Law Enforcement Accompaniment

After experiencing interpersonal violence, you may wish to report to law enforcement authorities. SAOP can provide a trained advocate to accompany, support, and advocate for you during this process.

Outcomes for Law Enforcement Accompaniment

  • Explain your rights as a victim of crime (teens, adults, and survivors)
  • Assist in developing a safety plan for you and your family (teens, adults, survivors, and co-survivors)
  • Accompany you during police reports (teens, adults, and survivors)

Some individuals wish to take civil or criminal legal action after experiencing interpersonal violence. SAOP advocates can provide detailed information regarding these processes, offer accompaniment, and provide further support as the case proceeds.

Outcomes for Legal Accompaniment

  • Divorce (adults)
  • Civil Protection Orders (CPOs) (adults)
  • Juvenile Protection Orders (teens)
  • Temporary Protective Orders (TPOs) (adults and teens)
  • Applying for free legal assistance for those who qualify (adults and teens)
  • Emergency custody (adults and teens)

Medical Accompaniment

Some individuals wish to seek or require medical attention. SAOP can provide a trained advocate for accompaniment to a health care provider in any of our seven county locations. This service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. SAOP advocates can also provide services during follow-up appointments or forensic examinations.

If you request this service, an advocate will accompany to the nearest hospital for an optional Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE). A SAFE Exam serves several purposes:

The examination should be done within 96 hours for accurate collection. If desired, the advocate can stay with you throughout the entire process. The first step is to get checked-in and alert the hospital that sexual assault has occurred. If you are concerned that you may be in danger, please notify hospital staff and security can assist you in remaining safe while at the hospital.

There is some initial paperwork that you will have to fill out when you first arrive. Once you have completed that, you will be asked to describe the incident in as much detail as possible. The next step is the evidence collection. The nurse will package up your clothes and take pictures of any injuries for documentation, as well as collect swabs to check for DNA evidence. Afterwards, she will assess if any emergency contraceptive or STI prevention is necessary. Remember: you can choose whether or not to have these services or if you want to report the assault. Also, you can skip any of these steps and still receive other aspects of the exam. Each part is totally optional depending on your comfort level. You can also choose to remain anonymous if you prefer not to have your name attached to the kit.

Neither you nor your health insurance should be billed for any costs associated with the SAFE exam and are covered by the SAFE Program from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. However, any additional treatments or tests outside of the exam, such as CT scans, X-Rays, MRIs or stitches, are not covered under this program.

Outcomes for Medical Accompaniment

  • Assure any physical injuries acquired are cared for (adults and teens)
  • If desired, receive treatment to prevent pregnancy or STIs (adults and teens)
  • To collect any evidence, regardless if you want to report to law enforcement (adults and teens)

Title IX Accompaniment

Student survivors of sexual violence may wish to file a Title IX complaint with the institution in which they are enrolled. SAOP advocates can assist survivors in this process and connect them with support and legal advocacy through the reporting process. It is important to note a survivor can report a Title IX complaint without reporting to law enforcement.

Outcomes for Title IX Accompaniment

  • Title IX complaint filing (adults and teens)
  • CPO against harasser (adults)
  • Juvenile CPO against harasser (teens)
  • Educational accommodations (e.g., classroom changes, dorm changes, extension on assignments, etc.) (adults and teens)

Workplace Accompaniment

Sexual harassment is a type of sexual violence that occurs in the workplace. Sexual harassment can include unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and/or sexual comments or conduct that makes the workplace hostile. Sexual harassment is illegal under Title VII. SOAP can help you file a Title VII complaint, obtain a protection order against your harasser, and find other support in the workplace.

Outcomes for Workplace Accompaniment

  • Title VII compliant filing (adults and teens)
  • CPO against harasser in workplace (adults and teens)
  • Civil court accompaniment (adults and teens)