Consulting

Are you doing everything you can to support and protect your team members from sexual violence? 

The changing cultural landscape around sexual harassment and assault is raising many questions for today’s leaders when it comes to ensuring a safe, supportive workplace.

Domestic and sexual violence affects thousands of individuals each year. Research shows that:

• 1 in 5 women experience a completed or attempted rape in their lifetime.+
• 1 in 14 men are made to penetrate someone (attempted or completed) in their lifetime.+
• 1 in 4 women and 1 in 12 men experience violence from an intimate partner.+
• 1 in 6 women and 1 in 17 men experience stalking, to the point that they fear that they or someone they know will be killed.+ 

These numbers indicate that interpersonal violence is widespread, and we know that it affects individuals of all backgrounds, classes, genders and races. 

Trauma is a common result of interpersonal violence that affects many aspects of a person’s life and ability to function. Recovery often takes a long time and can be delayed forever if trauma is not addressed. Unresolved trauma is correlated with higher incidence of physical illness, mental illness, substance abuse, and relationship problems. All of these issues experienced by individuals can also be felt by the workplace, impacting the health and productivity of workplaces across our community.

What we are learning from recent events is that the old approach to protecting your organization is not sufficient. 

• Check-the-box policies simply don’t work because they fail to protect both employers and employees. 
• Online training–while easily accessible–is not effective in preventing sexual harassment and preparing your teams to respond appropriately to disclosures of sexual violence. 

If you feel uncertain about how to address sexual violence in the workplace and support survivors in these changing times, STAR® is here to help. We offer technical assistance, policy development, and training to guide you through creating a more proactive workplace culture. 

STAR® is not your typical consulting company

For years, STAR® has earned a reputation of providing exceptional and award-winning services to survivors of sexual assault, as well as businesses and organizations. As a nonprofit, we provide confidential, nonjudgmental services to survivors of sexual trauma, and we extend this approach to working with companies by assessing their unique needs and providing custom solutions to challenges. 

As an industry leader, STAR® is equipped with the knowledge, expertise, and motivation to help your business expand its efforts to create safer work environments through our training and operational support services. 

The funding STAR® receives from our consulting services goes directly to supporting our mission and ensuring that our services to survivors in our community are provided at no-cost.

Prevention is protection

With national attention focused on sexual harassment and assault in industries across the US, there is an opportunity within workplaces to more effectively mitigate employer risk and ensure the safety of employees. STAR® has several options available to help your business thrive. 

What we offer

Workplace Culture Assessments

We conduct workplace assessments to identify where your company is excelling and opportunities for change. This can include:

• Company climate survey
• Interviews and focus groups with employees and managers
• Round table discussions with company leaders
• Internal policy and procedure review
• Assessment report

Culture Change Support

We provide initial and ongoing support for implementing recommendations and navigating the challenges of leading change. This can include:

• Assisting with development of implementation plans
• Training for employees and managers
• Check-ins to discuss and troubleshoot implementation

   

Training Programs

We provide training to company employees and leaders on various topics, including:

• Building a positive work culture
• Building a positive conflict culture
• Preventing and responding to sexual harassment in the workplace
• Responding to disclosures of sexual violence
• The continuum and dynamics of sexual violence
• The neurobiology of trauma

For a list of our trainings, please visit our Education and Training page.

STAR has several options available to help your business thrive. Contact us today for a free initial assessment.
Rebecca Marchiafava, MPP
(225) 615-7093ext. 105
rebecca.marchiafava@star.ngo

+Statistics referenced above are from the following source:
Black, M.C., Basile, K.C., Breiding, M.J., Smith, S.G., Walters, M.L., Merrick, M.T., Chen, J., & Stevens, M.R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.