Connecticut advocates detail survivor supports and say Paid Leave eases access to care

Nancy Barrow interviewed Beth Hamilton, Executive Director of the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence, and Sharon Walker Epps, Chief Executive Officer of the Rowan Center, about survivor services and prevention programs in Connecticut.

Hamilton described the Alliance’s statewide role: "We have nine community-based sexual assault crisis programs," she said, and the coalition passes through state and federal grants to member centers, operates a team of attorneys who represent survivors in civil and criminal court, and staffs postconviction advocates in supervision units. Hamilton said the Alliance also focuses on culture change and long-term support for survivors.

Walker Epps outlined the Rowan Center’s three pillars: crisis response, healing services and prevention education. "We have a 24/7 hotline," she said, and volunteers receive a 40-hour training several times a year. She described the center’s Trauma Recovery Practice, where therapists use evidence-based approaches including EMDR. Walker Epps said the practice previously accepted Husky (Medicaid) clients and, as of the most recent Friday mentioned on the program, was authorized to bill all insurers for adult services.

Both leaders emphasized prevention work in schools and communities. Walker Epps described Kids Safe HQ, a new web-based resource for parents funded by Impact Fairfield County that includes vetted national information and an AI question tool for parents who want guidance on topics such as sextortion. "We want parents to have a place to ask, 'What is sextortion? How do I talk to my kids about sextortion?'" she said.

The guests said Connecticut Paid Leave has practical value for survivors and for the staff who support them. Hamilton noted that paid safe leave enables people to take time for medical and mental health care and court proceedings without losing income or their job. "When somebody discloses and is in the hospital for a forensic exam, we'll have people say, 'But I have to go to work tomorrow.' It's like, 'No, you don't,'" Walker Epps said, stressing that the benefit gives survivors permission and practical support to seek care.

Both guests also stressed the need for ongoing family- and community-level support after an initial disclosure. Hamilton said survivors often receive a burst of help immediately after disclosure and far less follow-up over months and years; she urged sustained check-ins and trauma-informed responses from schools, employers and service providers.

For immediate help, the podcast provided statewide hotline numbers: English 1-888-999-5545 and Spanish 1-888-568-8332, and directed listeners to ctpaidleave.org for benefit applications and program details.