This year two of RVAP’s most tenured staff shared their expertise on a national stage.  Susan Junis, assistant director for prevention and outreach, helped to develop RVAP’s Raise the Bar sexual assault prevention program several years ago.  Raise the Bar is a training program for staff, management, and owners of alcohol-serving establishments. Alcohol is the most frequently used weapon in sexual assaults, and Raise the Bar teaches participants about the dynamics of alcohol-facilitated sexual assault, examines perpetrator behavior, and builds staff skills for interrupting sexual harassment or assault in a bar or restaurant setting.  This year Susan was invited to North Carolina to present Raise the Bar to a bar owner and their staff, and facilitated a Raise the Bar training at the Chrysalis Conference in Raleigh, NC.  Brothers Bar & Grill also recently invited RVAP to facilitate the Raise the Bar training at each of their locations in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. 

Katryn Duarte, assistant director for sexual assault services, is a nationally respected expert in the sexual assault prevention movement.  Katryn works with the Multilingual Access Project (MAPA), which is managed by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), and she participates as a member of the Alianza Latina en contra de la Agresión Sexual (ALAS), a national Latin@ led organization that focuses on anti-violence work. Katryn was selected to participate in a national conversation in Seattle about the intersection of racism and victim services through the Sexual Assault Demonstration Initiative (SADI) this past year.  Specifically, Katryn discussed how mainstream programs in the sexual assault movement continue to employ policies that oppress advocates and staff of color.  Katryn was also invited to present at the 2018 National Latin@ Institute in New Orleans.  Katyrn joined past RVAP advocate, Mary Eldridge, to facilitate, “Healing and Building Community: Cultivating a Sense of Belonging in the Workspace.” 

Everyone at RVAP is grateful to be able to work alongside and learn from Susan and Katryn as we work towards our mission of creating a community free of sexual violence.