September is Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivor Awareness Month (CSA-SAM)—an opportunity to raise awareness of the path to healing from childhood sexual abuse and recognize the strength of survivors and the importance of accessible, supportive resources.
For more than four decades, Wings has supported adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse in healing from trauma and building fuller, healthier lives. Through therapist-facilitated support groups, community education, and advocacy, Wings creates spaces where survivors can find connection, validation, and pathways to healing.
With support from Caring for Denver, Wings is expanding access to mental health services for adult survivors and their loved ones. This includes confidential intake consultations, coordination with appropriate resources, including individual therapy, and weekly Wings support groups co-facilitated by licensed clinicians.
The Impact of That Support
In its most recent reporting cycle, Wings served 78 Denver residents through these services.
Connecting People to the Right Support
- 21 individuals completed confidential needs assessments to help determine which services best fit their needs.
- 9 of those individuals were referred to additional mental health providers and resources.
- 13 individuals participated in group readiness assessments, helping ensure they had the appropriate level of stability and support to benefit from a group setting.
Building Connection Through Community
- 37 individuals engaged in weekly support groups co-facilitated by licensed clinicians.
- Among participants who completed Wings’ annual survivor experience survey, 88% reported stronger connections to support and feeling less alone.
For adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, support can take many forms. Wings’ groups combine education, skill-building, and peer connection, creating an opportunity for participants to better understand the impact of CSA trauma, develop tools for navigating its effects, and connect with others who have shared experiences.
One group member spoke of the impact of these services this way, “I came into the group feeling alone, isolated and like no one else could understand my challenges. Through the support group, I felt seen, validated, and learned to be more compassionate towards myself.”
Strengthening Those Who Provide Care
Wings’ impact also extends to the people facilitating this work.
- 19 facilitators received education and skill-building opportunities.
- 88% of reporting facilitators noted increased skills and awareness in addressing mental health and substance misuse, as well as improvements in their therapeutic practice.
- And among reporting facilitators, 100% observed a reduction in the severity of two or more trauma-related mental health symptoms among participants engaged in support groups.
One facilitator spoke of the unexpected outcomes of working with adult survivors, “I joined Wings because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of adult survivors of CSA. What I didn’t quite anticipate was the ways that I would be changed and so positively impacted by the members.”
Together, these results show how investment in survivor-centered services can create more pathways to care—from the first confidential conversation to ongoing support and connection.
To learn more about Wings and become a Champion of Healing, visit www.wingsfound.org/become-a-champion-of-healing.