In the wake of Me Too, many sexual violence prevention organizations experienced an uptick in demand for support services and counseling. The Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (MOCSA), a RALIANCE impact grant recipient and national leader in providing therapy for youth with problematic sexual behavior, used innovation to help serve more in need. MOCSA recently spoke with the National Sexual Violence Resource Center about their foster care project in Kansas City and the ways they overcame challenges to make a positive impact in the community for NSVRC’s Fall 2018 issue of The Resource.
At RALIANCE, we want to be the kind of funders that sees potential in challenges. Projects that see ways they can change, adapt, and pivot are critical to advancing prevention work. MOCSA’s project addressed an underserved population – in this instance foster caregivers and service professionals to better understand sexual behavior problems in children. To help manage the uptick in foster kids and caregivers who were seeking help, MOCSA adapted their program in a way that could empower caregivers and counseling professionals with the training and tools needed to serve their community.
MOCSA started by hosting a series of focus groups and listening to foster parents who are successfully helping youth in their care with these behaviors. Their hard work and innovation led to impactful deliverables: MOCSA produced two six-page Resource Guides — one for caregivers and one for professionals — and distributed 250 hard copies throughout the Kansas City metro. They also produced a series of short video clips based on the real-life experiences of foster families to help people better understand problematic sexual behaviors among youth and how to build a network of support.
“Overall, the additional outreach, training, and collaborative efforts allowed MOCSA to reach vastly more people than we originally intended.”
That’s the kind of innovation that is having real impact in our communities. Read more about this project on NSVRC’s blog.