Prior to 2009, many of us working in the field of sex offender research
and treatment never considered our work as “prevention” work. In 2010 ATSA and
the National Sexual Violence Resource Center joined together to present an
award that recognizes people
who have made significant contributions to preventing sexual violence through
their work to facilitate effective partnerships between advocates working on
behalf of victims and survivors and those working in the area of sex offender
management and treatment. This prestigious award is in honor of Gail
Burns-Smith who was a radical idealist, who believed we could have a world free
of sexual violence. Gail co-founded the National Alliance
to End Sexual Violence which focuses on public policy advocacy. The Alliance
was instrumental in securing passage of the U.S. National Violence Against
Women Act and the related funding of programs for services to victims of sexual
assault and other violence. She was a founding Advisory Council member for
the National Sexual Violence Resource Center from 1999-2004. While Gail has a
storied passion demonstrated throughout her career, she always wanted others to
continue her work, knowing that it would take all of us working together to
fulfill her vision.
It is with great honor as a colleague, friend and champion in the
challenge to prevent sexual violence that I introduce Joan Tabachnick as the 2016 Gail
Burns Smith Award recipient in recognition of her outstanding leadership
and tireless efforts in raising awareness about the necessity of preventing sexual
violence, in promoting the dissemination of information about prevention
strategies, and in helping every person to engage in prevention at whatever
level possible.
At ATSA the term “prevention” has become synonymous with Joan
Tabachnick. She is the first person who comes to mind when prevention is
mentioned. She has championed all things prevention, not only highlighting for
us the important contributions to prevention that we as clinicians and
researchers make, but also broadening our perspectives to realize we can do
more, that our work of preventing the next abusive sexual act should be
expanded to stopping any sexual violence from ever occurring. She has provided
us with a frame for the picture of our work that couches it in the broader
perspective of prevention, encouraging us always to see that developing a
prevention perspective and supporting and generating prevention programs will
ultimately be the path to ending sexual violence altogether.
Joan possesses many personal and professional qualities that
distinguish her and elevate her to a status comparable to Gail Burns Smith. She
is warm, engaging, genuine, and passionate in everything that she does. Despite
the long line of people waiting for the opportunity to engage her on multiple
issues, Joan nonetheless, finds time for everyone, and when she sits
face-to-face with each person she manages to communicate to each that this is
the most important activity she could be doing at this moment. She is truly supportive and helps all she
encounters to hone their ideas, focus their communications, and fashion their
presentations so that others will listen and hear.
Joan has served two terms on the ATSA Board of Directors and has
chaired the Prevention Committee during her tenure on the Board. It is largely because of her creative energy
and tenacious efforts that this committee has been so productive. She has also
been instrumental in helping ATSA develop a strategic plan, and she has mastered
the ability to keep many people on track through the length of the plan. This
is only a small part of the work she does.
She has worked tirelessly in the state of Massachusetts on numerous
public policy issues, and as part of her work at NEARI Press she has helped us
all to stay current on the best evidenced-based practices.
What is, however, most impressive about Joan
is that the efforts of one person can truly make a substantial difference in
addressing the need for prevention perspectives and programs. Joan has made
many contributions to moving prevention into the public consciousness. In
addition to all the work I have just
described, Joan has also co-authored A Reasoned Approach: Reshaping Sex Offender Policy
To Prevent Child Sexual Abuse, (2011) and Engaging Bystanders In Sexual Violence
Prevention, (2008, 2009).
Joan brings nearly 30 years of experience to her work in nonprofit and
social change organizations. For the past 20 years she has worked in the field
of sexual abuse prevention with a special focus on preventing the perpetration
of child sexual abuse. Her most recent work is an NSVRC publication, Engaging Bystanders in Sexual Violence
Prevention, and she is in the process of creating an online course of the
same name. Joan’s expertise is evident in her numerous publications in peer
reviewed journals, in her award winning public service announcements and public
information materials, in the invitations to participate on national expert
panels, and in the frequent media requests for expert advice on sexual coercion
that she receives. Joan continually reaches across the aisles of victim
advocacy and sex offender treatment, and between research and application. Most
recently Joan was awarded a fellowship with the SMART office to develop a
dialogue between treatment, supervision, and law enforcement orientations and
to help frame the work of prevention that is at the core of all three. Because
of Joan’s tireless work this fellowship has been extended.
Joan holds an MPPM from the Yale School of Organization and Management.
Her unique background blends expertise in management, strategic planning,
public dialogue, and social marketing. Over her career she has designed
programs and products for children’s and women’s issues in local, regional,
national and international settings. Gail Smith Burns would be proud of the
work that Joan does, and I can think of no more deserving person for the Award
named in her honor.
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