SAN MIGUEL RESOURCE CENTER
PO BOX 3243, TELLURIDE, CO 81435

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE MISSION OF THE SAN MIGUEL RESOURCE CENTER (SMRC) IS TO EMPOWER AND ADVOCATE FOR INDIVIDUALS AFFECTED BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT THROUGH INTERVENTION AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, WHILE PROMOTING SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH PREVENTION EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY AWARENESS.

STATISTICS183 Unduplicated Clients Served with 189 Unique Victimizations123 Domestic Violence Survivors, 13 Child Witnesses of DV, 31 Sexual Assault Survivors, and 22 Survivors of Other Crimes 37 Latinx Victimizations served (36 individuals) 58 West End Victimizations served (55 individuals)14 Adults (3 children) safehoused (57 nights)403 Youth-targeted Presentations (1102 Youth Participants Served) 61 Community Education Presentations & 46 Community Awareness (Outreach) Events22 New Certified Volunteer Advocates & 30 Active Volunteers Staffing the 24-hour Hotline6,651 hours of service donated by volunteersPROGRESS AND RESULTS(a) 2019 represented a year of significant growth in enhancing and strengthening the organizations services offered to survivors of interpersonal violence. SMRC increased its reach in rural San Miguel County and the rural west end of Montrose County (West End) by increasing the hours of the Rural Victim Advocate from 25 hours per week to 40 hours per week. Maintaining a full-time advocate for the community is essential due to the lack of resources available and the intense needs of victims due to extreme poverty, mental health issues, substance abuse issues, lack of housing and lack of employment opportunities. In 2019, SMRC saw a 19% increase in client fund expenditures. Financial barriers are a significant obstacle for a victim to leave an abusive relationship, especially in the West End where very few employment opportunities exist. The organization was able to provide 76 clients with $46,844 in funds for assistance with food, housing, therapy, legal assistance and other basic needs. SMRC staff devoted time to education and training on the core elements of advocacy: safety planning, information sharing, skill building, encouragement, counseling, resource referrals, and social supports. Evidence indicates that the core elements promote intrapersonal changes, such as cognitive and emotional improvement, as well as an increase in safety, social supports and connections to resources. The organization completed a cultural audit in 2019 resulting in an on-going inclusivity plan. The audit identified marginalized populations in the community including members of the LGBTQIA+ community, Latinx community, males, 18-24 year-olds, people with a self-identified disability, and residents of the West End. SMRC facilitated 13 outreach presentations targeting the identified marginalized groups to ensure that more community members are familiar with the organizations services. The audit also indicated that survivors in the West End are even less likely to report crimes due to the isolation of the region, cultural stigma around asking for help, and fears surrounding the consequences of reporting. SMRC increased its outreach, education, and community collaborations to address the barriers and concerns of victims living in the region.In additional to maintaining a prevention education curriculum in nine regional schools, SMRC piloted the Peer Advocate Program in the Telluride High School. The program trained 24 student leaders in areas such as teen dating violence, sexual assault, and setting boundaries in a relationship. 100% of 2019s student trainees agreed or strongly agreed that the training made them feel more comfortable educating and supporting their peers. In 2019, SMRCs Advocate Coordinator (AC) began sharing total monthly volunteer hours with each volunteer individually. Volunteers responded with enthusiasm to see the number of hours they contributed for the month compared to previous months or previous years. The AC also checks in with each volunteer after every call she/he receives on the crisis line regardless of the intensity of the call. If the call was difficult, the AC troubleshoots the situation and supports the volunteer with resources. Even if the call was straightforward and simple, the AC thanks the volunteer and shows appreciation for their devotion and time. 2019s awareness campaigns included Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) and Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). DVAM events included a community appreciation luncheon to honor SMRCs community partners and advocates, an educational and interactive project called Stand-up, Speak Out!, and a BRAvo fundraiser where SMRC collaborated with a local art program to craft and decorate elaborate bras which were then modeled and auctioned off by male members of the local fire and police departments. SAAM kicked off with #WhatNow, a night of performance, stories and connection, as a follow up to 2018s event on #MeToo. Additional SAAM events included a Consensual Bar Crawl and Sex Pub Trivia. Social, print, and broadcast media supported both awareness events.SMRC assesses client services outcomes using anonymous client satisfaction surveys. In 2019, 89% of surveyed clients indicated that they knew more ways to plan for their safety and 96% knew more about community resources. Volunteer advocates self-evaluate their learning upon completion of their training. In 2019, 100% of trainees agreed or mostly agreed that the training will help them educate fellow community members and that the training will help them serve clients better. Peer advocates also self-evaluate their learning upon completion of their training. In 2019, 100% of peer advocates agreed or strongly agreed that the training made them feel more confident about setting boundaries and made them feel more comfortable educating their peers about teen dating violence and/or sexual assault. Additionally, 83% of peer advocates agreed or strongly agreed that the training made them feel more comfortable offering support to their peers. CHANGESSMRC received a new federal grant with funding for the next three years. This project has three main components: direct victim services, increased collaboration, and prevention. This grant involves the development of new programs that will enhance our current focus areas. The grant funds our current Rural Victim Advocate position, increasing it from 25 hours per week to full-time. Increasing staff time in the most rural, isolated part of our service region will improve survivors access to services and will enhance collaboration and the referral process with community partners.This project also funds a full-time position to facilitate Coordinated Community Response (CCR) teams in San Miguel and the West End of Montrose counties. The purpose of a CCR team is to improve survivors experience throughout the criminal justice process and hold offenders accountable through a coordinated response by all agencies involved. The new CCR Coordinator will work with our three local medical centers to train nurses to become certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs). The CCR Coordinator will also assist the Cultural Outreach Coordinator to develop a local certified interpreter program in order to create and maintain a pool of interpreters to support agencies and the victims they serve. Finally, we will raise awareness by educating parents to mirror the programming and messages their children receive in our established prevention education program. This additional programming will reinforce common language around healthy relationships and consent. SMRC will work in conjunction with Bright Futures to develop parenting workshops designed to raise awareness about and prevent dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.This project will mainly benefit victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking by reducing gaps in services and providing higher quality services. Local service providers also benefit through effective collaborations and training opportunities that are often inaccessible due to our geographic isolation. Parents and the community as a whole will benefit with educational opportunities and increased awareness. The project is a large undertaking, and the first year will involve the hiring of new staff, development of necessary policies and protocols to manage the new programs, and research on best practices for implementation.

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Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (public 990 form dataset) from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202042689349301424_public.xml