When the Survivor Advocacy Program at Ohio University reopened last semester, a survivor had to take a taxi home from OhioHealth O'Bleness Hospital. After hearing that, SAP paid the tab fare.
As a result, SAP implemented SafeVoucher, a voucher program that helps transport sexual assault survivors to and from O'Bleness. SAP's main purpose is to provide confidential support and counseling to survivors of sexual assault and stalking relationship violence.
"We don't want anybody to have to pay transport fees to an ambulance if they're not injured in a way that they need to have medical transport,” Kristin Waltz, SAP survivor advocate and case manager, said.
After working to start the program for about a month, SAP officially established the program in October.
A survivor can use the voucher program if he or she does not want to pay for a ride, but needs to go either to or from the hospital, SAP Director Kimberly Castor said.
"If they get to the hospital another way, but maybe don't have a ride home, it doesn't matter, we can still do it,” Waltz said. “We don't have to be doing both ways.”
TABS Taxi in Athens works with SAP and helped implement the voucher program.
"We get a phone call from O'Bleness or from the patient, him or herself, and we just go,” TABS Taxi Manager Brandi Talley said. “They give us a voucher, and we just take the voucher and take them home.”
SAP calls TABS Taxi and tells the dispatcher that it’s a SafeVoucher, Waltz said.
"TABS people know if we tell them it's a SafeVoucher that it's a prioritized pick-up," Waltz said.
The taxi driver does not know the exact reasoning behind the call, Talley said.
“We don't know anything about it, and that makes them feel good about it too,” Talley said.
SAP worked with TABS Taxi to set up a system in which SAP received a flat rate for the survivor and a support person. SAP pays $7 for one rider and $2 for each additional rider out of SAP's funding, Waltz said.
“The flat rate makes it easier to manage because we do not have to deal with varying denominations of voucher coupons,” Waltz said in an email. “That covers locations in the Athens (area).”
SAP orders 14 voucher coupons at a time. The program can also provide a voucher to the support person with the survivor.
“I would say that most people that I have met at the hospital have a friend with them or a support person,” Waltz said.
The Ohio University Police Department has the vouchers in its station, and Lt. Tim Ryan said the voucher program is a great idea.
Waltz has coordinated with Ohio University Transportation and Parking Services to transport students to and from the hospital.
While O'Bleness does not have vouchers, hospital workers know to call SAP if they are treating a survivor, Waltz said.
"You may not want to tell someone what's just happened to you so you may not want to reach to someone you know,” Waltz said. “Maybe it's easier to reach out to someone that you know is confidential."
