Sexual Assault Awareness Month – Start By Believing

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month! Branch House has teamed up with many of our wonderful partners including Johnson City / Washington County Family Justice Center, Frontier Health-Safe House, YW CARES, Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking – CCAHT, ETSU College of Nursing, Children’s Advocacy Center of Sullivan County, and Ballad Health to launch a Start by Believing initiative in the tri-cities.

Start by Believing is a public awareness campaign aimed at ending the cycle of silence and transforming the way friends, family, formal support systems, and victim service providers respond to sexual assault. By first believing victims who disclose sexual assault, we can offer help and support, improve emotional well-being, increase reporting rates, and prevent re-traumatization.

In ten years, Start by Believing has made a profound difference in survivors’ lives, and since its inception, 576 communities across the United States and around the world have participated in Start by Believing campaigns, and thousands of people have taken the Start by Believing pledge.

Follow along on our Facebook & Instagram @branchhousetn this month to learn more about sexual assault, raise awareness, and participate in some (virtual) events!

Learn more about the campaign and take the pledge to Start By Believing at: www.startbybelieving.org