National award honors Dr. Alissa Ackerman and Casey Ballinger for outstanding contributions to preventing sexual abuse, assault, and harassment.

Dr. Alissa Ackerman and Casey Ballinger have been awarded the 2024 Gail-Burns Smith Award by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) and the Association for the Treatment and Prevention of Sexual Abuse (ATSA). The award recognizes their outstanding contributions to preventing sexual abuse, assault, and harassment. Dr. Ackerman is the co-founder of Ampersands Restorative Justice, an organization dedicated to restorative justice for sexual harm, and Casey Ballinger is the Training and Technical Assistance Manager with the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CCCASA). Both individuals have made significant contributions to the field through their research, advocacy, and support for survivors of sexual harm. [Extracted from the article]