What Does CAPSA Stand For?

CAPSA stands for Citizens Against Physical and Sexual Abuse

In 1976, two high-profile rape cases occurred on Utah State University’s campus. This troubled many community members, and deciding to act, they created the Cache Valley Rape Crisis Team. The team was a hotline and calls were directed toward the University’s Women’s Center. 

In 1979, Utah passed a spousal abuse act, which made domestic violence illegal. With this legislation, both the need and funding for domestic violence shelters increased. The response team changed its name to Citizens Against Physical & Sexual Abuse, and community members began housing individuals within their own homes. 

From there CAPSA has grown into a 34-bed domestic violence shelter with caseworkers and a therapy program. We also have a housing program, child advocacy, and an education department dedicated to educating youth in hopes to prevent future violence. CAPSA is a team of some of the best people who have a passion for serving our community and helping people heal from abuse.  

 

A few of our team members share what CAPSA means to them

 Brenna, Children and Youth Services Manager  

“CAPSA gives a sense of hope. I love coming to work every day knowing that I can make a difference in the lives of children and youth. Their voices deserve to be heard and are often overlooked. I am happy to build relationships with our young generation in hopes to set them up for success in every aspect of their life.” 

 

Victoria, Diversity Caseworker 

“I think CAPSA for me means a place of healing and hope no matter where you come from or your immigration status, everyone is welcome here to heal and move forward.” 

 

Maddie, Community Engagement Coordinator 

“To me, CAPSA represents a true sense of hope in the face of hardship. In a world where we’re all constantly inundated with horrifying headlines and shockingly sad stories, it’s really easy to start feeling overwhelmed and to wonder where to even begin helping everyone who needs it. It’s really nice to work at a place like CAPSA, where helping survivors of abuse is the sole focus, but a major emphasis is also placed on self-care. We know that taking care of ourselves is critical to doing the work we do as successfully as possible.”    

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CAPSA Teaches about Healthy Relationships to Prevent Teen Dating Violence 

CAPSA’s Education Department Shares What They Teach About Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships

 

Lindsey, one of our educators, recently taught about healthy relationships to a class at Mountain Crest High School. During her lesson, students learned what makes up a healthy relationship such as trust, communication, boundaries, and respect. During this lesson, they also had the chance to come up with examples of unhealthy relationships and share with the class – such as the intensity of Edward towards Bella in Twilight or the controlling aspect of the mother in Tangled. We believe it is vital for teenagers and young adults to understand the dynamics of healthy relationships so they know what to look out for in their own relationships.  

In addition to Healthy Relationships, CAPSA’s prevention educators present on many other topics. If you are interested in setting up a presentation for your students or youth group, reach out to shellie@capsa.org.  

Secondary Survivors are Survivors

CAPSA’s mission is to support and empower survivors as they go through the healing process, this includes secondary survivors who are caring for loved ones.  

Who is a Secondary Survivor? 

 

A secondary survivor is someone who has been exposed to abuse through witnessing an abusive event or someone they are close to disclosing the experience to them. Often, this refers to someone who is helping support the survivor through the healing process, such as a close friend, a relative, or even a parent. They may experience some of the same side effects of dealing with trauma such as depression, anxiety, and emotions related to abuse and healing.   

Secondary survivors sometimes struggle with the emotions they feel, concerned that they are taking away from the survivor’s experience but the truth is there is no right way to feel when dealing with abuse. Secondary survivors may feel all, some, or none of the emotion’s survivors feel, and all these are valid responses.   

How Does CAPSA Support Secondary Survivors?

  

CAPSA provides support and empowerment through services designed to meet the needs of survivors dealing with abuse, including secondary survivors. CAPSA’s therapy program is available, and our therapists recognize the difficulty that can come with being a secondary survivor.   

Often, secondary survivors focus on finding healing for their loved ones. CAPSA offers therapy and advocacy to ensure this does not come at the expense of themselves. Friends and family move together and heal together, and ensuring the health and safety of secondary survivors benefits the survivors they worry about as well.   

CAPSA’s therapists work with secondary survivors to ensure they have the knowledge and skills needed to be supportive and help them work through the emotional impacts of abuse.  

 

If you are supporting a loved one through abuse and the healing process, know that you are not alone. CAPSA is here to provide support, information, and advice, and help you understand the process. You can contact CAPSA by calling 435-753-2500 to speak with a trained advocate and get the help you need. 

Warning Signs of Human Trafficking

Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Every year, millions of men, women and children are trafficked. 

CAPSA supports survivors of human trafficking because human trafficking is abuse. Human trafficking is about exploitation; a victim can be trafficked without ever leaving their home.  

Two forms of human trafficking include sexual exploitation & labor trafficking. Sexual exploitation is a form of sexual abuse in which a person(s), of any age takes advantage of a power imbalance to force or entice a person into engaging in sexual activity in return for something. Labor trafficking is using force, fraud, or coercion to compel an individual to provide involuntary labor or services.  

Warning Signs of Labor Trafficking

  • Malnourishment 
  • Signs of physical injuries and abuse 
  • Avoiding eye contact, social interaction, and authority figures  
  • Lack of personal possessions 
  • Working excessively long hours 
  • Poor health 
  • Inability to speak for themselves 

Warning Signs of Sexual Exploitation

  • Unexplained source of new clothing, jewelry, etc. 
  • Chronic runaway or homelessness 
  • Lying about age 
  • Lack of knowledge of a given community or whereabouts 
  • Presence of an overly controlling and abusive partner 
  • Lack of trust 
  • Self-blame, feelings of shame 

We encourage you to be aware of warning signs so that you can help a friend or loved one in need. If you or someone you know is being trafficked or has been trafficked, please call CAPSA at 435-753-2500. 

Give the Gift of Hope

This holiday season, we invite you to give the gift of hope to survivors.  

We need your financial, in-kind, and volunteer support to ensure our neighbors, friends, and family members impacted by abuse and trauma have CAPSA’s life-saving and life-changing supportive services. 

 

Three Ways to Give  

Monetary 

CAPSA relies on monetary community support to provide the services we offer. These funds provide free therapy, supportive advocacy, children’s services, safe housing, and emergency shelter for survivors. No matter the amount, your money goes to helping survivors start over and find hope. 

Consider donating- www.capsa.org/donate 

 

In-Kind 

In-Kind donations like toilet paper, children’s clothes, paper towels, and winter coats go directly to our clients or our day-to-day operations. As you can imagine, with 70 employees, CAPSA goes through lots of toilet paper and paper towels on a day-to-day basis. When these types of things are donated, we can use monetary donations to go towards our emergency shelter clients, and our other programs.  

To make an in-kind donation, contact 435-753-2500. Donations can also be dropped off at 308 W 100 N in Logan, UT.
 

 

Volunteering 

Another way to give back to CAPSA and your community is by volunteering. Many non-profits, including CAPSA, rely on volunteers to help with the work they do. Our volunteers do the equivalent work of 25 full-time paid employees. We couldn’t do this work without this form of support. We have many different options for those interested in volunteering – there is a place for everyone to help out at CAPSA. 

If you are interested in volunteering, contact volunteer@capsa.org.  

 

Thank You 

Your donations mean more than you’ll ever know. Below is one of many thank you notes that we received from a client. This is why we do the work we do. And with your support we can continue doing this important work for our community. 

3 Things you Didn’t Know About CAPSA’s Education Department

Our Prevention and Education Team educate our local youth throughout schools delivering curriculum and content that is designed to help youth recognize the signs of abuse. They love interacting and connecting with the amazing kids in Cache Valley, and Rich County. Our educators all have various backgrounds in health and public education and are passionate about educating our community! 

 

What we teach 

CAPSA’s awareness educators present curriculum promoting healthy relationships, reducing risk factors, increasing protective factors, and bringing awareness to CAPSA’s services. They teach about teen dating violence, resources in our community, warning signs of abuse & suicide, and prevention skills that reduce harm and could save lives. 

Our current list of courses includes: 

 

 

Who we teach 

Participants include 16,100 youth and 2,357 adults from twenty different middle and high schools across Cache Valley and the Bear Lake area. Presentations are taught in a safe and inclusive environment where students are able to learn and develop skills that will empower them as individuals to stand up against violence in their school, community, and personal life. 

 

Why we teach 

CAPSA’s overall mission is to end violence in our community. We know that by teaching the youth in Cache Valley prevention skills and knowledge, they will be more equipped to recognize warning signs in their own lives and in the lives of others.  

 

If you are interested in a youth presentation please reach out to educationteam@capsa.org. 

 

CAPSA Services are Free and Confidential 

If you or anyone you know is experiencing abuse, CAPSA can provide free and confidential services. Call 435-753-2500 to speak with a trained advocate. 

 

 

 

 

How CAPSA is Preventing Homelessness

 

The Correlation between Homelessness and Domestic Violence

 Abuse often takes many forms – from emotional, physical, sexual, financial, and many more, there are many ways an abuser can hold power and control over their victims. When a survivor flees abuse – there is usually a common outcome: they’re cut off financially. Because of this, finding a place to live for them and their children can be one of the most difficult challenges a survivor will face. CAPSA recognized that providing safe and affordable housing for survivors would decrease survivors’ risk of homelessness and increase their chances of continuing their education and rebuilding their financial sustainability. CAPSA currently serves around 300 clients a year in our housing program, providing relief and a safe place to live. 

 

 

CAPSA’s Transitional Housing Program Provides Relief and Independence

 

Since starting our housing program in 2007, CAPSA now owns or manages 21 homes which include Independence Place, Hansen Fourplex, and Independence Way. 

CAPSA’s Transitional Housing Program is a two-year program which includes housing subsidies coupled with advocacy and educational programming. The program focuses on developing independence by reducing housing expenses and assisting clients as they work toward a life asset such as a down payment on a home, and education. 

CAPSA’s housing caseworkers help clients find housing and support them during this transition – this may include short-term assistance or housing subsidies for up to two years. This program is successful at helping families start new lives free from abuse. 

 

 

Support CAPSA’s Housing Program

 CAPSA self-subsidies these properties, so the burden for expenses is on CAPSA. We help with maintenance costs and utility costs as well. Housing sponsors support our housing program with an annual sponsorship of $6,000. This represents the average cost for CAPSA to provide housing assistance. These funds will cover housing expenses and program funds.  

 

 

CAPSA Services are Free and Confidential

 If you or anyone you know is experiencing abuse, CAPSA can provide free and confidential services. Call 435-753-2500 to speak with a trained advocate. 

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5 Steps to Take if You’ve Been Sexually Assaulted and/or Raped

First, this is not your fault. These situations can feel incredibly overwhelming. There are resources for you. We believe you and can help.  

*We recognize that there are a lot of barriers to disclosing sexual assault. At CAPSA, our services are confidential- you do not have to report the assault to Law Enforcement to receive support.* 

Here’s what to do:  

 

1. Make Sure You are Safe

After experiencing a sexual assault, it is common that you may experience a variety of things. No emotion or feeling is invalid, as everyone responds to situations differently. Because of this, it is important that you ensure your own safety above everything else.  

2. Seek Support- Call CAPSA

Once you ensure that you are physically safe, it’s important that you seek support. This can look like reaching out to someone you trust, or if you prefer anonymity, CAPSA is an available resource. We will listen, support, and provide you with resources. When you call CAPSA, we ensure that you are in control. We will never make a decision for you. CAPSA can help show you your resources and options. We are a confidential and free resource for those living in Cache Valley, Rich County, and Franklin and Preston, ID.  

3. Consider Medical Attention

It is completely up to you to decide if you want to seek out medical attention and help. Medical facilities are required to report crimes to law enforcement, however, CAPSA is a confidential resource that can help you determine if that’s the step you want to take. CAPSA currently provides support for survivors of sexual assault at Cache Valley Hospital. A SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) Nurse can complete a sexual assault forensic exam which helps collect any evidence or DNA into a rape kit. These exams also provide the option to receive pregnancy prevention and STD prevention medications. Exams need to be completed within 5 days or 120 hours after an assault.  

If you are in need of an exam, Cache Valley Hospital is currently the only facility in Cache & Rich counties to provide this service.  

4. After Care and Support

Following an exam, our sexual assault caseworker will follow up with you within 24-48 hours. They will schedule an in-person meeting to explain your rights and options and answer any questions you have. 

5. Explore Your Legal Options

There are many reasons survivors may or may not choose to pursue legal action and report a sexual assault. We encourage survivors to speak with a caseworker who can help you carefully consider all your legal options. Our caseworkers are here to assist you every step of the way as you navigate what feels best for you and your situation.  

 

CAPSA is a non-profit domestic violence, sexual abuse, and rape recovery center serving Cache County and the Bear Lake area. It provides support services for women, men, and children impacted by abuse. All of our services are FREE and confidential. 

 

Call 435-753-2500 for CONFIDENTIAL and FREE resources. 

*Please note Utah is “Mandatory Reporting state” this means any form of abuse involving a minor is required by law to report.  

 

Function of CAPSA Caseworkers

CAPSA provides Advocacy and Support services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and rape.

CAPSA provides specialized expertise

Just like if someone has cancer, they see an oncologist because they specialize in cancer. With domestic violence, sexual assault, and rape – CAPSA provides specialized expertise.

CAPSA’s Caseworkers are experts in this field and have experience overcoming the many barriers associated with abuse including housing, economic difficulty, legal concerns, court advocacy and more. CAPSA also has strong relationships with law enforcement and a deep network of outside resources to help our clients.

Function of Caseworkers

CAPSA’s Caseworkers work with each client and take the time to understand their unique situation. This includes conducting risk assessments, discussing safety plans, helping file protective orders, and connecting clients to other resources both within CAPSA and throughout the community to ensure each client has a feasible and safe path forward.

Every case is unique, and some situations make it difficult or unsafe for survivors to reach CAPSA. Our Caseworkers specialize in dealing with domestic violence, sexual assault, and rape, and they understand the challenges that come with these things. Caseworkers typically work from the office but are equipped to respond to each individualized need. They have, in the past, met with clients at parks, in hospitals where they had appointments, and talked with them over the phone whenever safe, all to ensure those survivors got the help they needed.

CAPSA’s Caseworkers can do the same for you.

CAPSA’s Caseworkers can help you

If you are experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault, rape, or stalking, CAPSA can help. CAPSA’s Caseworkers will work to inform so that you can understand what is happening and decide for yourself how to move forward. They provide resources to overcome barriers and do not let things like credit score, lack of insurance, or legal status prevent anyone from getting help for their abuse.

Whether you are worried for your safety, concerned for your children, or just wanting help to understand what is happening, CAPSA can help. Please, call our Support Line at (435) 753-2500 to find out what we can do for you.

 

CAPSA Serves Rural Utah and Idaho Areas

CAPSA serves the Cache Valley & Bear Lake areas, including the rural areas of Rich County, Franklin County, and Preston, Idaho. For survivors who have a hard time traveling to our office, we can meet them where they’re at. We believe in the need for survivors to have access to services even if they live in underpopulated areas.  

 

Why Rural Services Matter

 

When a sexual assault takes place in a rural area, it is less likely that the survivor will have access to services. It is also likely that because of the cultural aspects of small, tight knit communities, the survivor will be acquainted with their abuser, furthering the fear of reporting. If a survivor does come forward, they are times dismissed or told that there aren’t services for them nearby. Because of CAPSA’s advocacy in rural areas, we have been able to meet and help survivors who otherwise would not have received help or even reported. Our rural caseworker – Marin – travels to Rich County, Garden City, and Preston, Idaho frequently to provide advocacy and build relationships. 

 

Story from our Rural Caseworker, Marin 

 

Law enforcement in a rural area responded to a domestic violence call. They helped the survivor get in touch with CAPSA. She was very hesitant to use CAPSA services because of the barriers in a rural community. She was especially worried that everyone in the small town would know she was using CAPSA services. But with support from caseworkers, she worked through her concerns, overcame barriers, and eventually came to shelter. While in shelter, she worked with a caseworker to find housing for herself and her kids away from her abuser. With support from CAPSA, she was able to find a new life where she and her children were free of abuse. 

 

If you or anyone you know is experiencing abuse, call CAPSA at 435-753-2500.