Wednesday, March 18, 2020

10 Resources in Pullman, WA that Can Help You With Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

     The first resource is Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse (ATVP). They have three main contacts. One for 24/7 services 1-877-334-2887. The other two are 1-509-332-HELP (4357) and 1-208-883-HELP (4357). Besides people who seek help for themselves, the contacts are also available for everyone who wishes to support these victims. This organization aims to provide urgent and supportive services for sexual and domestic violence victims, survivors and their children. Moreover, they also provide knowledge and education related to this field.

     Their emergency services are shelters and crisis intervention to these male or female victims and their dependent children. Besides that, many support services like court support, therapy, family and child advocacy, transportation, food and clothing, employment and school assistance are also provided.

     ATVP is supposed to be a discrimination-free place. However, the website is only available in only English. Some immigrants, who are not familiar with this language, might have some difficulties accessing to ATVP’s services. On the other hand, ATVP is thoughtful when they have “Quick Escape Button” on the top of the website, on which the victims can click and move to a random Wikipedia page. This might help them avoid the attention of the abusers.

     The second resource available in Pullman is Cougar Health Services. After-hours telephone nurse line is 509-335-3575. The line for crisis support service is 509-335-451.

     Cougar Health Services provide emotional support, medical care, and reporting for domestic or sexual violence victims. They also provide Green Dot bystander intervention program for students to learn about the signs and interventions for domestic or sexual violence and sexual harassment. 
Although Cougar Health Services provide psychological and medical services, they lack emergency services. Victims who are in life-threatening situations are encouraged to dial 911. Moreover, Cougar Health Services are not efficiently available off-campus, which is not a good option for victims who are not students.
 
     The third resource is the Pullman Regional Hospital. The 24/7 phone number of the Emergency Department is 509-336-7359. They also encourage victims to dial 911 in life-threatening situations.

     Their aim to support victims of sexual assault and rape. They have a service called Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE), which provides forensic medical examinations. Within 4 days of the assault, a victim would receive a professional evaluation from a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. The nurses will identify and care for injuries, collect physical evidence, assess the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and give preventative treatment, give crisis information and referral to support services, etc.

     Pullman Regional Hospital helps victims collect evidence for an efficient report. Besides the exam, they also help victims contact the support services available in the community. They should have this service translated to different languages and attached to many places to get victims’ attention.

     The next resource is on the Psychology Today website. In Domestic Violence Therapists in Pullman, WA section, there are many therapists available for domestic or sexual violence victims who are looking for interventions and mental treatments. This resource is inclusive since different counsellors are willing to help. However, it is only a good option for the victims whose fiance is stable and their children to strengthen their resilience.

     City of Pullman Police Department is also a great local resource for these victims and their children. The victims can dial 911 anytime to get physical, urgent support. This resource is the most inclusive. They also have to help the victims contact with available local services.

     The Whitman County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office offers a Victim / Witness Coordinator is another good resource for these victims to receive assistance with restitution benefits. The victims contact one of the prosecutors via phone number 509-397-6250. Their responsibilities are gross misdemeanor prosecution, file and prosecute felony complaints, victim and witness support, child support enforcement. Because they work based on the Washington State Legislature, this resource should be inclusive.

     Washington State Department of Labor and Industries also support domestic or sexual violence victims. Their contacts are 1-800-762-3716 and 360-902-5355. They are responsible to pay for the Sexual Assault Nurse Exam (SANE) and additional medical or mental health treatment via a crime victim’s compensation claim. To receive these services, the victims will need to cooperate with law enforcement or participate in the criminal justice system and file a police report.

     WSU Office of Civil Rights Compliance & Investigation (CRCI) provides criminal investigation for the victims who involve sexual assault. They could be contacted via 509-335-8288. The limit of this organization is that only WSU students would be contacted by a representative from the WSU Office of Civil Rights Compliance & Investigation.

     These victims and their children can also get help from the Washington State Domestic Violence Hotline via phone number 1-800-562-6025 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. everyday. They would help the victims connect the nearest domestic violence program and resources, including safe shelter, advocacy, counseling and legal assistance. Moreover, their missions also include crisis assistance, emotional support, and safety planning.

     The National Sexual Assault Hotline is similar to the Washington State Domestic Violence Hotline. The victims can contact 800-656-4673 to get help. Unlike the state’s hotline, this national hotline works 24 hours, which is more appropriate for victims who are available in the evenings. 


 Eurus Thach


References:

Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse. (n.d.). About ATVP [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://atvp.org/aboutus.shtml.
Cougar Health Services. (n.d.). Violence Prevention [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://cougarhealth.wsu.edu/violence-prevention/.
KING Staff. (2016). Resources to help domestic violence victims. K5 News, Health. Retrieved from https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/resources-to-help-domestic-violence-victims/361205012.
Office of Civil Rights Compliance & Investigation. (n.d.). Investigations [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://crci.wsu.edu/.
Pullman Regional Hospital. (n.d.). Sexual Assualt Treatment & Resources: Providing healthcare and treatment to victims of sexual assault and rape [ Blog post]. Retrieved from https://pullmanregional.org/patient-care/services/emergency-care/sexual-assault-treatment-resources.
Psychology Today. (n.d.). Domestic Violence Therapists in Pullman, WA. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/domestic-violence/wa/pullman.
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. (n.d.). Sexual Assualt Victims [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://lni.wa.gov/claims/crime-victim-claims/sexual-assault-victims#information-for-victims.
Whitman County. (2018). Prosecutor [blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.whitmancounty.org/Page.aspx?pn=Prosecutor.
WSU Police. (n.d.). Reporting a Sexual Assualt [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://police.wsu.edu/sexual-assault-investigations/elements-section/.

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