After Care
AFTER CARE REFERRALS / TRADITIONAL HEALING / WAVI / SIRA / SSS-I
Aftercare Referrals
Peaceful Means often operates on the front lines of the tribal rape epidemic. Though our focus is prevention we do provide various aftercare resources to help survivors. Experience has revealed that in the course of our duties we will receive disclosures from students who have been assaulted, are being assaulted or threatened with assault. Instructors receive extensive training to follow all legal, tribal, and school procedures while managing disclosures through a trauma-informed lens. We partner with existing local aftercare networks and agencies to help survivors access the care they need.
Traditional Healing
Peaceful Means staff recently built an Inipi (sweat lodge) behind the Pine Ridge office and plans to utilize it as yet another form of aftercare for staff and survivors. These practices have been used for millennia by the Lakota people and are vital to Peaceful Means work. The Lakota staff also incorporates traditional ceremonies, medicines, and teachings as a form of grounding and healing.
Working Against Violence Inc. ( WAVI )
In the spirit of going the extra mile PM Pine Ridge staff applied for and received a grant to partner with Working Against Violence Inc. (WAVI) The goal is to bring another layer of expertise and services to students that disclose to PM Staff. Based in Rapid City WAVI offers help to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and stalking. They also provide safe shelter, a 24/7 crisis phone line, access to community resources, transportation, and support for all genders and ages. WAVI recently opened a satellite office on Pine Ridge to assist with overflow from other nearby service providers.
Pine Ridge Satellite office hours:
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 8am – 4:30 pm for supportive services
Location: Wakpamni Circle across from CAP office
Survivors in Recovery Anonymous (SIRA)
SIRA is a free 12 step program of recovery for survivors of sexual assault modeled on Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Peaceful Means offers the SIRA program to survivors in the Pine Ridge area in two specific ways:
First, by distributing the free 65 page SIRA booklet to community members. To date Peaceful Means has given away over 1500 SIRA booklets in all 9 districts of Pine Ridge. The booklets are left in medical offices, CPS, victim services and churches and dozens of accessible local outlets. Booklets are also available at the Peaceful Means office to all who need them.
Second, SIRA meetings are available online through our sister group - Survivors of Sexual Assault Anonymous - SSAA. These free online groups offer daily meetings in complete confidentiality so members can share their experience, strength and hope anonymously. No one is required to give their name, location or show their face.
Survivors are welcome in these meetings regardless of gender, race, or religious preference. SSAA employs various meeting formats with each meeting autonomous. All meetings use a core script based on group consensus. Meetings and information are found here: https://www.survivorsofsexualassaultanonymous.com/
SSS-I
Supporting Survivors and Self—Indigenized – (Miye na Wicakiya Oyate Wi Okiciyapi Kta) is a Lakota-grounded guide to responding to children’s disclosure of sexual abuse/assault. The Lakota SSS-I courses are available here: https://ivrl.ssw.umich.edu/supporting-survivors-and-self-indigenized