Hein, left, listens as Christianson endorses program
KINGSTON – Ulster County is going to hire a certified rape crisis
counselor to address violence on college campuses.
County Executive Michael Hein made the announcement Monday flanked by
officials of SUNY New Paltz and SUNY Ulster.
The new position will be funded by a $140,000 two-year state “Enough
is Enough” grant.
The individual hired for the new position will have a legal background
allowing them to help victims navigate the criminal justice system and
reporting procedures, as well as provide necessary training to students,
administrators and staff.
This individual will not be employed by either Ulster County university;
rather, he or he will act independently under the Ulster County Crime
Victims Assistance Program, splitting their time between both schools
and attending to the some 11,200 students between them.
Hein said although Ulster’s universities are safe, with SUNY New
Paltz having only seven reported cases of sexual abuse last year and SUNY
Ulster having none, he believes it is the county’s duty to remain
vigilant and to make sure they continue offering the best resources available
to help combat the serious issue on college campuses.
“I encourage all students and parents to feel very safe at Ulster
County universities and at SUNY Ulster as well. They’re very safe
facilities with an incredible history of that,” said Hein. “That
said, we have an obligation to ensure that we provide all of the assistance
and make it easy and accessible for anyone who not only wants to learn
more, but also someone who becomes a victim in those situations,”
he said.
SUNY New Paltz President Dr. Donald Christian said New Paltz has always
put a lot of attention towards combating sexual assault on their campus
and looks at this new position as just one more way they’re continuing
to evolve their model for dealing with the issue.
“We see our practices currently as models, and indeed we know that
they’re models that other campuses have adopted. So, what we’re
looking for are ways that we can make use of these resources to refine
what it is we’re currently doing, to expand the programming, to
be sure that the resources are helping us be sure that more and more students
are aware of the options available to them, take advantage of training
like bystander intervention training; and so, we don’t see this
as radical shift in the direction we go, but a continuance to help us
do what we’ve already been doing, better and more extensively,”
said Christian.
The $140,000 given to fund the position can only last so long. Hein said,
despite that, the county will do what they have to, when the time comes,
in order to make this resource available long-term.
The position will be put into effect immediately, having already been
filled, and the resource will be available on campuses beginning the fall
semester 2016.
