Cleveland Rape Crisis Center is disappointed by the decision to add Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns team.
This story is triggering for far too many of our friends and neighbors. To survivors, we say we see you and we believe you. Your story matters. Cleveland Rape Crisis Center is available 24/7/365 online or by calling/texting (216) 619-6192.
To the community, we say we hear your outrage. We feel it too. Every click. Every post. Every tweet. Every donation sends a clear message – the Cleveland community supports survivors of rape and sexual abuse.
We are encouraged by the outpouring of support we have experienced. Thank you.
Please continue to funnel your energy into ongoing support of Cleveland Rape Crisis Center. Join our movement now:
Breaking down the silence around sexual violence is a big job, but together, we can create a community that supports survivors, promotes prevention and advocates for change.
The 24/7 Crisis & Support Hotline is available for survivors and their loved ones. Call or Text (216) 619-6192 or (440) 423-2020 or chat online today.
About Cleveland Rape Crisis Center
The mission of Cleveland Rape Crisis Center is to support survivors of rape and sexual abuse, promote healing and prevention, and advocate for social change. In 2020, the Center provided counseling, advocacy and crisis intervention services to more than 10,000 rape and sexual abuse survivors and reached thousands more through its prevention, education and training programs in Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake counties.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month
The following is a list of events taking place in Northeast Ohio during Sexual Assault Awareness Month to raise awareness about rape and sexual abuse in our community.
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center (CRCC) marks this year’s Human Trafficking Awareness Month with the launch of a new app that will engage teens, parents and educators, in preventing sexual violence while connecting survivors to services. The app highlights topics such as healthy relationships and boundaries, bystander intervention, and healthy social media use.
“Cleveland Rape Crisis Center has a 47-year history of supporting survivors of sexual violence and working to prevent it from happening in the first place,” said Sondra Miller, president & CEO. “Today, we’re leveraging technology to advance our mission in yet another innovative way.”
According to the Center for Prevention of Abuse 1 in 4 victims of human trafficking are children and research from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center indicates that 1 in 4 girls will experience unwanted sexual contact before the age of 18. More than one-third of those who seek services at Cleveland Rape Crisis Center are children and teens.
“Although sexual violence is prevalent and disproportionately impacts our youth, we have hope that – with the right tools – we can reduce and someday eliminate it. We must give youth and young adults the tools they need to navigate difficult conversations and situations and inspire societal change. That is what we aim to do with this app,” added Miller.
The app is free and allows users to connect to CRCC’s crisis & support hotline, as well as find articles, videos and information that promote healthy relationships and affirmative consent. It is a complement to CRCC’s youth development and prevention programs available to schools and youth-serving organizations. The Higley Fund of the Cleveland Foundation provided funding for the app’s development.
Visit here to view app information and here to install the app on a mobile device.
About Cleveland Rape Crisis Center
The mission of Cleveland Rape Crisis Center is to support survivors of rape and sexual abuse, promote healing and prevention, and advocate for social change. In 2020, the Center provided counseling, advocacy and crisis intervention services to more than 10,000 rape and sexual abuse survivors and reached thousands more through its prevention, education and training programs in Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake counties
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is responsible for the overall financial management of the organization and implementing strategies that continue to improve the financial health of Cleveland Rape Crisis Center. The CFO reports to and works with the Chief Executive Officer, is a member of the Executive Team, and communicates regularly with the Board Treasurer and Finance Committee of the Board of Directors. The CFO will be serving as a key figure in grant management for the organization. This individual will need to be flexible, efficient, and excel at communication.
Read the full Chief Financial Officer job description here.
If you are an exceptional leader with the qualifications, attributes, drive and determination required to be extraordinary, we are very interested in speaking with you.
Please submit your interest in confidence to:
Karen Nichols
Sr. Consultant, Executive Search
Ratliff & Taylor, Inc.
knichols@rtcpi.com
412-638-0880 cell
Stacy Urbanic
Sr. Consultant, Executive Search
Ratliff & Taylor, Inc.
surbanic@rtcpi.com
440-829-6185 cell
See All Open Positions at Cleveland Rape Crisis Center
Innovative, passionate and fun professionals are encouraged to apply now to be a part of our growing team.
The start of the New Year is a time for looking towards the future with a sense of promise for what’s to come, but it also offers the opportunity to reflect on our past.
As we approach Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Dr. King’s life and work serve as a continuing reminder of the power we all have to help affect change in our communities, not just on this day of remembrance, but every day of the year.
Martin Luther King’s enduring legacy of fighting for the dignity and rights of every human being is at the heart of our mission at CRCC.
Specifically, I see our organization’s pursuit of social change reflected in the words of Dr. King’s 1963 “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” in which he wrote:
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
This belief that when one person is denied justice, we all are denied justice is what CRCC’s advocacy work is predicated on.
Sadly, many survivors of sexual assault still don’t get the support they need today. This is especially true in our Black communities.
According to a 2018 report published by The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community:
The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so many others have only served to sow more distrust causing survivors even more trepidation and hesitation to come forward to report instances of abuse.
Just as Dr. King changed the world by speaking up for the suppressed and subjugated among us, CRCC is working tirelessly to end the silence surrounding sexual violence so that we may help erase its stigma.
By coming together to take a stand against injustice, we can all help ensure tomorrow is a brighter day for survivors of sexual assault in our communities.
Be Well,
Sondra Miller
President & CEO
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center (CRCC) has been awarded over $3.4M in grant funding to expand services and programming to those experiencing human trafficking.
“Young people, people of color and those who identify as LGTBQ are especially vulnerable to being trafficked in our community.” said Cleveland Rape Crisis Center President & CEO Sondra Miller. “This funding will allow Cleveland Rape Crisis Center to broaden its service menu and delivery footprint, making it easier for survivors to access comprehensive services.”
Ohio currently ranks sixth in the nation for human trafficking, with minors accounting for 27% of reported cases, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.*
“Cleveland Rape Crisis Center has provided support to survivors of sex trafficking for nearly half a century. We are humbled by our funders’ continued trust in our work and excited to expand and innovate our services even more” added Miller.
Specific projects include:
Funding was supplied from the following sources: U.S. Department of Justice – Office of Victims of Crime & Office of Violence Against Women; State of Ohio; Ohio Children’s Trust Fund and Ohio Mental Health & Addiction Services.
About Cleveland Rape Crisis Center
The mission of Cleveland Rape Crisis Center is to support survivors of rape and sexual abuse, promote healing and prevention, and advocate for social change. In 2020, the Center provided counseling, advocacy and crisis intervention services to more than 10,000 rape and sexual abuse survivors and reached thousands more through its prevention, education and training programs in Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake counties.
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center operates a Human Trafficking Drop-In Center providing expert, trauma-informed crisis intervention, advocacy and counseling services for survivors of human trafficking.
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center Issues Response to Cleveland Police Detective Dereliction of Duty
Ignored DNA match in rape case
Today, Cleveland Rape Crisis Center (CRCC) issued the following statement in response to a Cleveland police detective facing two misdemeanor charges that accuse him of lying to prosecutors during a 2019 rape investigation and failing to re-open the case after receiving information that DNA matched a suspect.
“Yesterday, charges were filed against a Cleveland police detective for misconduct in a 2019 rape case.
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center is enraged to learn about this case. We are concerned for the survivor at the center of this case and recognize that this news impacts many other survivors of sexual assault. We are here for you and prepared to support you.
Unfortunately, this mishandled case is not an isolated incident. Historical misconduct in the Special Victims Unit of the Cleveland Division of Police has been well documented. For far too long, too many rape and sexual abuse survivors in Cleveland have been left to investigate their own cases or accept that justice is not accessible to them. This is inexcusable.
For more than a decade, Cleveland Rape Crisis Center has been advocating for change within the unit and broader system. The time for incremental improvement is over. Survivors expect more from our police department and criminal justice system.
We would like to thank the investigators and prosecutors who worked to bring charges in this matter and the officers, prosecutors, advocates and medical professionals who work hard every day to support rape survivors. We know you are disgusted by this behavior and tired of this pattern too.
We look forward to working with new City leadership to enact the sweeping reforms that our community and rape survivors deserve. With a spirit of urgency and a fierce commitment to advocate for survivors, we are ready to partner and seek solutions with you. We can and must do better.
If you or someone you love or know is impacted by this news or has questions about a case, please call or text our rape crisis and support hotline at (216) 619-6192 – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Cleveland Rape Crisis Center is standing by to believe and support you.”
We’re here for you, 24/7. Text or call (216) 619-6192 or chat online today.
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center (CRCC) has named Melissa Winfield as Chief People & Culture Officer. Ms. Winfield will lead diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and develop the strategy and execution of attracting, retaining, engaging, motivating and developing talent.
Melissa comes to CRCC with a wealth of nonprofit leadership experience having served for the last decade as Chief Executive Officer at Lake Metropolitan Housing Authority. Prior to that, she served in a Human Resources role for the housing authority and as Assistant Vice President at Beech Brook, a children’s behavioral health agency with nearly 500 employees. One of her proudest accomplishments was leading an “Employer of Choice” initiative.
“As we build momentum for CRCC to have an even greater impact on survivors and our community, a key ingredient is developing our team of dedicated, expert employees to perform at their best. Another ingredient is nurturing our trauma-informed organizational culture so that employees of diverse backgrounds feel safe, welcome and included”, said Sondra Miller, President & CEO, Cleveland Rape Crisis Center. “We are proud that Melissa will bring her extensive executive and human resource experience to her new role at the Center building even more momentum toward strategic growth and operational excellence.”
During her decade with the housing authority, Melissa was credited with transforming the way the agency interacts with tenants, employees and community stakeholders and regaining the agency’s reputation as a trusted community partner.
Among the many recognitions Ms. Winfield has received for her work, she was the recipient of the 2015 Woman of Achievement award. Honored as a “Woman Rising” – this award recognizes women who have helped others accomplish their goals against great odds or have done so themselves.
Ms. Winfield holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) Business Administration and Management from Cleveland State University.
# # #
About Cleveland Rape Crisis Center
The mission of Cleveland Rape Crisis Center is to support survivors of rape and sexual abuse, promote healing and prevention, and advocate for social change. In 2020, the Center provided counseling, advocacy and crisis intervention services to 10,000 rape and sexual abuse survivors and reached thousands more through its prevention, education and training programs in Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake counties. For more information, visit clevelandrapecrisis.org or call 216-619-6194. The Center’s 24-hour Crisis & Support Hotline is 216-619-6192 (call/text) or clevelandrapecrisis.org/chat.
