Advocacy

Advocates provide assistance, information, and realistic appraisal of time, procedure, and possible outcomes to help navigate unknown paths.  There are basic responsibilities an advocate has to a survivor:

*     Serve as a liaison between the survivor and systems
*     Facilitate the survivor's decision-making
*     Inform the survivor of her/his rights
*     Prepare the survivor by providing her/him with necessary information
*     Accompany the survivor as she/he moves through systems
*     Inform the survivor of other services available to her/him
*     Document services provided according to program requirements
*     Reach out for assistance and support when necessary

Child Advocacy

We provide services to younger victims, between the ages of 4 and 18, who are affected by domestic violence and/or sexual assault.

Legal Advocacy

This is any one-on-one interaction between a trained program worker and an eligible adult client or third party on behalf of an adult client, the purpose of which is to explain the criminal justice system, the civil court or legal system, the client's rights, etc.  Some examples of legal advocacy may include issues related to the PFA Act as well as other legal issues such as divorce, custody, etc.

Legal advocacy may also include accompanying the client to court, the police station, legal services, etc., for support.  Legal advocacy has the purpose of benefiting the client with the service plan in mind.

Medical Advocacy

Upon a request made by a client, police or hospital emergency room personnel will call an advocate to meet with the client.  The advocate will introduce herself/himself as such and explain procedures that will take place and the reasoning for it.  The advocate will stay with the client while she/he waits to be seen by medical personnel and ask the client if she/he would like the advocate to be present during the exam.

After the exam, the advocate will meet with the client to provide assistance, information, and realistic appraisal of time, procedure, and possible outcomes to help navigate the next step the client wishes to take.  The advocate will ask if she/he can call the client the next day to make sure she/he is okay and offer continuing support of The Abuse Network.