funding briefing - Florida Council Against Sexual Violence

During SFY 08/09, FCASV distributed $1,586,339 from the RCPTF by formula
to 30 certified rape crisis centers in Florida. That figure dropped to $1,568,957 for
SFY 09/10.
FCASV put forward a legislative proposal during the 2010 session to enhance the Rape
Crisis Program Trust Fund (RCPTF) by adding several additional crimes related to sexual
violence to the mandatory fine. While the Senate bill passed, the House companion
failed. FCASV plans to prioritize this legislation again during the 2011 session.
2. Non-Recurring General Revenue for Rape Crisis Centers
Rape crisis programs received $250,000 in the Legal Affairs budget in 2009 and 2010,
$400,000 in victim compensation trust fund dollars in 2008, and $400,000 in nonrecurring
general revenue in 2007—a $700,000 cut from 2006.
Rape Crisis Center Response to Sexual Assault:
In 30 certified rape crisis centers, staff and volunteers provide Florida’s frontline
response to the crimes of sexual assault and sexual abuse serving 8,201 new (not
previously served) victims of sexual violence during SFY 2009/2010 and continuing
to provide services to victims first seen in previous years. Core services include:
Operating 24-hour hotlines (response to 10,333 calls in SFY 09/10);
Providing advocacy and accompaniment through medical and legal processes
(31,433 units provided in SFY 09/10);
Providing medical/forensic examinations (2,500 provided in SFY09/10);
Following-up with ongoing care through individual and group counseling (21,168
crisis intervention sessions; 1,812 support groups; and 10,671 therapy sessions
provided in SFY 09/10).
Coordinating response efforts; and
Educating their communities on sexual assault and sexual abuse.
Unmet Need:
Rape Crisis Programs are experiencing waiting lists, severe staffing shortages and
layoffs, and cannot meet the state’s need with current resources.
Approximately 100 rape crisis advocates in the state of Florida provide services
24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In order to serve every victim of rape in Florida,
each advocate would need to reach 7,130 female survivors to provide hotline
services, crisis intervention, advocacy, medical intervention and therapy.
Fewer than 10% of sexual violence programs are able with current resources to
provide the standard services identified as those most needed by rape victims. As
a result, many programs have waiting lists.
Many programs cannot afford to have a licensed therapist on staff and lack staff to
run support groups, especially groups for survivors of childhood sexual abuse and
male survivors. Research indicates that trauma-related intervention services
(trauma-focused counseling and therapy) are the services survivors want
more of from rape crisis/sexual assault treatment programs. Rape Crisis
Programs have the necessary expertise, but not the necessary funding, to
provide what survivors consistently need and ask for.