Prevention Programming

Prevention & Professional Education

Education is a key component of our program areas. We believe that education and awareness is a part of breaking the silence surrounding violence and can empower people to act. Our educational goals are to increase knowledge, dispel myths, encourage reporting, challenge social and cultural norms and promote healthy sexuality with our prevention and professional education offerings. Listed below are educational offerings we have available. Presentations vary in length depending on the needs of the group.

PROFESSIONAL IN-SERVICES 

Groups: Medical Clinics and Hospitals; Law Enforcement; Churches; Human Services; Public Health; County Attorneys; College Personnel; Educators; Nursing Home and Assisted Living Staff; Staff Working with People with Developmental Disabilities; Daycare Providers; Foster Parents; City Recreation Staff; Coaches; and Private Businesses.

Topics: 

• New Horizons Crisis Center Agency Overview and Services
• Crime Victimization and its Effects
• Responding to Victim of Crime
• Sexual Assault Medical Evidentiary Exams
• Sexual Harassment
• Child Abuse and Mandated Reporting
• Safety and Screening Programs for Churches
• Workplace Boundaries

If you are interested in learning more about the educational programs we offer or are interested in setting up a presentation for your class or group, contact New Horizons Crisis Center.

Violence Prevention Programming

New Horizons provides is violence prevention programming to area middle and high school students in Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, and Redwood counties. The purpose of this programming is to help students learn to recognize the differences between healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviors and to build skills to address the issues they may face in future relationships.  The theory behind the programming is that if students are given knowledge and tools and have an outlet to address the issues they face, they will make more positive, informed choices in their present and future relationships. The program focuses on self-respect and respect for others.

The primary goals of the program are:

• To give the students the necessary tools and information to resist sexual pressure, to build healthy, age-appropriate relationships and to avoid unhealthy or abusive relationships.
• To reduce the incidence of sexual assault and abuse and to support victims in recovering from and/or reporting crimes; to present facts and dispel myths regarding these crimes.
• To make students aware of New Horizons Crisis Center as a resource for personal or family difficulties.

The topics featured in the program include:

• Students’ sources of information regarding gender roles, relationships and sexuality; types of messages and their effects; specific issues like pornography and sexting.
• Positive and negative reasons why people date. The differences and similarities between love, lust, infatuation and crushes and how these feelings impact choices.
• Dating and relationship violence, including physical, verbal, emotional and sexual violence; factors that contribute to abuse, risk factors, prevention skills/knowledge and where to go for help.
• Traits of a healthy relationship, types of boundaries, how to set and maintain boundaries in a relationship.
• A comprehensive conversation on the risks of early sexual relationships, including physical and emotional effects; discussions of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections and their impacts.