PASSAGES, Inc

24-Hour Hotline
The 24-hour hotline is answered in the office Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. At all other times
(evenings, weekends, and holidays) it is answered by an answering service that obtains only the telephone
number and necessary contact information of the caller. The hotline answering service will assist callers unless
it is determined or requested that additional services are needed. Staff members and direct service volunteers
carry pagers and are contacted by the answering service when a call comes in and it is determined that
emergency medical or legal advocate services are needed. If needed a staff member or a direct services
volunteer is paged and responds within 15 minutes. At this time arrangments for medical/advocacy services are
made. The staff member or direct service volunteer will accompany the person in need within an hour from the
dispatched time.

Individual Counseling
Individual counseling is provided to all victims/survivors who contact PASSAGES through self-referral or a
referral by a human services agency, law enforcement, medical facility, etc. A counseling appointment is
scheduled as soon as possible; currently PASSAGES does not have a waiting list. Staff counselors provide
supportive/empowerment, counseling to aid the victim/survivor in dealing with sexual violence issues.
Referrals are made for MH/MR concerns or D/A problems. Counseling is also available to the significant
others (families & friends) of victims/survivors. Most counseling relationships last from six months to one year.

Group Counseling
Group counseling is provided on an as needed basis. If, during the course of regularly scheduled case
management meetings, PASSAGES counseling staff determine a need for a support group, arrangements are
made and announcements are sent to area human service agencies. On-going individual counseling clients of
PASSAGES are invited to attend. Any victims/survivors referred to the group by another agency will meet with
a PASSAGES counselor on an individual basis prior to the beginning of the group.

Empowerment Groups
Empowerment groups are also conducted weekly by counselors for agencies that have requested that service.
PASSAGES, INC is able to provide weekly empowerment groups for jails, shelters,parenting programs, etc. If
you would like to have an empowerment for your agency please contact PASSAGES, INC and arrangements
can be made.

Legal and Medical Advocacy / Accompaniment
Legal and medical advocacy/accompaniment is available 24 hours/day. Requests usually come from hotline
calls, medical facilities, law enforcement or the District Attorney's office. Staff and/or direct service volunteers
can accompany victims/ survivors through medical examinations related to sexual violence and any
appointments for medical follow-up. Staff are also available to accompany victims/survivors through any legal
proceedings related to their sexual assault. This includes police interviews, preliminary hearings, trials,
sentencing, etc. In addition, clients will be kept apprised of the progress of their case through the criminal
justice system and assisted with the preparation of victim impact statements.

Sexual Violence Education and Prevention Programs
Sexual violence education/prevention programs are available to all area schools, community groups, and
professionals in the fields of social service, education, medical, and law, for every age level from pre-school to
senior citizens. The topics offered include safe/unsafe touches, Internet safety, "Sexting," "Cyberbullying,"
date/acquaintance rape, statutory sexual assault, drug-facilitated sexual assault, general sexual assault and
harassment issues involving all age groups, as well as general information on the services offered by
PASSAGES. If a school or community group requests a specific topic, a program will be tailored to meet their
needs. In addition to prevention/education programs, community wide events, such as mall shows, health fairs,
and the annual "Take Back the Night" event are held each year, in which PASSAGES, Inc. participates.

Public Relations Projects
In an effort to increase community awareness regarding sexual assault and the services provided by
PASSAGES, many public relations projects are conducted each year. Public service announcements are sent to
radio stations each month and local newspapers are contacted several times a yeat to publish articles relating to
sexual violence issues. In addition, public service announcements and press releases are sent to announce
specific events such as volunteer training and sexual assault awareness month. A newsletter, which includes
articles regarding sexual violence issues and information regarding legislative updates, changes in service
provision, announcements of upcoming events, etc. is published yearly and sent to approximately 1000 human
service agencies, businesses and residents of Clarion, Clearfield and Jefferson Counties.
To enhance the quality of service provided to victims/survivors of sexual violence by human service agencies,
educational institutions, medical facilities and law enforcement agencies, PASSAGES staff members make
several systems advocacy contacts each year. Membership on several committees throughout Clarion, Clearfield
and Jefferson Counties is maintained by staff members to increase access to area systems.

Copyrighted © 2010 PASSAGES, INC. All Rights Reserved