Ohio University's sexual assault task force is seeking a federal grant to hire an advocate for sexual assault survivors on campus.
The task force is looking for funding from the Department of Justice to cover the costs of implementing a program run by a person who would help sexual assault victims seek help and decide the best steps for moving forward, said Amanda Childress, assistant director of health promotion for Sexual Assault Risk Reduction.
Such a program would establish and strengthen victim services
said Susanne Dietzel, director of the Women's Center. She said the grant would be worth $300,000 over three years.
The program would work in conjunction with OU Judiciaries, the Women's Center and other groups on campus to provide a variety of services to victims immediately after a crisis, such as medical, legal and counseling services, said Robin Jones, Women's Affairs Commissioner on Student Senate.
The grant would cover the salary of the program director as well as intervention programs the advocate would implement, Jones said.
There are no sexual assault advocates in the tri-county area Childress said, adding that there is a need for someone to help survivors and encourage them to report a case.
It will be like having a friend to take you to the hospital or police and support you along the way Childress said.
Jones said the program's services would include follow-up support and crisis intervention for sexual assault victims as well as training for volunteers, adding that the advocate would preferably be someone young who could speak to student experience.
The advocate would work with victims of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, Childress said. The advocate would then be able to direct the victim to medical and counseling services, she added.
The advocate could also walk the student through the pros and cons of judiciary or legal action, Jones said. OU has never implemented a program of this type before.
Childress said she also hopes the program will assist in prevention and risk reduction programs, but that the federal grant could only be stretched so far.
The community and students have been overwhelmingly supportive of the idea
she said.
Although she hopes to implement the program as soon as possible, Childress said it would take time to secure funding, find an advocate and train them - a process complicated by OU's hiring freeze and budget constraints.
Childress said she hopes to have the program running as early as Fall Quarter, but that logistical hoops and other delays could push the program back to 2010.
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Tristan Navera
