Rape Crisis Centre to change name

Press, 16 August 1988, Page 2

Rape Crisis Centre to change name

By

DEBORAH McPHERSON

A shortage of funds and staff is restricting the counselling work of the Rape Crisis Centre in Christchurch.

Some sexually abused women wanting counselling had to wait several months because of the

shortage of resources, said a member of the centre’s collective, Ms Vivienne Martini, yesterday. A voluntary staff of five were counselling 18 women, but up to 32 women were waiting, said Ms Martini. “With only five voluntary staff for the whole of Canterbury, staff are incredibly stressed.” A lack of funding and paid fulltime staff meant the centre was no longer available to women with an immediate crisis, so it was changing its name this week to the Sexual Abuse Healing Centre, said Ms Martini. The name change

coincided with Rape Awareness Week. Last October, the centre stopped

its 24-hour telephone service, and it could no longer send counsellors to homes. The centre received $ll,OOO a year from the Social Welfare Department but that only covered rent, electricity and telephones. The centre received no money to pay for much-needed full-time staff, said Ms Martini. Lack of money and resources was a common problem for all community grouns. however. The centre counselled only women who had been abused before 1974, because women abused since then were entitled to have

private therapist fees paid for by the Accident Compensation Commission.

Since the centre could no longer work as a crisis line, it was placing increasing emphasis on education and group work to help women improve their confidence in themselves. Group courses covered selfdefence, anger management, surviving sexual abuse and defeating alcohol and drug addiction. The courses were open to all women. The centre was also heavily committed to lobbying the Government for legislative changes. Groups working with domestic violence and violence in the community should be given priority, said Ms Martini.