The Ohio University Survivor Advocacy Program, which is funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women, wants to take the opportunity to let the campus community know about the services we provide to victims and survivors of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking.
The recently established Survivor Advocacy Program, which is part of the OU Women’s Center, is dedicated to providing confidential, survivor-empowered support through advocacy, education and resources, and is staffed by an independently licensed professional and a team of peer advocates.
Our team of advocates has participated in 40 hours of training that has prepared them to offer non-judgmental, victim-centered support and accompany survivors and victims through the response and recovery process. An advocate is a person who is in your corner 100 percent, someone who believes you and knows what happened to you is not your fault.
Services are currently available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on an on-call basis Thursday nights and during weekends. We will be able to provide 24/7 services beginning this fall.
If you call our hotline at 740-597-SAFE (7233) or stop by our office at McKee House, what you can expect is empathy, non-judgment and support.
We will provide in person or telephone crisis intervention, consultation, exploration of options and available services, personal support during medical, legal and judicial processes, referrals and other assistance.
Whether the assault happened last night, last year or 10 years ago, the Survivor Advocacy Program is here for you. As part of our mission to educate students, faculty and staff and to decrease interpersonal violence on our campus, the Survivor Advocacy Program is finalizing plans to provide mandatory prevention education on sexual violence to all incoming students beginning in the fall of 2012.
Additionally, our team of peer advocates will work with existing peer educators in informing the campus community on these issues starting this fall.
We are thankful for the campus and community support the Survivor Advocacy Program has received, and believe that the campus community is coming together to create and maintain a safe and survivor-empowered campus.
Lindsey Daniels is the program coordinator for Ohio University’s Survivor Advocacy Program.
Dr. Susanne B. Dietzel is the director of the Women’s Center and project director for Violence Against Women.
