{The YWRC was recently awarded a grant through the Crime Victim Assistance Division’s (CVAD) New Initiatives program.  Funds for CVAD were made possible thanks to the Federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant.  This new funding allows us to expand our therapy team and work collaboratively with other organizations and coalitions. For more details, please see below. }

VOCA Grant

Females between the ages of 16 and 24 are three times more likely than the rest of the population to be abused by an intimate partner. Teens who suffer interpersonal violence are subject to long term consequence like alcoholism, drug abuse, eating disorders, promiscuity and/ or violent behavior if they are unable to learn healthy ways to cope with their trauma.

That is why the Young Women’s Resource Center is so excited to receive funding from the Crime Victim Assistance Division to hire a new full time therapist to offer individual and group therapy to young women who have been primary or secondary victims of interpersonal violence.

Both individual therapy and small therapy groups will incorporate creative interventions involving art, play, music, movement and other activities. These creative therapy techniques add a unique dimension to treatment that will allow girls and young women to process trauma, learn healthy coping mechanisms and build supportive, trusting relationships.

Small groups will also incorporate activities and lessons that build self-esteem, teach steps to develop healthy relationship, and support positive decision making skills in order to navigate challenges throughout life.

In order to identify clients and better understand community needs related to girls and young women,  the YWRC will work in tandem with community organizations such as LUNA, CFI, YSS, DHS, Monsoon, Dorothy’s House, Eyerly Ball, EMBARC, PCCAC and Des Moines Public Schools.

The YWRC will also actively participate within local coalition groups, including Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault (Iowa CASA), Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Iowa CADV), the Trauma Informed Care Project (TIC Project) and the Network Against Human Trafficking (NAHT). Coalition participation will allow the YWRC to learn from other experienced partner groups, while also sharing expertise related to the local adolescent female population.