Programs
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Maine Network of Children's Advocacy Centers
The Network is a membership organization committed to promoting Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) and supporting existing and emerging centers. The Network promotes the development, growth, and utilization of CACs and multi-disciplinary teams to more effectively respond to Maine’s sexually abused children and their families. The Network provides statewide representation and support for Maine’s local Children’s Advocacy Centers including resource sharing and mentoring, technical assistance, public policy advocacy, and statewide communication. The Network also sends out a monthly resource round up of news and new resources and research. More information can be found at cacmaine.org. |
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Maine Sex Trafficking & Exploitation Network
The Maine Sex Trafficking and Exploitation Network provides training, technical assistance, and resources to direct service providers engaged in anti-trafficking efforts in Maine, as well as community awareness and public policy support. The effort is supported by a statewide Sex Trafficking Provider Council. Maine STEN also engages in other human trafficking programmatic efforts, such as managing a victim’s support fund, developing a volunteer bank, a bi-weekly news and resource roundup, and a human trafficking-specific media packet for Maine journalists. For more information, visit mainesten.org. |
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The Children’s Safety Partnership
The Children's Safety Partnership (CSP) was created to support schools and communities in these efforts. CSP is an online toolkit with information for parents, teachers, administrators, schools, and communities for implementing Maine’s law, and responding to and preventing child sexual abuse. The Children’s Safety Partnership is a program of the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault in partnership with the Maine Department of Education, Maine’s sexual assault service providers, and local schools across the state. |
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Products
Statewide Helpline
MECASA coordinates the statewide crisis and support line. MECASA works to ensure that the system works correctly, and supports providers when any changes need to be made or problems arise.
Help in Healing: The Advocate Manual
The statewide advocate manual is the resource used to train every staff and volunteer advocate in the state, and outlines all of the most important issues and skills related to sexual violence advocacy. Over a five-year period, a team of direct service providers wrote and edited the manual with facilitation from MECASA; it is updated and distributed by MECASA.
Website
MECASA’s website houses MECASA publications, the most up-to-date sexual violence statistics, local and national resources, and information about Maine’s sexual assault service providers. It is a resource for MECASA’s board, center directors, and service providers, for statewide and local partners, and for the general public.
Prevention Education Toolkit
The Prevention Education Toolkit was created by MECASA in partnership with prevention educators from across the state. It includes the common learning objectives for each of the most frequently-taught prevention topics, and aligns with the Maine Department of Education’s Maine Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Education (which outlines the skills and behaviors that every Maine school must teach toward). The toolkit also contains a variety of activities and lesson plans, tips and tools, and many state and national resources in their entirety. Specific curricula related to child sexual abuse prevention is included.
Intervention Toolkit
The Intervention Toolkit is an ever-changing website fill of resources for advocates doing direct services. It includes sections on Rural Advocacy, PREA, Support Groups, Supervision, and Advocate Training. The tools (webinars, curriculum, manuals, facilitator guides, outreach materials, program overviews, contact info, and more!) are both MECASA created and the best of the national resources.
Factsheets and Handouts
MECASA staff develop factsheets and handouts related to a variety of sexual violence prevention and intervention topics. These include, but are not limited to: a general factsheet about sexual violence, a “how to report” map for mandated reporters, a child sexual abuse prevention and resources sheet, a healthy sexuality factsheet, and many others. Visit our website for a full list.
Law Enforcement First Responder Guidelines
In partnership with the Maine Chiefs of Police Association, Maine Prosecutors’ Association, Maine Sheriffs’ Association, and the Maine State Police, MECASA created this standard guidance for law enforcement first responders to sexual violence. Every law enforcement officer in the state received a copy when the tool was first created, and every new Maine Criminal Justice Academy cadet receives a copy as well. It is available electronically or in hard copy through MECASA to hand out at local first responder trainings.
MECASA Messenger
MECASA staff compiles new and useful resources and information to send to providers on a monthly basis. This includes MECASA and center news, legislative updates, valuable tools from the field, the most up-to-date sexual violence research, relevant articles and reports, and important dates for upcoming meetings, trainings, webinars, and conferences of interest. We also send out monthly Resource Round-Ups through the Maine Sex Trafficking and Exploitation Network and the Maine Network of Children's Advocacy centers.
MECASA coordinates the statewide crisis and support line. MECASA works to ensure that the system works correctly, and supports providers when any changes need to be made or problems arise.
Help in Healing: The Advocate Manual
The statewide advocate manual is the resource used to train every staff and volunteer advocate in the state, and outlines all of the most important issues and skills related to sexual violence advocacy. Over a five-year period, a team of direct service providers wrote and edited the manual with facilitation from MECASA; it is updated and distributed by MECASA.
Website
MECASA’s website houses MECASA publications, the most up-to-date sexual violence statistics, local and national resources, and information about Maine’s sexual assault service providers. It is a resource for MECASA’s board, center directors, and service providers, for statewide and local partners, and for the general public.
Prevention Education Toolkit
The Prevention Education Toolkit was created by MECASA in partnership with prevention educators from across the state. It includes the common learning objectives for each of the most frequently-taught prevention topics, and aligns with the Maine Department of Education’s Maine Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Education (which outlines the skills and behaviors that every Maine school must teach toward). The toolkit also contains a variety of activities and lesson plans, tips and tools, and many state and national resources in their entirety. Specific curricula related to child sexual abuse prevention is included.
Intervention Toolkit
The Intervention Toolkit is an ever-changing website fill of resources for advocates doing direct services. It includes sections on Rural Advocacy, PREA, Support Groups, Supervision, and Advocate Training. The tools (webinars, curriculum, manuals, facilitator guides, outreach materials, program overviews, contact info, and more!) are both MECASA created and the best of the national resources.
Factsheets and Handouts
MECASA staff develop factsheets and handouts related to a variety of sexual violence prevention and intervention topics. These include, but are not limited to: a general factsheet about sexual violence, a “how to report” map for mandated reporters, a child sexual abuse prevention and resources sheet, a healthy sexuality factsheet, and many others. Visit our website for a full list.
Law Enforcement First Responder Guidelines
In partnership with the Maine Chiefs of Police Association, Maine Prosecutors’ Association, Maine Sheriffs’ Association, and the Maine State Police, MECASA created this standard guidance for law enforcement first responders to sexual violence. Every law enforcement officer in the state received a copy when the tool was first created, and every new Maine Criminal Justice Academy cadet receives a copy as well. It is available electronically or in hard copy through MECASA to hand out at local first responder trainings.
MECASA Messenger
MECASA staff compiles new and useful resources and information to send to providers on a monthly basis. This includes MECASA and center news, legislative updates, valuable tools from the field, the most up-to-date sexual violence research, relevant articles and reports, and important dates for upcoming meetings, trainings, webinars, and conferences of interest. We also send out monthly Resource Round-Ups through the Maine Sex Trafficking and Exploitation Network and the Maine Network of Children's Advocacy centers.
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Looking for the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault? Head to mecasa.org. |