 | Message from the Executive Director Dear Friend, Fall is almost officially here! I am looking forward to cooler weather, the changing of the leaves, and a reprieve from some of the busyness that always seems to sneak up at the end of summer. I hope you too are enjoying another seasonal transition. There is much to look forward to for the Resilience community. We are excited to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month beginning on September 15. Hispanic and Latinx heritage spans many cultures and communities: this means there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate and honor this important month including traditions, foods, special events, and businesses to support throughout Chicago. We send our appreciation to all of the Hispanic and Latinx members of this community. From staff to volunteers, survivors, community partners, and more, there are many extraordinary Hispanic and Latinx folks working to end sexual violence. We celebrate your work, efforts, and commitment and want you to feel appreciated this month and year-round. September also brings Resilience a new class of interns! We are thrilled to welcome Jessica, Karen, Maryclare, and Michelle as our new cohort of Trauma Therapy Interns. We welcome Caroline and Devyn as our new Education and Training interns. We also welcome Flavia and Izabella as Advocacy interns. They begin this week, and we can’t thank them enough for joining us in this work. I hope you have a wonderful month and fall season. Take care. Sincerely, | |  | Donna Jacobson Executive Director Resilience | | | | Our Resilience Spotlight: Interview with Alondra Guzman We're proud to celebrate the people who connect our incredible community and bring us together in this work. For this month's interview, we're shining a spotlight on Alondra Guzman, Resilience Children’s Legal and Medical Advocate. Read our interview below to hear from Alondra about empowering survivors who are minors, celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, and more. | |  | | | | | Individual trauma therapy available now at Resilience You have probably seen us promote a wide variety of trauma therapy support groups and workshops, but did you know our amazing team of trauma therapists provides free individual therapy as well? We provide up to 20 sessions of trauma therapy for survivors of sexual violence. Services are provided by a therapist with specialized training in treating trauma. They are free, confidential, available to survivors of all ages, and in English and Spanish. If you are a survivor interested in receiving individual trauma therapy from Resilience, please click here to contact us or call 312-443-9603 to be added to the trauma therapy waitlist. After joining the waitlist you will be contacted by our Trauma Intervention Specialist to schedule an intake appointment. If Resilience trauma therapy is the right fit, you will be assigned to one of our trauma therapists to begin your 20 sessions of trauma therapy. We hope to hear from you! Click the button to learn more about trauma therapy services, staff, and more. | | | | | | | | | | | | Join our next volunteer class! Apply today Resilience is searching for our next class of Volunteer Medical Advocates! You can apply to our fall volunteer training now. The training will take place Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays on October 16, 17, 19, 23, 24, 26, 30, November 1, 2, 6, 7, 9, 13, 14, and 16 between 5:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Zoom. The deadline to apply for this training is Friday, September 22! Are you interested in becoming a Volunteer Medical Advocate later in the year? Keep an eye out for more info on our winter training session. Please reach out to us at volunteer@ourresilience.org with questions! Learn more about our volunteer program here. | | | | | | Thank you to our September Partner of the Month | |  | Resilience proudly celebrates a new corporate partner each month. These partners' generous support allows Resilience to provide our programs and services completely free to the survivor. We send our gratitude to our September Partner of the Month, Dandy Crown. Dandy Crown generously featured Resilience as their featured nonprofit of the month in July, donating $1 from every "Rites of Spring" cocktail sold to Resilience. We are grateful for these partnerships that allow Resilience to expand our reach and impact in our community! If you are interested in becoming a corporate partner of Resilience, please contact us. | |  | Trauma Therapy Support Groups & Workshops Women Survivors Support Group (Virtual) – Wednesdays, September 20 – November 8, 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. A free, virtual support group for women-identified survivors of sexual violence seeking community and a safe space for healing. Please contact Alexa Diego, NCC, LPC at adiego@ourresilience.org to schedule an intake screening. Communication with Partners Around Intimacy Workshop (Virtual) – Thursday, September 21, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Participants will learn techniques for communicating with partners related to sexual intimacy, including boundaries, asking for what you need, starting the conversation, and more. Contact Erica Hungerford, LPC, at ehungerford@ourresilience.org to request to join or with any questions. This workshop will be held again on December 14. Monthly Journaling and Meditation Group (Virtual) – The fourth Wednesday of each month, September 27 – November 8, 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. A virtual space for survivors of sexual violence to process their trauma through journaling and guided meditation. Contact Alexa Diego, LPC at adiego@ourresilience.org to request the meeting link. Queer Survivors Support Group (Virtual) – Thursdays, October 5 – December 14, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. This support group is for all queer persons aged 18+ who have experienced sexual violence and will address participant-requested topics with a focus on empowerment. Please contact Katie Forrest, LSW at kforrest@ourresilience.org if interested in joining. Survivors of Drug-Facilitated Sexual Violence Group (Virtual) – The second Monday of each month, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Next meeting on October 9). This group is open to survivors who experienced drug- or alcohol-facilitated sexual assault. The group will include open discussion to explore consent, memory loss, guilt, self-blame, and more. To register, contact Katie Kirshenbaum, LSW, at kkirshenbaum@ourresilience.org. Monthly Processing Group (Virtual) – The second Tuesday of each month, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Next meeting on October 10). This free monthly support group is open to any survivor of sexual violence. Each month will focus on a different topic, and may also include current news, and be an open space for survivors to discuss whatever is stressful for them currently. Please contact Erica Hungerford at ehungerford@ourresilience.org to request to participate or with any questions. Partners of Sexual Assault Survivors Workshop (Virtual) – Thursday, October 19, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. A free two-hour workshop for partners of people who have experienced sexual violence. Individuals, couples, or partner groups (survivors and non-survivors) are welcome and encouraged to attend. This workshop will give guidance on ways to support your partner, how to better respond to your partner’s needs, work through sexual intimacy concerns, and process feelings. Contact Erica Hungerford, LPC, at ehungerford@ourresilience.org to request to join or with any questions. Workshop for Parents of Sexual Violence Survivors (Virtual) – November 10, 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. A free, one-time virtual workshop for parents of survivors of sexual violence who would like to process their feelings within a small group, learn how to support their loved ones, and learn coping skills to be able to support themselves. For more information and/or the meeting link, please contact Alexa Diego, NCC, LPC at adiego@ourresilience.org. Holidays and Survivorship Workshop (Virtual) – Wednesday, November 15, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. This free workshop will be a space to share the struggles of the holiday season and receive support from peers and group leaders. Topics may include but are not limited to family issues, significant dates around this time of year, triggers related to the holidays, and more. Contact Erica Hungerford. LCP, NCC at ehungerford@ourresilience.org to request to join or with any questions. Crochet & Mindfulness Workshop (Virtual) – Thursday, November 16, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. This workshop will teach entry-level crochet skills and mindfulness techniques for survivors of sexual violence. Please contact the group leader, Erica Hungerford, LPC, at ehungerford@ourresilience.org to request to participate and inquire about free materials for those in need. | | | | Art Therapy Workshops Resilience's Art Therapy Workshops are drop-in therapeutic spaces for anyone interested in trying art therapy. They are open to survivors 18+ and all genders are welcome. Please contact Art Therapist Annalise Castro, MAATC acastro@ourresilience.org to receive a virtual meeting link for any of the following workshops or for general inquiries. Garden of Life (Virtual) – Thursday, September 14, 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Participants will receive a prompt to explore their personal history across the life span and reflect on pleasure goals by creating an art nature-scape. The guided artwork is intended to encourage judgment-free reflection on how bodies, family, culture, and environment impact the self. Open Art Studio (In person) – Wednesdays, now through September 27, 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Resilience's Central Office, 180 N Michigan Ave, Suite 600. Join for creative inspiration, start a new art project, or take a pause while connecting with others. Participants are welcome to drop in to open studio for the full two hours or partial time as their schedule allows. All materials will be provided and no previous experience is needed. Emotion Character (Virtual) – Thursday, September 28, 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Participants will be encouraged to use their creative thinking skills to personify an emotion of their choice to get to know that emotion better. The workshop will include guided art making time followed by reflective writing prompts to deepen understanding. You can always view the current listings of Trauma Therapy workshops and support groups on our website. | |  | Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education (Virtual) Wednesday, November 22, 9:00 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. This training is intended for higher education professionals involved in providing student survivor support or responding to student disclosures of sexual or domestic violence. Suggested participants are Confidential Advisors, Student Conduct and Student Counseling Services. This training does not provide comprehensive review or guidance on updated Title IX procedures; however, Title IX Coordinators are also encouraged to attend. | | | | Virtual 40-Hour Confidential Advisors Training (Virtual) November 27, 28, 30, December 4, 5, and 7, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Trainees will gain basic crisis intervention skills, explore the neurobiology of trauma, and learn how to respond to disclosures. They will also learn about the legal and medical remedies available to survivors and explore how sexual violence impacts groups of survivors experiencing multiple forms of oppression. Trainees will also learn in-depth state and federal laws that outline procedures and responsibilities of higher education institutions and their employees. This training will conclude with an emphasis on vicarious trauma and self-care and empower trainees with resources they may share with their communities. Resilience trainers have tailored this training for higher education professionals and those fulfilling the role of confidential advisor. Contact Jenna Barrus at jbarrus@ourresilience.org with questions. | | | | | | DOGtober hosted by the Resilience Associate Board Sunday, October 8, 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. River Shannon, 425 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL You're invited to DOGtober with the Resilience Associate Board at River Shannon, a dog-friendly Irish Pub in Lincoln Park. Bring your best furry friend and join us for food, drinks, costume contests, a fabulous photo booth, socializing, and more. Tickets are $30, and proceeds support Resilience. Register today! | | | | | | The Network's Measuring Safety — Gender-Based Violence in Illinois Data Report 2022 The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence (The Network) publishes this annual report to assess documented instances of gender-based violence and responding service providers in Illinois. The Network gathers experiences from survivors and gender-based violence service providers to depict both a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the types of challenges and safety nets survivors encounter. The goal of each annual report is to learn from survivors and providers about the nature of violence, the gaps in services and systems, and the steps needed to repair harm as well as prevent further violence. Read this comprehensive report to learn more about what The Network has recently learned about addressing gender-based violence and how we can all better serve survivors. | | | | | | Resilience is hiring, apply today! Resilience is looking for new staff members to join our team in our mission of empowering survivors and ending sexual violence. We are currently accepting applications for the following positions: Apply today! To learn more about careers at Resilience, click here. Please share with your networks! | | | | Get Connected with Resilience's Remote Services Click here to connect with an Advocate
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Contact us to join our waitlist for free individual sessions of trauma therapy Resources Click here to visit our Information on Survivor Options and Rights Page
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180 N. Michigan Ave. Suite 600 | Chicago, Illinois 60601
312-443-9603 | info@ourresilience.org | | | | | | | | | | | |
