Reach Counseling: Receives letter of funding intent from WI Department of Justice to expand services to Outagamie and Calumet Counties

NEENAH, Wis. (October XX, 2022) – Reach Counseling, a leading mental health and sexual assault service provider of culturally responsive outreach, prevention education, victim advocacy, trauma counseling, and sex offender treatment, announced today that it has accepted a letter of funding intent from the Wisconsin Department of Justice Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). The funding will allow Reach Counseling to expand its therapy, advocacy, and prevention education programming beyond Winnebago County to now include Outagamie and Calumet Counties. Reach Counseling will build collaborative relationships with community partners to best serve survivors including hospitals, law enforcement, schools, and other non-profits. The expansion will specifically include an increased partnership with Diverse & Resilient, to improve access to quality sexual assault services for members of the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other people of color)  and LGBTQ+ communities. Reach Counseling is planning a future opening of a second office/shared location with Diverse & Resilient in Appleton to ensure that programs are more accessible for survivors who currently utilize services and for those who will have a critical need for their programs in the future. 
“Our team is honored to be selected by the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Office of Crime Victim Services to receive a VOCA grant which will allow us to comprehensively expand our services within Northeastern Wisconsin,” said Kristen Trimberger, executive director and CEO of Reach Counseling. “We are grateful to have the opportunity to strengthen crucial partnerships with Diverse & Resilient and other anti-violence organizations within regions where a full spectrum of services has historically been unavailable to marginalized communities.”  
In order to successfully achieve the organization’s mission in all three counties over the years to come, following receipt of the VOCA funding, Reach Counseling will launch a significant fundraising campaign on Nov. 15, 2022, to raise $500,000 to support and sustain the expansion. 
“Our anti-violence program for the LGBTQ+ community in Northeastern Wisconsin is growing quickly, and we cannot do this work alone,” said Kathy Flores, director of Diverse & Resilient. “We are grateful for strong co-advocacy relationships built on shared values, mutual respect, accountability, and trust. Together, our teams envision a socially just community where ALL sexual assault survivors, including those who have been historically excluded from services, are embraced and served with compassion and dignity.” 
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) reports that 81 percent of women and 43 percent of men will experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. Reach Counseling’s current service area of Winnebago County spans 170,000 residents, with over 7,000 residents utilizing services in 2021. Considering the size of Outagamie and Calumet Counties (236,834 residents), it is estimated Reach Counseling will serve an additional 9,000 children and adults within the organization’s 2022-2023 grant cycle.
Reach Counseling’s Services Include:

  • Counseling, including short-term crisis counseling, individual therapy, and child and adolescent therapy.
  • Personal, legal, and medical advocacy for survivors of sexual assault and human trafficking/exploitation, including 24/7 response to local emergency rooms and crisis helpline.
  • Prevention education in over 70 local schools to create awareness and understanding of the root causes of trauma and how to connect with available services.
  • Sex offender treatment to prevent re-offense and address the systematic needs of sexual offenders, victims, and non-offending parents through comprehensive group therapy.
  • Specialized programs that are culturally responsive for BIPOC, LGTBQ+, and survivors of anti-human trafficking and exploitation.

Trimberger added, “One way our organization measures the impact of our services on the emotional and physical well-being of our clients is through client surveys. In 2021, 71 percent of advocacy clients reported feeling more safe and secure after they or a loved one experienced sexual violence and 100 percent of support group attendees reported feeling more supported and socially connected. These are the results we look forward to bringing to Outagamie and Calumet Counties.”
With the acceptance of the VOCA grant, Reach Counseling will become the designated Sexual Assault Service Provider (SASP) for Outagamie and Calumet Counties (in addition to Winnebago County) by the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault (WCASA), an agency comprised of organizations and individuals working to end sexual assault in Wisconsin. 
For more information about Reach Counseling, and to learn more about an upcoming community meeting about the organization’s expansion, visit reachcounseling.com.
About Reach Counseling
Reach Counseling is a leading provider of trauma-specific mental health care in Northeastern Wisconsin. The organization is committed to understanding and responding to emotional, sexual, and physical abuse. Since 1976, Reach has helped heal the lives of abuse victims and hold perpetrators accountable through innovative programs in education and outreach, victim advocacy, outpatient therapy, culturally responsive programming, and sex offender treatment. 
If you are a survivor in Calumet, Outagamie, or Winnebago counties in need of Reach Counseling’s services, call their 24/7 helpline at 920-722-8150.