Grant to Help Sexual Assault Victims with Developmental Disabilities

Joanna Bridger, Clinical Services Director for Riverside Trauma Center, assisted the MA Disabled Person’s Protection Commission in developing a proposal: “Improving the Well-Being of Persons with Disabilities through a Multidisciplinary Partnership,” which was recently funded by Federal Administration for Community Living. This two year grant is aimed at improving the overall experiences, health, well-being, and outcomes of sexual assault victims with developmental disabilities.  In addition to Riverside and Disabled Persons Protection Commission, the principle partners on the grant include the Department of Public Health, Massachusetts Advocates Standing Strong and the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center. Riverside’s primary role will be to help develop a program that provides training for the state’s rape crisis centers and adult protective services investigators to provide trauma-informed services to people with developmental and intellectual disabilities who have been victims of sexual assault/abuse. This is a much needed and neglected area of intervention. We are pleased to be part of this program, which includes Tom Hall, Riverside’s Assistant Vice President for Clinical Services within Riverside’s Developmental & Cognitive Services Division, as a consultant.

~Scott M. Bock, Founder and President/CEO