCATORS WERE CONFRONTED WITH THE REALITY OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE INABILITY TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY IN THE WAYS WHICH WE HAVE FOR THE PAST DECADE: FREQUENTLY AND FACE-TO-FACE. THEY CREATIVELY SHIFTED ALL OF THEIR EDUCATIONAL CONTENT TO A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT AND UTILIZED SOCIAL MEDIA TO REACH OUT AND EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY EVEN DURING LOCKDOWNS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING. INCLUDED IN THESE GENERAL INFORMATION TRAININGS IS A SPECIAL TYPE OF EDUCATION CALLED PRIMARY PREVENTION. PRIMARY PREVENTION EDUCATION IS THE GOLD STANDARD IN PREVENTING SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND IS APPROVED AS THE BEST PRACTICE FOR PREVENTION EDUCATION BY THE CDC AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. IT DIFFERS FROM THE RISK REDUCTION MODEL OF THE PAST, WHICH PLACES THE RESPONSIBILITY ON THE POTENTIAL VICTIM TO KEEP THEMSELVES SAFE. THIS TYPE OF EDUCATION HIGHLIGHTS CERTAIN BELIEFS AND CULTURAL NORMS WITHIN OUR SOCIETY THAT CAN LEAD TO SEXUAL ABUSE AND ASSAULT. DARCC IS OVERWHELMED WITH REQUESTS FOR BOTH COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND PRIMARY PREVENTION PRESENTATIONS WITHIN THE METROPLEX, AND THESE REQUESTS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO MULTIPLY EACH YEAR AS THE ISSUE OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE BECOMES MORE PREVALENT IN MAINSTREAM SOCIETAL CONVERSATION.