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The Support Center has been serving victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault and General Crimes for over 30 years now, and it is the only accredited and qualified Sexual Assault Program and Crime Victims Service Center in Okanogan county. The Support Center works exclusively with primary and secondary victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and other Crimes or abuse.

Services Available...

Crisis Intervention

24/7 Crisis Line • All calls are answered by people who are trained to deal with crisis situations caused by Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and any other crime. Suicide calls, and referrals for other crisis. 911 is meant for all emergencies; emergency personnel is encouraged to call for assistance with Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault/abuse and other crimes type of emergencies. Emergency shelter is available to keep Domestic Violence survivors safe and advocates are trained to assist with medical, legal, and social services aspects of dealing with these calls.

Outreach Services

The Support Center Advocates cover Okanogan County. Nearly every week during the school year, will find the advocates working with students and adults in Tonasket, Oroville, Twisp and Winthrop, Omak, Okanogan, Brewster, Nespelem, Coulee Dam, and Grand Coulee.

Education/Prevention, and Support Groups are offered in the schools along with individual counseling. Other services offered to schools include the curriculum: “Talking about Touching” for the elementary grades, and “Steps to Respect” for the middle school. With prior arrangement, advocates may provide training for teachers on the topic of “Mandated Reporting” and what steps to take when a disclosure is made.

Individual & Group Counseling

Advocates are trained to counsel individuals to work with the feelings and situations that occur after Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and any other crime. Many resources are pooled at The Support Center and can be accessed by the advocates for their clients. Group counseling for survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault occurs on a weekly basis.

A domestic violence support group meets Tuesday of each week from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm in our offices. Please call for information. (509) 826-3221 or toll free 1-888-826-3221.

Emergency Shelter & Transportation

Emergency Food & Shelter

The Support Center offers a 24 hrs. a day, 7 days a week, service of a safe house for clients. It has special security features, and the assurance of quick Police protection should a perpetrator menace the client. A client who meets the criteria for use of the shelter is given an orientation for the family living situation of the shelter and is able to easily access all of the resources for finding new housing quickly. The shelter is stocked with many food items, and it is monitored by the Shelter Services Coordinator who can purchase certain items for the client, such as fresh vegetables, milk meat, and other perishable food products, as per a written request of the client.

Sometimes a client may not need the shelter, but based on the immediate need, is allowed a couple of grocery bags of food to sustain him/her until they can make it again on their own.

Emergency Transportation

All employees and volunteers answering the crisis line are required to have reliable transportation for emergency situations where they can meet the client in a safe place to be picked up and be moved to the shelter, hospital, or another safe destination. The drivers are all properly licensed and carry insurance. This information and documentation is kept up to date in their employee/volunteer file. The drivers also are trained to transport clients only when they can safely do so, such as requiring the seat belts to be securely buckled and that car seat requirements for infants or small children are met at all times.

Emergency Financial Assistance

The support center has limited emergency financial assistance for eligible current clients.

Emergency Financial Assistance can be provided for any client in need depending on situation and circumstances, if you are a victim of crime in Okanogan County and are in need of help with a financial problem please contact your advocate today to determine if we can help you.

Some examples of Emergency Financial Assistance are but not limited to the following...

-Rent, Deposits or Utility Payments

-Bus Fair (Local) or Bus Tickets (out of area)

-Gas Vouchers

-Child Care (limited & special circumstances)

-Food & Personal Care Items

-Shelter

Medical & Legal Advocacy

Medical & Legal Advocacy

All people who answer the Crisis Line are trained to assist with medical examinations for evidence, be it for Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault/Abuse and other crimes. The advocate/volunteer can provide support to the client. A set of clean new clothes will be available for the client’s use, since the client’s original clothing may be confiscated for evidence. The advocate is carefully educated in reference to the rape exam; special attention is paid to the chain of transfer of evidence. This term is used to insure that the evidence collected is always monitored by an authority person to maintain the evidence’s integrity for use in the court system for prosecution.

A legal advocate is on staff with precise knowledge in most areas of legal procedures commonly used by clients of The Support Center. This person serves a resource to the other employees who have their own expertise in certain areas of the different court procedures. For example, most of our advocates assist their clients with many Protection Orders, increasing their expertise and proficiency in obtaining Protection Orders. Furthermore, some of our advocates aid clients with the filing of divorce papers, with or without child custody. This, in turn, requires additional paperwork for the parenting plan. The legal advocate at The Support Center is particularly well informed about the Colville Tribal Court System.

Referrals & Other Services

Referrals to other Agencies

Many agencies work directly with The Support Center enabling clients to access their benefits. Some of these agencies include the Department of Social & Health Services, Okanogan Behavioral Health, Law Enforcement, Community Action Council, Housing Authority, and many other places to empower a client back to independence.

Other Related Services:

>Emotional Support

>Prevention Education Training

>Systems Advocacy

Immigration Services:

Immigrant women, whelther in the U.S. legally or illegally, face particular challenges when they find themselves in abusive relationships. Language barriers, cultural barriers, fearof authorities and threats from abusers to take their children, or turn them over to the authorities combine to make the already challening process of escaping abuse much more difficult.

Most importantly, if they are an illegal immigrant, they are informed not to reveal their immigration status to anyoneexcept an attorney who is working on their behalf, or a domestic violence advocate. As an advocate it is our responsibility to assist whether the abuse ihas been physically violent or not.

the following are the services provided to our immigratnts/refugees:

Safety Planning: assist with making plans before they leave.
Advise on how and where to make copies of important documents.
Referrals to local services like child support, and divorce issues.
Informing them to take protection order/custody over to childre's school so that they don't release the child to the abuser.
Arranging for shelter for the mother and children if necessary.
Assist with orders of protection.
Assist to get documentation of abuse, medical records, including filing police reports.
Providing and/or obtaining interpretation services for court or police.
Dealing with immigration issues; assist with the (VAWA) self-petition if the battered petitioner qualifies.
Distributionof immigration information, i.e. brochures, glyers, etc.
Networking with other agencies to coordinate services.
Follow-up in all of the above.

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Domestic Violence:

Are you in an abusive relationship?

Does your partner...

Insult you in public and in private?
Put down your friends and family?
Check up on where you've been and who you talked to?
Limit where you can go and what you can do?
Destroy your belongings?
Threaten to hurt you, your family members or pets?
Make you have sex in ways or at times that are uncomfortable for you?
Touch you in a way that hurts or frightens you?

If you have experienced any of these behaviors you could be in danger of getting seriously hurt. THE DANGER IS REAL! Do not ignore these behaviors. They are not the result of stress, anger, drugs or alcohol. These are learned behaviors that one person uses to control, intimidate, and manipulate another person. They are destructive and dangerous.

CALL 911 IF YOU ARE IN IMMEDIATE DANGER

Please call: 509-826-3221

toll free: 1-888-826-3221

Email: information@

thesupportcenter.org

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Crime Victim Services:

General or Other Crimes can include:

Arson
Burglary/Robery
Child Abuse
Fraud
Gang Violence
Hate Crimes
Homicide
Human Trafficking
Identity Theft
Missing Persons
Vehicular Homicide
Vehicular Assault

Core Services:

Crisis Intervention
Medical and Legal Advocacy
Systems Advocacy

Victims Centered:

the best interest of each victim is at the forefront of the CVSC mission. When a CVSC is victim centered, each victim's needs take precedence over systems needs and each victim choooses what he/she needs.

Available:

Being available to provide services to victims whether or not they report the crime to state or federal law enforcement, and to provide services to victims regardless if the case is being prosecuted or not.

Accessible and Appropriate in allo Serices:

This means that services are provided in spaces that are accessible and appropiriate for those with disabilities. Translation and interpretation services are available 24 hours a day, and the capacity of the CVSC is representative of populations in the region. (on all levels)

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Sexual Assault:

Sexual Assault is defined as any sexual contact without the express consent of the victim. It can be rape, sexual talk, or touching, the showing of sexual pictures, indecent exposure, or it can occur in many other forms.

Sexual assault victims suffer from severe emotional trauma as to the physical pain that accompanies an assault. Many victims feel powerless and are afraid to defend themselves while being attacked. More than half of all sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows.

If you have been raped, do not douche or destroy your clothing. Get medical attention as soon as possible after the assault. It is important to make sure that there are no internal injuries. Should you decide to press charges, a medical exam can provide important information and evidence. You DO NOT have to press charges to receive medical help or counseling.

To protect yourself if you are assaulted, you may be able to fight back if you think it will not cause you any further harm. You may be able to break a window in a lighted house, or throw something through your own window to attract attention. Be aware that actions to defend yourself could endanger you even further. There is no “right” response to being attacked. Every situation is different. One must take into account if weapons, physical force, or threats are being used, where the attack is taking place, what frame of mind the attacker is in, etc., before responding. It is not uncommon to be too afraid to respond at all.

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Child Sexual Abuse:

Child Sexual Abuse is directed toward children. Child sexual abuse can have devastating effects on the child presently as well as after the child has become an adult.

The child suffers both physical and emotional pain from sexual assault. Some child victims suffer severe bodily injuries, while others may leave not visible signs at all. All abused children suffer emotionally, even if there are no outside scars.

If you suspect a child may be a victim of sexual abuse, contact the Police, Child Protective Services, and/or The Support Center as soon as possible. This is the first step to ensure the child’s safety. In order to make certain that the child is all right and has no internal injuries, a medical exam should be performed. This will also help to prosecute the person responsible for sexually abusing the child.

SURVIVORS of childhood sexual assault may not remember the abuse until they are adults. These memories often seem so real that it feels as though the abuse is happening all over again. There is help for survivors struggling to deal with the feelings that come with the memories. YOU ARE NOT ALONE! For further information, please email us at
information@thesupportcenter.org

or call us at 1-888-826-3221 toll-free.

The Support Center

Services

Services Available...

Crisis Intervention

Outreach Services

Individual & Group Counseling

Emergency Food & Shelter

Emergency Transportation

Emergency Financial Assistance

Medical & Legal Advocacy

Referrals to other Agencies

Other Related Services:

Domestic Violence:

Crime Victim Services:

Sexual Assault:

Child Sexual Abuse:

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