Clairence Oktober is the Advocacy Director with Arise Sexual Assault Services.

Clairence is a dedicated advocate and leader in rural New Mexico, providing vital support to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and trauma across six counties. Passionate about community empowerment, he focuses on innovative strategies to meet the unique needs of underserved populations, taking pride in developing educational training and creating a well-structured advocacy team that prioritizes staff well-being. He is also actively involved in advancing LGBTQIA2S+ advocacy through The Lavender Project, with plans to expand resources and outreach in rural New Mexico.

A creative thinker, he excels at finding resourceful solutions, whether it’s designing sustainable support programs or crafting interactive workshops for professionals and survivors alike. His work reflects a deep commitment to autonomy, inclusion and resilience, making a lasting impact on the communities he serves. His work breaks barriers and empowers survivors through support, education and political activism.

How can professionals and community members better recognize the signs of trauma in survivors, especially in cases where they might not initially disclose their experiences?

‭I feel like this is the hardest part for anyone who is learning to support survivors.‬ The truth is, there isn’t a one-shoe-fits-everyone approach to identifying traumatic‬ experiences in someone. A lot of the “key looks” come with other causes that can‬ vaguely allude to trauma or maybe just a health concern or support deficit. Survivors‬ also exist on a spectrum. They can present as hyper-independant as often as they do‬ codependent. They could be struggling with self-harm or risk-taking behaviors or be‬ incredibly committed to routine and structure with a chipper attitude.

When we take into‬ consideration the number of those who have experienced sexual and domestic‬ violence, 97% of women report experiencing sexual violence in their lifetime and about 43% of men,‬ and knowing that these are criminally underreported crimes, it is better to say, "How do I‬ support my community in the wake of trauma?"

You are more likely to come across‬ someone who has experienced violence than who has not. Survivors will only disclose‬ when they are in trusted, non-judgmental spaces. So, while we will talk more about‬ some of those identifying features, I always want to encourage people to reflect less on‬ others and more about how they show up in spaces. Are you presenting yourself as‬ someone to whom a survivor can disclose their experiences?‬

In rural areas access to resources can be limited. How do you overcome these barriers to ensure that survivors in rural areas receive the support they need?

I encourage others to develop creativity, flexibility and resiliency skills to find‬ solutions and cope with disappointment. When there is a lack of opportunity and‬
‭funding, nonprofits become a one-stop shop for support. Our team focuses on being‬ the best support we can. I think it’s fair to say for my agency that sexual assault is our‬ specialty, but any trauma or violence in our community we attempt to support by creating spaces for healing without rigid structures where we can.

In other places, we ask‬ those creative questions: Can we get more creative with our emergency fund requests?‬ What does a safety plan really look like for them? Can we partner with an organization‬ in a different part of the state or even country for ongoing support? Have we looked at‬ every online option as a choice?

Lastly, you learn to support people through the most‬ challenging moments. Sometimes, there really isn’t an option. A lack of options doesn’t‬ mean we let it go to despair. We let the feelings happen and look for the next achievable‬ goal.

How do you help survivors regain a sense of autonomy and control in their lives after trauma?

‭You keep the survivor in the front of every choice you support. I feel like this is‬ where advocates do things a little differently than other partners simply because we‬ have the flexibility to do so. I can use the language a survivor needs me to. We can‬ laugh, scream, cry, drop every swear word or sit in silence. I also stress to others that‬ we are not fixers, we are supporters.

If you want a survivor to have a sense of‬
‭autonomy when working with you, you have to be ready to honor the choices that, as‬
‭professionals, we might know are not in their best interest. We have to always meet‬ them where they are and hope that through this relationship, they can get where we‬ know they can go. In building these healthy relationships in a secure environment,‬
‭survivors can skill-build what they need in their everyday lives.

Can you share some examples of innovative strategies or programs you’ve developed to prioritize staff well-being?

I think the most significant strategy we use is establishing a culture that prioritizes‬ self-care. For me, staff well-being starts in the beginning. Walking into an interview,‬ there are questions about their favorite ways to practice self-care, what skill or hobby‬ they’ve always wanted to learn and how that could help them in this position.

Once‬ hired, I think at least a third of the training I’ve developed brings up practicing self-care‬ and personal growth. Staff are encouraged to share the emotional load with supervisors‬ and peers as often as they need. For us, that looks like weekly and monthly check-ins‬ where we aren’t just ticking the business boxes of updates and training. We share what‬ was hard and what we are struggling with. I’ve even shifted the focus to opening‬ meetings or training with “In any way, big or small, how is your life better since the last‬ time we met?” Though I can’t take credit for thinking of that, I learned it at a training led‬ by Scott Patterson-Alatorre.

We make attempts, led by our Executive Director, to do sunshine stretch‬ break where we just get outside and move for ten or fifteen minutes. Even monthly‬ on-call schedules are discussed in a group setting when there are uncovered dates. For‬ all departments, my agency tries to do monthly self-care days, where staff can be paid‬ to hang out in the office and spend time together. We usually do crafts, eat good‬ snacks, watch movies or listen to background music, and staff are incentivized to do‬ only can’t-wait-for tasks. I also consistently push for grant support for additional‬ advocates and compensation because this is heavy work to do with a small team.‬

If you could design your dream resource or program for survivors, what would it look like?

Honestly, I don’t need to reinvent the wheel. The dream resource for survivors is funding for programs and supports that can change survivors' lives. Lack of funding is why programs can’t reach their full potential or carry out their dream projects. I believe in investing in the infrastructures that already exist.

No one gets into nonprofits for the money. We do this because we have the passion and drive for positive change. Our jobs would be easier if state and federal funding, as well as corporate and private sponsors, were willing to supply more monetary or in-kind support. Funding and partnership are life-changing, especially when communities understand that healing isn’t a survivor issue, it’s a community issue.

If you had to pick a superhero or fictional character who best represents your approach to supporting survivors, who would it be and why?

Professor X. It’s not just cause of the wheelchair use either. If you are a comic book fan, this could probably be a good or bad choice, as some fans love to hate Professor X or acknowledge that he is a bit morally grey. The similarities lay in Charles Xavier's focus on ensuring marginalized communities have justice, support and autonomy. He does this work on the individual level, supporting mutants where they are with the hope of where they can go while also pushing for systemic and societal change.

I’d like to think that as an advocate for many marginalized communities, I am impacting not just the individual lives I interact with but also my surroundings. While I might disagree with using children and teens as our foot soldiers, I know that giving the next generation knowledge and skills makes them forces to be reckoned with. I am trying to make a more healed and softer society for my kids while also ensuring that survivors know they do not have to do this alone. If I can make things a little bit better for one person, that can be world-changing.