As our communities navigate the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we must not forget the importance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month this April. Sexual assault occurs when unwanted, unwelcome sexual behaviors are forced upon someone without their consent. According to the most recent Department of Justice National Crime Victimization Survey, every 98 seconds, a person in the U.S. is sexually assaulted.

The Mount Sinai Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Program (SAVI) was founded in 1984 to respond to this public health crisis in Manhattan and Queens by advocating for the rights of sexual violence survivors to be believed, supported, and centralized through free trauma-informed services and advocacy. Since SAVI’s doors opened, survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence and those closest to them have accessed SAVI’s free counseling by calling SAVI’s main intake line at 212-423-2140.

Each fall, SAVI has provided a 40-hour classroom-based training to prepare volunteer advocates to provide onsite emotional support and advocacy for survivors in the Emergency Department. The SAVI Advocate training is one of the many free prevention and trauma-informed response educational opportunities that SAVI provides. SAVI also has specialized capacities to address specific community needs, such as the Takanot Program, which serves Orthodox Jewish survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence, and anti-Commercial Sexual Exploitation interventions and services.

To continue raising awareness of the prevalence and prevention of sexual violence, SAVI observes Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) this April. SAAM is centrally coordinated by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, who produce free awareness print and media resources on their website.

Denim Day: Last Wednesday of April (4/28)

Per organizers Peace Over Violence, who started this campaign 21 years ago:

“The campaign began after a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court where a rape conviction was overturned because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans she must have helped the person who raped her remove her jeans, thereby implying consent. The following day, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim.”

More information can be found at denimdayinfo.org.

The Mount Sinai community was invited to participate in Denim Day by –

• WEARING denim (with supervisor permission)
• Taking a SELFIE in denim
• POSTING this image on social media (Instagram, Facebook or Twitter) with the HASHTAG #denimdaysavi
• TAGGING @mountsinaisavi

JOIN one of our Denim Day webinars to learn more about ways to interrupt sexual violence, and victim blaming culture! Register here.

SAVI hopes that someday, SAAM and even their program will no longer be necessary but until then, you can be part of the movement by joining their mailing list (email SAVIPresents@mssm.edu) and following @mountsinaisavi on social media to learn about campaigns, actions, and other opportunities to take a stand against sexual violence.

Amanda Burden (she/her/hers) brings more than 15 years’ experience as an educator, program manager, and public health professional to SAVI as the Training and Education Outreach Supervisor. Since joining the program in 2016, Burden has facilitated the delivery of trauma-informed education, public health campaigns, and subject matter expertise to thousands of volunteers, trainees, staff, clinicians, and faculty across the Mount Sinai Health System. To inquire about the program’s free sexual or intimate partner violence prevention or response resources and education available for your communities, please visit the SAVI website or call the main line at 212-423-2140.