W I N G S FOUNDATION INC
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Mission Statement
According to the American Psychological Association's most recent estimates, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys experience some type of sexual abuse before the age of 18, yet only 10% report their abuse. Based on this estimate, 90% of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) victims become adults who still need and deserve comprehensive, trauma-informed care and services designed to help them heal. Without these services, it is very difficult for adult survivors of CSA to overcome the serious and life-long ramifications this trauma creates in their lives, including: experiences of shame, severe anxiety, depression, a myriad of physical illnesses, alcohol/other drug use, eating disorders, feelings of humiliation and unworthiness, and suicidal ideation. The unique needs of adults who have been sexually abused as children have long been under-acknowledged and under-addressed. WINGS aims to change this reality. The WINGS Foundation, Inc. (WINGS) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) agency founded in Denver by and for female survivors of CSA and incest. These founding members faced multiple and profound barriers to accessing healing services and wanted to create an agency that could help others who had endured similar experiences. Since 1982, WINGS has evolved in innovative and inclusive ways across the Front Range of Colorado to assist thousands of sexual abuse survivors – men, women, LGBTQI individuals – in recognizing they are not alone and that healing from CSA is possible.
About This Cause
In every Colorado community, 1 in 5 adults has been sexually abused as a child and may still suffer consequences of this trauma, including mental and physical health challenges, relationship difficulties, and loss of productivity. Due to stigma, most survivors have never disclosed their abuse, and due to cultural and professional silencing and denial of the issue, survivors have not been given access to vital information and resources they need to heal and thrive. WINGS is committed to breaking the cycle and healing the wounds of child sexual abuse by providing education, advocacy, and support to adult survivors, their loved ones, providers and the community. WINGS' vision is that all survivors and their supporters will have access to resources they need to speak, heal, and thrive, which will allow them to realize their fullest, healthiest lives. To achieve this, WINGS offers the following core programs: 1. The CSA Survivor-Focused Outreach & Education Program brings awareness to community constituents and service providers about the long-term consequences of childhood sexual abuse, the ways this trauma impacts adults, and opportunities for healing. WINGS’ approach to outreach is two-fold. One involves in-person presentations and events aimed at providing education and awareness to survivors, loved ones, allies, providers, and the community at large. However, due to stigma, many survivors report searching for confidential services to heal CSA trauma via the Web. As such, WINGS is currently enhancing our website and online outreach strategies to include a “TeleHealing” approach. This will include survivor-centered videos, as well as online/mobile options providing key information, grounding techniques, and other trauma-informed resources designed for survivors. We are particularly interested in offering resources for survivors who are in the early-realization stage and just beginning to come to terms with their history of CSA, since online resources for this population are difficult to find currently. We hope that the combination of in-person outreach and the tele-healing approach will expand our reach across many audiences in the effort to bring voice and awareness to this invisible and unspeakable issue. 2. The Services for Survivors Program has four components to address survivor needs: - phone consultations to assess what next steps or information a survivor, loved one, or community stakeholder needs, - referrals to qualified therapists/agencies, - therapist-facilitated support groups for adult survivors and their loved ones, and - the opportunity to participate in “Thrive” options for advanced healing and peer-to-peer volunteer opportunities where survivors who are further along in their healing journey can offer support to those who are just beginning their healing work. The hallmark of WINGS' work is our direct services with adult survivors. Many individuals reach out to WINGS searching for information and resources. Staff conduct an initial assessment with survivors, loved ones, or allies so that we are able to provide referrals that are tailored to each person’s needs. Our network of referral sources includes not only qualified therapists, but also other agencies/providers who offer a wide spectrum of services that are specifically aimed at encouraging healing among adult survivors. For adult survivors who are working with a therapist, many find great encouragement and healing through WINGS facilitated support groups, which are guided by the WINGS' comprehensive handbook, the “Survivors' and Loved Ones' Guide to Healing.” Groups are facilitated by licensed clinicians or supervised master’s level interns who provide weekly two-hour support group sessions. For survivors, it is the combination of psycho-education offered through the WINGS’ handbook, coupled with the dialogue and discussion among peer group members, that is so transformational. These groups are designed to provide essential knowledge to support trauma healing and build resilience, reduce isolation, promote empowerment, and foster healthier boundaries and relationships. WINGS offers groups both virtually and in-person (when physical distancing protocols are not in place) across the Front Range at a variety of days/times in order to maximize accessibility. 3. The Clinical Training Program offers opportunities for master's-level students studying counseling or psychology, as well as licensed clinicians, to receive training to serve as therapist facilitators of WINGS support groups. In this way, WINGS is helping to expand the pool of providers who understand the unique needs of adult survivors, as well as ensuring support group members experience safety and therapeutic support during their group experience. All of WINGS’ programs are designed to break the stigma around childhood sexual trauma and connect adult survivors to the services they need to heal and thrive. From outreach and community partnerships/events aimed at engaging the public in being a solution to this problem to encouraging soon-to-be clinicians and practicing providers to recognize the special needs of this population, much of WINGS' efforts raise awareness about the existence of this problem and connect individuals to needed resources.