In 1996, the Board of County Commissioners agreed that a portion of the jails’ proceeds needed to be allocated to recovery services for crime survivors in the community and decided to allocate the funding from payphones in the jail to create a support agency. Commissioner Mary Johnson helped lead the charge for victims’ rights… Continue reading 17 Years of Healing
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PTSD and Sexual Violence
June 27 is National PTSD Awareness Day in observance of those who struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can result after a single or reoccurring traumatic event. Those with PTSD may have uncharacteristic feelings of nervousness, anxiety, fear, and stress. National PTSD Awareness Day became recognized by… Continue reading PTSD and Sexual Violence
FCASV Summit June 2018
VSC had a robust staff participation in the FCASV’s Biennial Summit held June 13-15 at the Naples Grande Beach Resort. 10 VSC employee’s attended the Summit and received specialized training focused on working with victims of sexual violence. This year The Summit focused on how to best serve survivors across all disciplines, causes, genders, faiths, and colors… Continue reading FCASV Summit June 2018
My Journey With EMDR
By: VSC Client I would say that before starting this treatment it is essential to have your mental health in control. In my case, it took a few months before I started the EMDR therapy since it was a priority to stabilize my depression. EMDR was presented to me as the best alternative to approach… Continue reading My Journey With EMDR
Extreme Makeover: VSC Edition
VSC annually has participated in the Lauren’s Kids walk in Orlando as the organization makes their way from Tallahassee to Key West, while stopping in major cities to spread the word about ending childhood sexual abuse through education. This year our organization received quite the surprise when Lauren’s Kids contacted VSC about the possibility… Continue reading Extreme Makeover: VSC Edition
The Silent Victim
Hi, I’m JoAnn, a silent victim. My husband was a victim of an attempted murder at his place of employment by a disgruntle ex-coworker who ended up stabbing him in his head with a pair of scissors. During his outpatient therapies, his speech therapist asked me if I was taking care of myself and talking… Continue reading The Silent Victim
My Journey Toward Healing
This former VSC client came to us with decades of repressed feelings and maladaptive coping behaviors. After deciding he desperately wanted to change his life, he made that courageous first call and attended that initial appointment. And then he followed up and came back to the next appointment. And the next. Before long, he was… Continue reading My Journey Toward Healing
#MeToo
The social media world was rocked earlier this month. Actress Alyssa Milano encouraged survivors of sexual assault and sexual harassment to post the hashtag “MeToo” to show the magnitude of the problem. The call-to-action was clear and made a resounding statement worldwide. The hashtag was tweeted nearly a million times in 48 hours and survivors… Continue reading #MeToo
The Intersection Between Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence
The Intersection of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Written by: Orialis, VSC Crisis Counselor Many victims are in an intimate relationship with their abuser. Sexual assault and domestic violence exist within the scope of oppression. It is how a perpetrator abuses power and control over a victim. A perpetrator can use a variety of violent… Continue reading The Intersection Between Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence
A Young Girl Seeks Justice
A Young Girl Seeks Justice Written by: Erin, VSC’s SANE Coordinator I joined the VSC team as a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) a little over a year ago. My first examination was for a 12 year old girl with autism who was being sexually abused by her father. I remember feeling such sadness for… Continue reading A Young Girl Seeks Justice