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
Early History
1972 – Boulder County faced an unspeakable crime, leaving citizens outraged and primed for action. Humans Against Rape and Molestation (HARM) was formed in response.
1973 – HARM joined with the National Organization for Women and the Mental Health Center of Boulder County to form the Boulder County Rape Crisis Team. Thirty volunteers were trained and a 24-hour hotline launched.
1978 – The Rape Crisis Team participated in the first Take Back the Night march in Boulder.
1984 – The Rape Crisis Team Director, Ronah Brodkin, spoke at the FBI’s national symposium on sexual assault.
1986 – The Rape Crisis Team established three paid staff positions, funded by the federal Violence Against Women Act.
1995 – The first Annual Spring Runoff fundraising event was launched.
1996 – The Rape Crisis Team partnered with Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (SPAN) to create Peers Building Justice, a prevention education program for youth.
1997 – Boulder County launched its first Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program.
2001 – The Rape Crisis Team changed its name to Moving to End Sexual Assault (MESA) to better reflect the mission, and the Annual Spring Runoff was changed to the Canine Classic. That year, 500 runners and 400 dogs ran at the Boulder Reservoir.
2003 – MESA introduced the Men Standing Up program, helping to educate men to end sexual violence.
Recent History
2004 – MESA expanded its mission statement to be explicit about the link between other forms of oppression and sexual violence.
2007 – MESA held the first annual Brave, Bold, and Beautiful fundraising event.
2012 – MESA partnered with Imagine! to create Intersections, a program enhancing services for people with disabilities who experienced sexual violence.
2016 – MESA added services to enhance healing for survivors, including acupuncture and trauma-informed yoga.
2018 – MESA Director Janine D’Anniballe spoke at the U.S. Capitol to advocate for survivors. That same year, the MESA office moved to Dixon Avenue in Lafayette, Colorado.
2019 – MESA launched its first podcast: “Sex: By Invitation Only.”
2021 – MESA launched the text lien to supplement hotline services for survivors of sexual violence.
2022 – MESA celebrated 50 years of service as Boulder County’s dedicated sexual violence resource center.
Today – MESA is honored to gain its newest partner in the movement to end sexual assault…YOU!
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.