Your community rape crisis program serves as a resource to many human service organizations; participates in community task forces and partnerships to ensure that all providers recognize how sexual violence can impact other parts of a survivor’s life; provides training, information and resources about the needs of sexual assault survivors, including specialized information for professionals in the fields of mental health, medical care, law enforcement and the courts, elder care, care for people with disabilities, and clergy or faith based organizations. PCAR works with lawmakers to assure that Pennsylvania’s statutes are protecting victims’ rights and promoting community safety and offender accountability.
PCAR, your statewide Coalition, believes sexual assault survivors and their loved ones deserve to get answers and support wherever they seek it, so we have become trusted expert trainers for other professionals. PCAR develops the training materials, trains the trainers and partners with state officials and serves on numerous statewide committees and task forces to effectively coordinate Pennsylvania’s response to sexual violence. PCAR also creates materials for specific groups of professionals – examples of PCAR publications include a Benchbook for magisterial district judges and another for trial judges in the Commonwealth, a manual to guide counselors or advocates work with the Victim Compensation Assistance Program in Pennsylvania, and a Guide to Working with Survivors of Sexual Violence for Faith-based Organizations and Religious Institutions.