Kankakee

To improve the quality of services for survivors of sexual assault and human trafficking , to assist in their recovery and to work towards the elimination of sexual violence. In an effort to fulfill this mission, the Kankakee County Center Against Sexual Assault provides public education and professional training in the area of sexual assault and h... uman trafficking, counseling and psychological support to adult and child survivors and their significant others, assistance throughout the medical and criminal justice process, 24-hour telephone and in-person response, and partnership with community agencies to improve response to crimes of sexual violence. Kankakee County Center Against Sexual Assault (KCCASA) originated in September 1987, after a Police Social Worker identified a need in the community. It was recognized that there was an increasing number of sexual assault victims coming forward and that they had to travel 30 miles to the nearest rape crisis center for services. Representatives from several social service groups held an organizational meeting to form an agency that would provide services to victims of sexual assault throughout Kankakee County. The police social worker worked with an established rape crisis center in Olympia Fields to develop the initial program in Kankakee, known as YW-CASA (Young Womens Center Against Sexual Assault). The initial program provided office space and a hotline. In November 1987, the Center became an independent, non-profit organization and incorporated under the name Kankakee County Center Against Sexual Assault (KCCASA), changing the name to better reflect the population served. Services were then expanded to include counseling, advocacy, community education and professional training. In 1988, KCCASA became a member of the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA) and became one of 33 rape crisis centers in the State of Illinois to provide comprehensive services to sexual assault victims. In 1991, KCCASA initiated a Childrens Services Program to address the ...Read More