New Team Supports Sex Assault Victims

The Coalition to End Domestic Violence has assembled a new team of volunteers to respond to calls from victims of sexual assault. The team is called SOS: Support of Survivors.

“I think the teams will improve our response time and improve our service to sexually assaulted women all around,” said Lola Haag, rape crisis manager for the coalition.

Because all SOS counselors carry pagers, victims can call a single phone number from home or a hospital and the call will be sent out to a team member, who will respond at any hour.

Each team participant, like all coalition members, undergoes more than 70 hours of training in counseling. Some coalition members became volunteers after having suffered sexual abuse or domestic violence. Others say they have been stunned by the experience.

“For many people, going through training is like a shock,” Haag said. “It’s a real eye-opening experience--many people are totally unaware that the abuse is out there.”

The coalition’s 24-hour crisis hotline--at (805) 656-1111--can summon advocates who will accompany women when they talk to police or appear in court. According to FBI statistics, only 1 in 10 women reports such abuse, Haag said, so most calls to the hotline are from women who just want to talk and have not reported domestic violence. Also, five men called the coalition to report sexual abuse last year.

The coalition will provide 10 free sessions of private counseling. The cost of additional sessions is determined by income. For more information on the coalition and the SOS team, call 654-8141.