Care Healing Center outlines survivor services and Taneytown plans for Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Stephanie Powers, executive director of the Care Healing Center, briefed the Taneytown City Council on March 9 about the agency’s services and outreach planned for Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April.

Powers told council the organization, formerly Rape Crisis Intervention Services of Carroll County, has served 191 clients since July and provides free individual and group counseling starting at age 5, a 24-hour helpline, hospital accompaniment for forensic exams and court accompaniment for survivors. She said the center is hiring a full-time attorney to provide designated legal representation for survivors who currently must rely on outside legal services.

Powers described outreach plans that include placing teal ribbons along Main Street in Taneytown and Sykesville to raise awareness and prompt community members to refer survivors to local resources. “We are standing with survivors and we’re letting them know that they have a voice and they have resources within our community,” she said.

Mayor Miller and council members said they had no objections to the ribbon displays and accepted information packets Powers offered to the council.

Why it matters: Care Healing Center’s plans expand local access to trauma-informed services and add legal support for survivors, a change council members flagged as filling an existing gap. The council did not take formal action but asked staff to note the outreach for community communications and local event coordination in April.

What’s next: Powers will proceed with outreach and the center will continue hiring efforts; council and staff will coordinate messaging and any necessary permits or public-space permissions for the teal-ribbon displays.