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MAIN APPLICATION 2. AGENCY INFORMATION Please provide the following information about your agency (Limit of 2 pages total): a) Years in Operation, Date of Incorporation (Month/Year) 42 years in operation. Founded in 1974. Incorporated in December 1978. b) Agency's Purpose /Mission Our mission is to stop sexual violence and its impact through support, education, and advocacy. c) Types of Services the Agency Provides The Orange County Rape Crisis Center ( OCRCC) provides support to survivors of sexual violence (SV), their loved ones, and professionals who serve survivors in Orange County. Our expert staff and trained volunteers ( "Companions ") provide emotional support as well as resources and referrals through our 24 -Hour Help Line. Companions are available at all times to provide assistance and advocacy through active listening, safety planning, suicide intervention, and other crisis intervention techniques. They are also available to accompany survivors to the hospital, to make an official report to law enforcement, and to court appointments. For clients with financial, housing, and other concerns, we connect them with community resources and agencies. For long -term support, we provide support groups and workshops for SV survivors and their loved ones. Our innovative support group program, which has served as a model for agencies across North Carolina, offers both traditional discussion -based groups as well as activity -based groups utilizing alternative healing methods. We also provide case management for high -need survivors with multiple concerns. For example, we have connected survivors with resources for emergency and long -term housing, job training and retention, substance abuse treatment, clothing, food, and more. Additionally, the OCRCC offers educational programs for raising awareness about sexual violence and teaching prevention skills. With a 35 -year history of successful education programs, we now reach more than 13,000 youth and adults each year. Our curriculum incorporates research -based best practices utilizing both primary prevention and risk reduction strategies. The majority of our programs are delivered in elementary schools through our Safe Touch program. We are in every elementary school in both Chapel Hill - Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) and Orange County Schools (OCS), offering annual safety education programs in every classroom. Our Start Strong program works through health education classes in middle and high schools, using primary prevention strategies to prevent perpetration of sexual violence. Our curriculum is designed to assist schools in meeting state - mandated learning objectives. We also offer prevention and response programs for parents, teachers, and professionals. The OCRCC's entire community education program is designed for continuous and comprehensive learning. For students, each year's curriculum builds on the skills and knowledge taught in previous years, offering students a clear and sustained message about safety and achieving best results for preventing violence. Furthermore, we provide take -home materials for students to share with their families, training programs for teachers and caregivers, and informational programs for parents and guardians. In this way, crucial safety messages are reinforced throughout the entire community. In 2007, the OCRCC launched our Latino Services Program with the hiring of a bilingual and bicultural Latino Services Coordinator. With this full -time position, multiple bilingual staff members, and trained Spanish- speaking volunteers, we are able to provide all our crisis services and education programs in both English and Spanish. Main Application 1/25/2016 12:55:42 PM P a c e 4 of 32