Tess Wendel
Nomi Rachel Fuchs Montgomery
The Mountaineers Safety Committee and the Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Prevention (SHSAP) Executive committee are happy to be co-sponsoring two new trainings in our Leadership Development Series on bystander intervention tools and understanding cycles of harassment and abuse. This type of training was specifically identified in the Board recommendations as an action we can collectively take to help prevent sexual abuse in our organization.
We are partnering with behavior health clinician Kallie Kurtz for both sessions. With expertise in trauma, PTSD recovery, and resilience building, Kallie equips outdoor enthusiasts to understand behavioral health, navigate high-stress incidents, and foster post-traumatic growth in wilderness settings.
These sessions are being offered mid-week at 7pm and are virtual in hopes of attracting diverse attendance from across the organization's branches and activities.
FEB 10 - BYSTANDER INTERVENTION TOOLS FOR OUTDOOR TRIPS AND ACTIVITIES
This Leadership Development Series webinar with Kallie Kurtz will equip you with practical tools to feel more confident saying or doing something if you witness harassment or inappropriate behavior during trips and activities. The webinar blends hands-on skill building with the behavioral science behind why bystander intervention is hard and how to learn new skills to make speaking up more likely to happen.
MARCH 3 - PREVENTING HARASSMENT AND ABUSE IN OUTDOOR COMMUNITIES
This Leadership Development Series webinar with Kallie Kurtz looks at the behavioral science of abuse and harm, with a focus on how patterns of inappropriate behavior, coercion, and misuse of power develop and become normalized over time in outdoor communities. Participants practice identifying early warning signs and responding in ways that interrupt patterns of harm. Through role play, participants will practice naming concerns, checking in with others, and addressing behavior directly or indirectly. There will be space to practice having uncomfortable conversations and to reflect on what makes intervention feel risky in real life.
This session helps people build both the awareness and the skills to speak up earlier (not just in crisis moments), and to contribute to safer, more accountable outdoor communities.
These sessions are recommended as a series, but can also be attended as stand-alones. Both sessions will include information about practical steps that bystanders can take, such as filing incident reports.
Actions you can take
- Sign up for both sessions, or whichever one you are able to attend.
- If you can’t make these dates, please forward the opportunity to a friend and know that we hope to have more training like this offered regularly.
- The Safety Committee and SHSAP executive committee are also discussing scheduling time to practice skills learned during these sessions. If you are interested in this type of session, please reach out to safety@mountaineers.org.
