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Our services are provided at no charge to the community and are dependent
upon community support, government funding, corporate giving, and grants from
foundations. You can help. We appreciate your support.
FREE services are provided to victims of all forms of sexual assault
including: incest, child sexual abuse, date rape, marital rape, same sex rape, sexual
harassment, and attempted sexual assault…No matter how long ago the incident
occurred. These services are provided by staff and trained volunteers.
Walk-in Crisis Counseling - Weekdays, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at our offices.
The address is 835 Piner Road, Suite D, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Information and Referrals: call 707-545-7270 extension 10 or email: info@uasasonoma.org.
Services:
24/7 Rape Crisis Hotline
(707) 545-7273
In 2005, UASA responded to 1,039 Crisis Line Calls, an average of 86.6 calls per month.
24/7 every day of the year our rape crisis line is staffed
by trained, compassionate, certified State of California Sexual Assault Victim
Counselors for emergency assistance, confidential counseling, information and
referrals. Counselors are ready to respond—to listen, answer questions, and help
find options. Crisis intervention is provided to both survivors and their family
and friends who have been affected by sexual assault.
If you are in need of immediate attention, call us at (
707) 545-7273
Counselors are ready to:
Talk with survivors about their feelings, regardless of
when the assault occurred, moments or years before.
Help survivors determine their safety and medical
needs. Provide survivors with information about law enforcement
and medical issues involved in reporting a sexual assault/battery. Assist survivors in exploring options, and to support
their decisions. Accompany survivors and advocate for them when dealing
with courts, medical care, or law enforcement. Offer information and referrals.
Although we encourage reporting assaults to law enforcement,
the decision is yours. Whatever you decide, we will support you.
If you are interested in becoming one of our trained Sexual
Assault Victim Counselors (Crisis Line Counselor or CLC), please contact
intervention@uasasonoma.org.
Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Speech-Disabled
711 or MCI
California Relay Service
United Against Sexual Assault provides confidential services to deaf survivors and
family members who have been affected by sexual assault. Now, persons with hearing or
speech impairments have access to a confidential rape crisis line and can tap into
local support services focusing on rape and sexual assault issues.
UASA takes 711 (California Relay Service) calls from deaf, hard of hearing and
speech-disabled callers. The California Relay Service (CRS) provides specially-trained operators
to relay telephone conversations back and forth between people who are deaf, hard of hearing,
or speech-disabled and all those they wish to communicate with by telephone.
If it is an emergency, you may call our 24/7 Rape Crisis Hotline through the relay
operator to be connected to the Crisis Counselor on call.
Accompaniment and Advocacy
In 2005, UASA provided accompaniment to 51 victims of sexual assault for forensic evidentiary exams.
SART
UASA is a member of the Sexual Assault
Response Team of Sonoma County (SART), which also includes law enforcement and medical
providers. All three agencies respond to sexual assault crimes that are reported to
police. UASA advocates provide emotional support and information throughout the medical
examination and legal proceedings.
VICTIM HOSPITAL ADVOCACY
UASA advocates have helped survivors as young as six months
old and as old as 89 years. The majority of survivors are women, and an alarming number
of victims are 17 years old or younger. Crisis intervention advocates respond
immediately to a victim's call for help through notification from law enforcement.
Their role is to provide care, comfort, and information to survivors and their loved
ones immediately following a sexual assault, and during the forensic examination.
VICTIM LEGAL ACCOMPANIMENT
Advocates are available to accompany survivors to law
enforcement agencies for interviews and to file police reports, and to provide support
during court proceedings. They advocate for the victim, insuring that her/his rights
are being protected.
If you need an Advocate for legal accompaniment, call our 24/7 Rape
Crisis Hotline at 707-545-7273. You may also contact our Crisis Line Coordinator weekdays
between 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at 707-545-7270, extension 19, or email to:
intervention@uasasonoma.org.
Individual Therapy
In 2005, UASA provided one-on-one counseling to 280 victims of sexual assault, and group counseling to 99 victims of sexual assault.
UASA offers free counseling services to survivors of sexual
assault and their significant others, who may be struggling with their own feelings. Services
are provided by State of California Certified Rape Trauma Counselors, who can meet with you
and your loved ones. Twelve free sessions are offered, with additional sessions considered on
a case-by-case basis and provided on a sliding scale fee.
Sessions are held in a safe, supportive atmosphere. Anything you tell us is
confidential within the Agency. This means we will not tell anyone that you are being supported
by us and we will not tell anyone what you have told us, unless you ask us to. You will be
asked to sign a permission form before we release information to anyone outside the agency.
Counselors have intensive training and supervision in Rape Trauma Syndrome
and the social aspects and psychological effects of surviving sexual assault.
Survivors of any type of sexual assault, past or present, as well as their
friends and family, are welcome. The focus of counseling is as much on getting your life to
feel and work better, as on the sexual assault itself. Counselors guide survivors toward
increased coping skills, which assist in the recovery process.
Counseling sessions are by appointment. Call the Intake Coordinator at
707-545-7270, extension 14, for an appointment. Leave your first name and telephone number.
Types of counseling provided:
- Individual counseling
- Group counseling
- Couple counseling
Counseling Hours and Location:
- Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (closed on holidays)
- 835 Piner Road, Suite D, Santa Rosa
Counseling is available in English, Spanish, French and German. Other
languages may be available.
United Against Sexual Assault of Sonoma County is committed to providing
services based on a survivor's needs and wants, with the intention of wellness and health
as the underlying goal.
Support Groups
We provide support groups for survivors of sexual abuse and assault
and their loved ones who may be struggling with their own feelings. Support groups are
offered to women, men, and teenage girls, and are facilitated by State of California
Certified Sexual Assault Counselors and therapists. Our groups offer an opportunity
to
- Share your experience in a safe environment
- Hear about others’ experiences
- Explore ways to address the impact of the abuse/assault
- Learn strategies to help you respond to the demands of day-to-day
living
Available support groups include:
For Survivors of Sexual Assault:
For women survivors, we provide a Drop-In Support Group on Monday nights from
6:00pm to 7:30 p.m. Having a place to come, where you are understood and you
can listen to others as they share their struggles and successes, can be an opportunity
to connect. You can just sit and listen if you don't want to talk. It may feel easier
to be alone, but it might also be nice to have someone understand.
835 Piner Road, Suite D, in Santa Rosa.
For Spanish-speaking women, we offer the same group: a Spanish-
speaking Survivor Drop-In Support Group on Friday afternoons from 5:30 to
6:30 p.m.
835 Piner Road, Suite D, in Santa Rosa.
Nuestro grupo de apoyo es un espacio especial para ti donde existe
la paciencia y comprension. Puedes escuchar sin tener que hablar y puedes hablar y
que te escuchen. Conose personas que luchan y logran la recuperacion emocional.
Skill Building: United Against Sexual Assault of Sonoma County offers an 8 week workshop for survivors interested in learning relevant life skills in a supportive atmosphere.
Our Skill Building Group is designed for women survivors who are looking
for tools to help facilitate their continued healing when interacting with a world that
doesn’t always understand them. Are your boundaries getting stomped on? Are you
wondering why you react in the ways you do? Please call for details about this
8-week workshop.
Collaboration with the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department resulted in UASA bringing the
8-week Skill Building curriculum to North County Detention Facility's female inmates.
Antonia Albany, Inmate Services Coordinator reports: "Your program is invaluable in providing
a safe, supportive environment for incarcerated women to talk about their experiences and
subsequent feelings of sexual abuse. This workshop gives inmates an opportunity to learn
healthy skills, set safe boundaries and examine their feelings."
Psychodrama Group is a 16 week group for women and men
survivors who are interested in interactive therapy. If you want support and want to be
supported by other group members by taking roles in each other’s healing dramas,
consider this group. A therapist will guide the process. A small fee per session will
be requested. Please call for details.
For Friends and Family of Survivors:
Are you trying to support a survivor? Do you feel like no matter what you do, it’s wrong?
The Healing Allies Drop-In Support Group, which supports significant
others, family and friends of survivors, meets on Thursday evenings from 5:30 to
6:30 p.m. Many people have come to rely on this regular opportunity to share
their own tears and stories with people in similar circumstances. You need to take care
of yourself too!
835 Piner Road, Suite D, in Santa Rosa.
For Girls who just want to talk!
The Girls Support Group (GSG) provides a safe place to talk about your
topics with your peers. If you’re editing what you say because it feels like people are
always critical or you just want someone to listen, think about coming to GSG. This low
pressure group is open to any girls ages 14 to 18. Please call (707) 545-7270,
extension 14 for details.
If you'd like information on any of our groups, call us at (707)
545-7270, extension 14.
WHO WE SERVE
Voices of Survivors: read what others have
to say...
CONFIDENTIALITY
Confidentiality is essential to effective therapy and support services. Professional ethics require that we protect the confidentiality of people who seek help from us. A permission form is required before information about a client is released to anyone outside the agency, with the following exceptions:
- Threat of harm to self or others
- Child abuse
UASA Maintains 100% Confidentiality
UASA’s 24/7-sexual assault crisis line is 100% confidential.
Our Crisis Line Counselors are not mandated reporters. All of UASA’s Crisis Line
Counselors take an oath of confidentiality during their extensive 55-hour training. Even in a
court of law we cannot disclose any conversation between the survivor and the Crisis Line
Counselor, it’s the law! (evidence code 1035.4)
Who is a Mandated Reporter? Mandated Reporters are teachers, doctors, nurses,
counselors, and other people who act in supervisory positions over children under the age of 18.
When a sexual assault is disclosed to the people above, it’s the law that they report the
incident(s) to Law Enforcement and Child Protective Services.
Please remember that any conversation between you and UASA’s Crisis Line
Counselors is 100% confidential; we know it’s hard to break the silence and we’d
like you to know that we’re here to listen to you twenty four hours a day, seven days a week
FEES
UASA receives financial support for most of its services so that a fee does not have to be charged to clients. To make the best use of these resources and to provide quality service, we ask clients who take advantage of counseling services to help with a personal contribution if possible. Suggested donations:
- $5 per group therapy session
- $15 per individual counseling session
Donations such as these represent a very small portion of the actual cost to provide counseling services, and are readily waived if a client is unable to contribute.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) Survivors
LGBT survivors of violence often fear reaching out for help due to
homophobia. The layers of oppression, bigotry and discrimination complicate a survivor's
healing.
UASA is responsive to the needs of the LGBT Communities. While many
service providers are not adequately trained to address the special needs of LGBT clients,
UASA wants to make it safer for LGBT survivors to reach out by providing culturally
competent services in a safe, non-judgmental environment. Individual
therapy available.
Sexual and Relationship Abuse
A majority of relationships are not abusive. However, on-going abuse occurs in approximately
one-third of relationships regardless of sexual orientation, ethnicity, or class. Based on
several studies in the early 1990's, partner abuse occurs in 25-33% of LGBT relationships,
which is roughly equal to the prevalence of heterosexual domestic violence.
The LGBT survivor can expect the same range of emotional responses to
assault as any heterosexual survivor. However, because of homophobia, discrimination, bigotry,
and bias, there are issues that may negatively impact treatment, impeding the healing process,
or in some cases, making the situation worse.
Special concerns for the LGBT survivor include:
- Insensitivity among social service/health care providers or law enforcement
- Disbelief that the assault or abuse really occurred
- Belief that same sex violence is "mutually combative"
- Guilt or shame because of internalized oppression
- Lack of support from friends or family
- Fear of public disclosure.
Resources for the LGBT survivor are limited. However, no one should be
forced to deal with sexual or relationship violence alone. Sexual orientation should not be
perceived as a barrier to or further isolate the LGBT survivor. For more information or
resources contact UASA at info@uasasonoma.org.
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