Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Faulkner.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m the Executive Director of the Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault (PAVSA). PAVSA is a sexual assault crisis center in downtown Duluth and serving southern Saint Louis County. We provide services to survivors of sexual assault (ages 13 and older). All of our services are free and confidential. We provide a 24/7 helpline and hospital response along with supportive advocacy, legal advocacy and representation, therapy, support groups, and community education. I’ve worked for PAVSA for over ten years, and I have over twenty years of experiencing supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As advocates, we provide support, options, and referrals to survivors of sexual assault. We do not give advice, and we recognize that every survivors has their own unique needs on their healing journey. It can be difficult work because we are meeting folks on some of their worst days, but it is awarding and an honor to be trusted to accompany a survivor and be with them. For anyone who works in a field that involves trauma, we know so much more today than we did when I began ten years ago. We know more about vicarious trauma and burn-out, and we know more about how those in helping professions need to take care of themselves in order to show up each day.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
PAVSA is a non-profit, and we specialize in victim services. PAVSA has served the community for over fifty years. We are known for providing holistic response and healing services in our region. We strive to provide trauma-informed and victim-centered services. PAVSA is known for engaging the community on a topic that can be very difficult to talk about but it is so important to talk about. PAVSA is proud of continuing to grow and evolve to meet the needs of survivors. We are also proud of the partnerships that we create with our fellow non-profits, law enforcement, prosecution, and the local hospitals. Survivors have a range of needs and face many challenges, so we need strong partnerships to serve them.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
PAVSA has strong collaborations with many partners. When we work in partnership, it is important that our partners share our trauma-informed and survivor-centered approach. We ask that our partners — start by believing. It is important that survivors feel believed when they first disclose sexual assault. PAVSA is part of a number of multidisciplinary teams and task forces that work together to create protocols and maintain a consistent response. We also seek support from the community. Everyone can support PAVSA and survivors. Many community members join us as volunteers. We require all volunteers to complete a 40-hour training to prepare them to answer our helpline and assist patients at the local hospitals. Community members can donate materials to help our support groups like Art Group, Writing Circle, and Take Back the Hike. We are always accepting healthy, shelf-stable snacks. Snack help survivors feel welcome in our spaces and participate in appointments that may happen early in the morning or over their lunch hour. We have an Amazon Wish List of our needs. We also accept monetary donations to support programs in the greatest need. We host awareness events and fundraising events throughout the year. We love the community to join us at these events. Folks can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Pricing:
- All of our services are free.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pavsa.org
- Instagram: @pavsaduluth
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/pavsaduluth/
