Sexual Assault Support Services

Programs: Sass provides a comprehensive range of services for survivors of past and recent sexual assault, their family members, and significant others. Sass services include a 24-hour crisis and support line; 24-hour emergency legal and medical advocacy; a drop-in advocacy center; criminal and civil legal advocacy, including access to legal advice; survivor support groups; and outreach and community education. As one of only two stand-alone sexual assault specific agencies in the state of oregon, sass fills an essential role. As a result of working specifically with survivors of sexual violence, our staff have in-depth expertise and understanding of the unique issues they face, particularly those who have experienced sexual violence outside of an intimate partner relationship. While our service area is primarily lane county, we are frequently contacted by survivors from throughout the state and in other regions of the country who may feel that the services in their local community are not appropriate for them (perhaps because the agencys name does not explicitly say sexual assault or rape). In 2016, sass had 2,660 contacts with survivors, or family and friends of survivors. Of those people served, 772 were unduplicated survivors of sexual violence, of which 80% were women, 10% men, 2% transgender, and 8% did not disclose. During the same period, sass responded to 1,942 calls to our 24/7 crisis and support line, held 93 survivor support groups, provided emergency medical advocacy/accompaniment 96 times (i. E. Hospital call-outs) and accompanied survivors to criminal justice proceedings 75 times. Sass operates from an empowerment-based, survivor-centered philosophy; we believe every survivor has the right and ability to make their own choices and decisions and that those decisions define our role and level of involvement. As sass advocates, our role is to provide information and referrals, as appropriate and as requested by the survivor, nonjudgmental support and options, and to respect and advocate for the survivors choices, rights, and goals. Sass believes that oppression is inextricably linked to sexual violence and creates a culture in which sexual violence is minimized, dismissed, normalized and glamorized. To that end, sass staff actively engage community partners and fellow responders to improve the system response to sexual violence through increased project partnerships, collaborations, and agency cross training. Additionally, staff participate in a wide array of community events throughout the year to increase community awareness about the issue of sexual violence and sass services. Sass takes an active leadership role at both the state and local levels. At the state level, sass is actively involved and regularly participates in statewide legislative advocacy efforts (e. G. Advocate privilege) and is active on various legislative workgroups which focus on survivors issues (e. G. Eliminating statute of limitations for sex crimes, creating policies related to the backlog of untested sexual assault forensic exam kits). Through an office on violence against women (ovw) fy 2014-17 legal assistance for victims grant (lav), sass provides legal assistance to survivors of sexual violence. Sass also works collaboratively to train community members and fellow service providers. In 2016, sass entered a partnership with womenspace to provide rural outreach services and transitional housing emergency assistance in two other ovw grants. Sass continued to partner with the local lane co. District attorneys office, university of oregon police dept. , eugene police dept. And lcog on a vawa fy 2015-17 campus sexual assault prosecution project grant.