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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 it is answered by an answering service that obtains only the telephone number of the caller. Staff members and direct service volunteers carry pagers and are contacted by the answering service when a call comes in. A return call is made to the caller within fifteen minutes and crisis intervention counseling is provided. In addition, arrangements are made to provide medical accompaniment/advocacy if the caller so desires. 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 two times each year or 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. Legal and Medical Advocacy / Accompaniment Legal and medical advocacy/accompaniment are 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 is 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 and community groups for every age level from pre-school to senior citizens. The topics include touching safety, acquaintance rape, sexual assault, child sexual assault, sexual harassment and risk reduction. 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 Celebrate the Survivor event, are held each year. Professional In-Service Training Professional in-service training is available to all area social service, education, medical, and legal and law enforcement professionals. The topics are related to sexual violence issues, updates on new legislation and PASSAGES' services/referral process. 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 every other month 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 four times per year 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. |
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