Episode 203 | Just Trauma-Informed Approaches and Advocacy for Vulnerable Populations
Original Release Date: April 29, 2022
In the final episode of our 2022 Sexual Assault Awareness Month mini season, Just Science sat down with Natasha Alexenko, a sexual assault survivor, advocate, author, and founder of Natasha’s Justice Project, to discuss advocacy for vulnerable populations and trauma-informed approaches to sexual assault.
As a sexual assault survivor and advocate, Natasha Alexenko has dedicated her career to improving the lives of sexual assault survivors. She has worked both nationally and internationally to discuss past, present, and future directions for an improved response to sexual assault. Listen along as she discusses sexual assault response reform and her recent trauma-informed advocacy efforts with refugees and Native American populations.
This episode of Just Science is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.
Some content in this podcast may be considered sensitive and may evoke emotional responses or may not be appropriate for younger audiences.
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Guest Bio
Born on Long Island, New York, and raised in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, Natasha Simone Alexenko is a survivor, activist, and educator who has been developing national policies and procedures related to sexual assault for nearly a decade. Natasha provides technical expertise and advice on survivor advocacy, assistance, and prevention programs throughout the country. Alexenko has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and other national and international publications. She has made guest appearances on broadcast and cable networks and was the focus of the HBO documentary Sex Crimes Unit. Alexenko shared her story at the historic 2015 joint press conference at which Vice President Joe Biden and New York County (Manhattan) District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. pledged a combined $80 million to help defray the cost and reduce the backlog of untested rape kits. Alexenko serves as a subject matter expert to Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Grants. In 2018, Grand Harbor Press published Natasha’s memoir, A Survivor’s Journey: From Victim to Advocate. Natasha presently resides in New York with her partner Scott, nephew Alex, mom Nevart, and dogs Piper and Toby.