New Beginnings Sexual Assault Support Services is teaming up with the Diocese of Owensboro to offer a six-week program focused on healing trauma for adult women survivors of sexual abuse by clergy.
Tina Kasey, director of communications for the Diocese of Owensboro, said the group is being formed and will begin in March for women 18 and older.
“This group is occurring based upon the evaluation responses from the spring 2019 support group for survivors of sexual abuse,” Kasey said.
This collaboration between the Diocese of Owensboro and New Beginnings has been ongoing since Fall 2018, after listening sessions held by Bishop Medley.
“Jennifer [Francis-Gehring] at New Beginnings felt there was a need for this type of support in our diocese,” Kasey said. “She worked with our pastoral assistance coordinator, Louanne Payne, who handles the hotline for callers who would like to make a report of abuse by someone working for the Catholic Church.”
The first six-week support group for adult primary and secondary survivors of sexual abuse took place in February 2019.
Based on the evaluations taken from that first support group, New Beginnings learned that participants were interested in having two support groups in the future — one for men, and another for only women.
New Beginnings then conducted its first support group for male survivors of sexual abuse by clergy in Oct. 2019, Kasey said.
Women wishing to register for this support group can contact Francis-Gehring, social worker and clinical therapist with New Beginnings, at 270-926-7273.
The six-week support group will take place at New Beginnings, located at 1716 Scherm Rd. The first support session will begin on March 5.
