Sexual Violence Prevention Network Meeting Information and Materials

May 15, 2023

Presentation: Embracing equity by exploring paths to economic justice

View the recording of the May 15, 2023 meeting on MNCASA’s YouTube channel.

In this meeting, SVPN will built on the 2023 theme Embracing Equity by exploring paths to economic justice. First, Sharon Lim from the national organization FreeFrom presented: “Survivor Wealth and Wellness: Financial Security and Violence Prevention.” Our relationship with money affects how we engage with ourselves, our communities, and our work. This training supported attendees in exploring their relationship with money, how it shows up in their life and work, and how they can incorporate financial security building into their work as preventionists and advocates. Sharon shared about the basics of economic abuse; walked participants through a money exploration exercise; provided examples of how to incorporate financial capacity building into future trainings; and explored financial harm and healing in gender-based violence (GBV) workplaces. To close the meeting, Sarah Florman from MNCASA provided a legislative announcement on updates from this session’s coercive debt bill.

Presenters:

Sharon Lim, FreeFrom

Sarah Florman, MNCASA

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February 14, 2023

View the recording of the February 14, 2023 meeting on MNCASA's YouTube channel.

History Behind the Movement: Sexual Violence, Advocacy, and Prevention

As with any public health issue we wish to solve, it is crucial that we understand the actions those before us took to address the issue. The anti-sexual violence movement is no different. Before becoming professionalized, this movement began with and was maintained by community action. It was through the professionalization and centering of certain identities that many voices working to combat sexual violence were pushed to the side. This presentation by Kia Whittier of Violence Free Minnesota guides audience members through the history of the anti-sexual violence movement, centering on the efforts of those who were cast to the margins.

Presenters:

Kia Whittier, Violence Free Minnesota

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November 14, 2022

View the recording of the November 14, 2022 meeting on MNCASA's YouTube channel.

Primary Prevention on College Campuses

Sexual violence on college campuses is pervasive, with 13% of all college students experiencing rape or sexual assault. In this SVPN meeting, a panel of Title IX administrators discussed Title IX, the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) changes to Title IX, and prevention on college campuses. The panel was moderated by Melissa Watschke from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. Then, Noelle Volin and Sean Elmquist from Men as Peacemakers (MAP) shared how their innovative environment-shaping program, the BEST (Be Equal, Safe, Trustworthy) Party Model, is currently being implemented and changing the culture on college campuses.

Presenters:

Melissa Watschke, Minnesota Office of Higher Education, Linda Alvarez, Mankato State University – Mankato, Laura Creech, Macalester College, Katherine Arnold, University of Minnesota, Chloe Vraney, University of Minnesota, Noelle Volin, Men as Peacemakers, and Sean Elmquist, Men as Peacemakers.

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August 22, 2022

Virtual Meeting

View the recording of August 22, 2022 meeting on MNCASA's YouTube channel.

Reproductive Health and Reproductive Coercion

The United States Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization resulted in conversations about reproductive justice across the nation and the state of Minnesota. The August 2022 Sexual Violence Prevention Network (SVPN) meeting focused on information and resource sharing to support sexual violence prevention efforts considering current events. Beatriz Menanteau from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and Ashley Sturz-Griffith and Sarah Florman from the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA) provided statewide updates related to reproductive health. Brenisen Wheeler from Women’s Advocates presented on the Dynamics and Levels of Reproductive Coercion.

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May 12, 2022

Virtual Meeting

View the recording of May 12, 2022 meeting on MNCASA's YouTube channel.

Trans Rights and Sexual Harassment/Bullying in School

Gender Justice presents on the Resources & Advocacy Tools for Transgender Students and their Families. The Minnesota Human Rights Act and Title IX protect students at school from sex discrimination, including sex-based bullying and harassment. Learn about what Gender Justice is hearing from students, especially transgender, non-binary, and LGB students, about harassment and bullying at Minnesota middle schools and high schools.

Presenter: Christy Hall, Gender Justice

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February 28, 2022

Virtual Meeting

View the recording of February 28, 2022 meeting on MNCASA's YouTube channel.

Discover current primary prevention strategies taking place across the state of Minnesota

With support from the Minnesota Department of Health, the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA) funded a total of five member programs to uplift community efforts in reducing sexual violence. These mini grants offer the opportunity to build intersectional communities that work to eliminate root causes of sexual violence and prevent harm on a broad scale. The work within the mini grants aim to reflect MNCASA’s five core values: collaboration, integrity, courageous and bold action, the prevention of harm, and social justice. Four of the Prevention Mini Grant recipients will share how they have utilized this funding to promote primary prevention in their communities

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December 9, 2021

Virtual Meeting

View the recording of December 9, 2021 meeting on MNCASA's YouTube channel.

Conversations, Outreach, and Outcomes of Engaging Indigenous Youth and Males in Collective Liberation to End Sexual Violence Across Minnesota

Presenters: Cristine Davidson and Rebecca Balog

The Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition, (MIWSAC), a statewide tribal coalition and national Tribal technical assistance provider, has worked since 2001 to end gender-based violence and enhance Tribal, state, and federal responses to sexual violence and sex trafficking. MIWSAC uses culturally based training, technical assistance, strategies, resources, tools, and a wide range of events and activities to engage and support survivors of sexual violence, advocates, service providers, community, and allies that are working to end sexual violence and sex trafficking across Minnesota’s 11 federally recognized Tribal Nations, urban Native bases, and Tribal communities across the country. MIWSAC’s work is grounded in the philosophy that each of us has a role, purpose, and place in eradicating sexual violence. As we galvanize across gender, race, age, orientation, expertise, and experience, we are all safer.

In 2021, MIWSAC conducted a sexual violence prevention/leadership Indigenous Youth Town hall and a Healthy Indigenous Masculinity Virtual Panel with male/male identified folks to discuss healthy Indigenous masculinity. This conversation focused on both informing and influencing an outreach strategy, the ‘Healthy Indigenous Masculinity Poster Series’. This series captured the essence of healthy Indigenous masculinity across the age spectrum, and invited male identified relatives to engage, mobilize, and participate effortlessly in anti-violence/wellness efforts. This series expressed inspiring energies around nurturing Indigenous fatherhood along with tender self-exploration of being a whole, healthy, healed person interwoven and necessary to fabric of Indigenous communities. The result was a digital and printed poster campaign distributed across Minnesota and Indian Country on social media. (Photographer Nehdahness Greene, Leech Lake Reservation).

Please join us to explore the results of these conversations, outreach, and outcomes of engaging Indigenous youth and males in collective liberation to end sexual violence across Minnesota and our relatives across Indian Country. Together, we can link arms to end sexual violence.

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August 19, 2021

Virtual Meeting

View the recording of August 19, 2021 meeting on MNCASA's YouTube channel.

Community-Identified Strategies for Injury and Violence Prevention during Compounding Crises

Presenters: Noelle Volin, Men as Peacemakers, and Catherine Diamond, Minnesota Department of Health

Injury and violence prevention during times of compounding crisis is not the same as injury and violence prevention during times of relative stability. Despite the multiple crises of the past year (the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest due to racial injustice), community-based prevention organizations throughout the state stepped up when their communities needed them most. Under high-risk conditions and often with limited or uncertain funding and resources, these organizations quickly adapted their internal policies, priorities, and existing prevention programming to better meet the increased needs of their communities.

Through an innovative approach to community-level evaluation, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and Men As Peacemakers (MAP) connected with grantees and other community based prevention organizations across the state to learn key strategies for continuing prevention work during crisis and into the future. Rather than a one-size-fits-all checklist of action steps, the strategies identified through this process encourage a broader reflection of how CBPOs, funders, and supporting partners can increase and leverage community-connectedness, ensuring that organizations are in a place of strength and stability and can respond effectively to community need whenever the unexpected takes place.

In this presentation, participants will:

1. Be introduced to a new framework for community-level prevention, centered on the key protective factor of community-connectedness.
2. Understand what community-connectedness as an organizational practice looks like.
3. Receive an overview of practical strategies for increasing community-connectedness at the institutional level.

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May 13, 2021

Virtual Meeting

There is no recording for this meeting.

Moving Power – Increasing Equity – Preventing Sexual Violence - continued discussion

During the January Sexual Violence Prevention Network Quarterly Meeting Timike Jones, program specialist with the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, shared her presentation, “Moving Power - Increasing Equity - Prevention Sexual Violence.” Participants of the meeting had a rich discussion about moving power as a means to prevention sexual violence. In this meeting, we will continue these conversation through small breakouts to facilitate conversations on how each of us build more equitable sexual violence prevention strategies. All are welcome to attend, even if you were not able to participate in January. ou can view theY recording of the January 14, 2021 meeting on MNCASA's YouTube channel.

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January 14, 2021

Virtual Meeting

View the recording of the January 14, 2021 meeting on MNCASA's YouTube channel.

Moving Power – Increasing Equity – Preventing Sexual Violence

This workshop engages participants in an interactive facilitated dialogue on the topic of power. Participants will look at how power inequities among social identities contribute to societal structures that perpetuate oppression. The workshop looks at oppression as a root cause of violence and explore effective primary prevention strategies that shift power to reduce to perpetuate and victimization of sexual violence. Presenters: • Timike Jones, program specialist, Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence

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August 14, 2020

Virtual Meeting

View the recording of the August 14, 2020 meeting on MNCASA's YouTube channel.

Basic Needs Insecurity Among College Students: Implications of a Program of Action Research for Primary Prevention

Food insecurity is one of the most profound indicators of poverty on college campuses, and it is a complex public health crisis that disproportionately impacts marginalized students. Deepening our understanding of student hunger in higher education, including at private institutions like Hamline, can help to address the invisibility of marginalized students’ experiences. At Hamline this Action Research began as a student led initiative in 2017 in response to student testimonies of food and basic needs insecurity and has developed into a Program of Action Research. Across the country, rising costs make it harder for college students to access food, housing, and other basic needs. As private universities enroll more Pell-eligible, racially and gender diverse, and first-generation students, they must address basic needs gaps through policies that ensure all students have access to the resources required for retention, degree completion, and student success. We will share the findings of our Food Access Survey and implications for primary prevention of sexual violence. Providing students with much needed access to concrete and tangible economic resources (i.e.: money, housing, food access) reduces vulnerability. 

Presenters:

• Susi Keefe, PhD, Department of Sociology, Public Health Sciences Program, Hamline University, Saint Paul, MN, USA
• An Garagiola-Bernier, BA, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
• Emma Kiley, BA, Department of Environmental Studies, Hamline University, Saint Paul, MN, USA
• Jen England, PhD, Department of English, Hamline University, Saint Paul, MN, USA
• Marta Shore, MS, Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

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January 30, 2020

Location: Neighborhood House, 179 Robie St E, St. Paul, MN 55107

View the recording of the January 30, 2019 meeting on MNCASA's YouTube channel.

One Step at a Time: Your Role in Sexual Violence Prevention Policy Efforts

Effective sexual violence prevention means getting involved in policy work at both local and state levels. Join staff from the Minnesota Coalitions Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA) for a presentation on ways you can actively engage in policy efforts across Minnesota. In this presentation, MNCASA staff will share a variety of activities, strategies, and tips for participating and supporting sexual violence prevention legislation and policy efforts. Peg Larsen, a former Mayor and State Representative, will also provide an inside look at how to connect with officials. Together, we will explore the importance of policy work in preventing sexual violence and how we can positively impact policy at both the state and community level.

Presenters:

Lindsay Brice, law and policy director, Minnesota Coalitions Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA)

Lindsay J. Brice, Esq., is law and policy director for the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault. She is a former prosecutor and advocate who has worked with victims of domestic and sexual violence for over twenty years. She has extensive experience with LGBTQI+ communities, and spent ten years working in rural Minnesota. She graduated from Hamline Law School in 2007. During law school, and just after, she was a crisis line supervisor for the Sexual Violence Center and worked for a small firm practicing federal Indian law. She also serves on the Minnesota Judicial Branch’s Committee for Equality & Justice.

Lindsay lives in St. Paul with her partner and dogs. When not in the office, she enjoys hiking, canoe camping, and spending time with family.

Peg Larson, lobbyist at Minnesota Coalitions Agianst Sexual Assault (MNCASA)

Political background:

• Council woman Lakeland
• First woman mayor Lakeland
• State representative 3 terms- Chair of Local Government and Metropolitan
• Affairs Committee
• Retired from Legislature in 2000

Graduate of University of Slippery Rock, Slippery Rock Pennsylvania. Major Sociology/Psychology

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, mother of 6, grandmother of 16.

Adrianna Perez, prevention program coordinator at Minnesota Coalitions Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA)

Adrianna has experience as a shelter advocate and youth advocate, where she developed skills for crisis intervention, support group facilitation, trauma informed care, and educating about healthy/unhealthy relationships. Adrianna’s time in direct service encouraged her to focus on prevention and community-level change. As the prevention program coordinator, her goal is to make prevention work accessible and doable for everyone to play their part in it. She believes that by working and coming together, we can change our cultural norms and prevent many forms of violence. Her passion for this work is inspired by community building, creative thinking about strategies of change, and providing education.

Outside of work, you may find Adrianna enjoying a podcast, bad TV, travel, or time with her younger siblings.

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November 6, 2019

Location: Neighborhood House, 179 Robie St E, St. Paul, MN 55107

View the recording of the November 6, 2019 meeting on MNCASA's YouTube channel.

Presentation: Violence-free Age: Preventing Sexual Violence Against Older Adults, Amanda Vickstrom and Marit Peterson, Minnesota Elder Justice Center

Sexual violence impacts our community in many ways, and those impacts are experienced in unique and severe ways by older adults. For this reason, prevention strategies that consider and center the needs, goals, autonomy, safety, and personhood of older adults are important to explore within the broader universe of our prevention efforts. Join us at this discussion to learn more about the impact of sexual violence on older adults, and to collaboratively explore prevention strategies that will assist in achieving safety within this community. We'll talk about primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies; explore reporting barriers that impact older adults in the social-ecological framework, and discuss the impact of ageism and need for social capital as contributing risk and protective factors for older adults. Your questions, observations and participation will be welcome!

Presenters:

Amanda Vickstrom, executive director of the Minnesota Elder Justice Center

Amanda has over 20 years of experience working on behalf of victims of domestic and sexual violence, and elder abuse. Prior to her role with the Minnesota Elder Justice Center, she worked at the Anoka County Attorney’s Office, where she managed the Minnesota S.A.F.E. Elders Initiative, and a major federal grant to coordinate systematic, multidisciplinary responses to abuse in later life. Previously, she worked as a program director for a domestic and sexual violence program in the Twin Cities metro area. Amanda holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, and an undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota, Morris.

Marit Anne Peterson, program director of the Minnesota Elder Justice Center

Prior to joining the Elder Justice Center, Marit practiced estate planning and elder law in the twin cities metro area. Marit currently chairs the governing council of the Minnesota State Bar Association's Elder Law section. She is also an adjunct faculty member at Augsburg University in the Philosophy Department, where she teaches ethics and bioethics in the adult undergraduate program. She has served on the Minnesota Olmstead Specialty Committee for the Prevention of Abuse and Neglect; and serves on the steering committee for Minnesota’s Working Interdisciplinary Network of Guardianship Stakeholders.

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September 24, 2019

Location: First Lutheran Church, 424 S. 8th Street, Brainerd, MN 56401

View the recording of the September 24, 2019 meeting on MNCASA's YouTube channel.

Resources mentioned in the meeting:

Students Reporting Sexual Violence Victimization on the Minnesota Student Survey, 1992-2016 (PDF)

The Minnesota Department of Education Minnesota Student Survey website provides more information about the survey and access to the Student Survey Data

Presentation: What does the Minnesota Student Survey Tell us About Sexual Violence in our Communities?

The Minnesota Student Survey is one of the best ongoing data sources about sexual violence victimization in Minnesota. Whether you have used the Minnesota Student Survey often or never heard of it before, whether you love data or hate data, this presentation is for you! Participants will learn about the Minnesota Student Survey and key findings from a 2016 data analyses performed by the Minnesota Department of Health. Participants will learn how to access their local level data and discuss key ways to use the Minnesota Student Survey data for their sexual violence prevention work.

Presenters:

Terra Wiens, epidemiologist in the Injury and Violence Prevention Section at the Minnesota Department of Health.

Marissa Raguet, data and evaluation coordinator for the Sexual Violence Prevention Program at the Minnesota Department of Health.

Her work focuses on injury and surveillance and data analysis at the state level. Terra's interests include analyzung sexual violence data, as well as monitoring trends in drug overdose and suicide in Minnesota. Terra has a Masters of Public Health from the University of Minnesota.

She has worked in this program for over six years in various roles. She has a Master of Public Health in Community Health Promotion from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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June 11, 2019

Location: Neighborhood House, 179 Robie St E, St. Paul, MN 55107

View the recording of the June 11, 2019 meeting on MNCASA's YouTube channel.

Resources mentioned in the meeting:
End Abuse of People with Disabilities is a project of the Center on Victimization and Safety at the Vera Institute of Justice. You can join their mailing list, watch archived webinars, and see what people are doing across the country to end abuse.

After the presentation, participants worked in small groups using a modified “Design Thinking” process to create prevention solutions. Seven small groups developed seven different solutions which are available in the June 11, 2019 Summary of Small Group Solutions (PDF).

Looking for something else? Contact us at health.violenceprev@state.mn.us