About MESA

Mission

We believe that every person has the right to live free of sexual assault.

We are moving to end sexual assault and the suffering it causes in our community.

We challenge all forms of oppression and recognize their connection to sexual violence.

Moving to End Sexual Assault (MESA) is a not-for-profit program of Clinica Family Health & Wellness and has served as the sexual violence resource center for Boulder County since 1972. MESA assists people who have experienced sexual violence by providing information about legal support, medical care, counseling referrals, and other community resources. MESA offers a 24-hour hotline, as well as in-person advocacy during criminal justice proceedings and at the hospital during forensic evidence collection with Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs).

Additionally, MESA provides group training and prevention education in the community through programs aimed at empowering participants to lead in the transformation of our current culture, which normalizes and encourages sexual violence. The goal of MESA’s prevention education is to prevent sexual violence from occurring by creating a culture based on consent, safety, and respect.

MESA offers support groups, trauma-informed yoga, and AcuDetox to aid in healing. Call the 24-hour hotline at 303-443-7300 to reach a trained advocate by phone or text the word ‘BRAVE’ to 20121.

History

Staff

Dana Rae Vaughn, Program Services Manager (she/hers)

Dana Rae Vaughn, Ph.D., began her career as a teacher and teacher trainer serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Malawi. Following her four years with Peace Corps, she remained in Malawi for three more years working as the Education Coordinator at Dzaleka Refugee Camp. Dana Rae returned to the United States to attend The Mandel School at Case Western Reserve University, where she earned a Master’s in Social Science Administration. Following her master’s degree, Dana Rae worked in prevention education and victim advocacy services at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and the University of Denver. Dana Rae recently completed a doctorate in Interpersonal and Family Communication from the University of Denver, where her research focused on family secrets and privacy management. Dana Rae is committed to public service and recently participated as a Virtual Peace Corps Participant in Armenia and Botswana. When she is not at work, Dana Rae enjoys photographing birds, writing letters to her pen pals, and playing with her cats.