When looking for information for this article on where sexual assault and rape survivors can go for help in Chisago County, I was highly disappointed because it took me so long to find the information. In bigger cities, there are support groups and places you can go for help, but locally what is available?
(By the way, the information in this article applies to Domestic Abuse Survivors as well – the article is targeted for sexual assault survivors, because that”s the information I was researching – but most, if not all of it applies for Domestic Abuse Survivors as well. This information may apply, as well, to those survivors who didn”t report the information right away.)
Step 1: Help for Survivors
The very first thing to do, is to find a safe place and afterwards call the police /and or an ambulance (911) and the Victim Assistance Program (612-257-0419). A lot of survivors don”t go to the police, and wish they had.
If possible, and as hard as it might be not to, don”t clean yourself or your environment up – let the police get as many clues as possible.
Step 2: Find Shelter
After find a safe place, contacting the police and taking their advice, plan for a longer temporary safe place to go. Since many people who are victims of Sexual Assault or of Domestic Violence are preyed upon by people they know, a shelter may be the right temporary option.
After some digging around, I was able to find a wonderful crisis center to help domestic violence victims and those in crisis in the area, called The Refuge Network. Their phone number is: 1.800.338.SAFE (7233). They”re mission is to: “provide supportive services for people who are currently involved or have been involved in an abusive relationship. The Refuge Network believes that no one deserves to be abused and therefore seeks to bring an end to domestic violence.” They provide a haven for up to 15 women and children, and by calling them, you can get access to other helpful services.
They also have a list here, of many other helpful community services to help, including a line specifically for men who have been assaulted or are victims of Domestic Abuse: (Men’s Line: 763.689.3883). They also have local offices where you can meet with someone in person in Cambridge, Lindstrom, and Mora.
Step 3: Legal Aid Resources
Contacting a lawyer as quickly as possible may be helpful. Of course, not everyone does, but if a legal representative is available from the beginning, they may be able to make sure that all the t”s and i”s are crossed and dotted, so that the bad guy or gal might be stopped from doing it again.
(From The Refuge Network Website)
Central MN Legal Services – www.centralmnlegal.org
Pro Bono Legal Services through a volunteer attorney program 612.689.2849
Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women (MCBW)
Contact Liz Richards 651.646.6177 ext 25
Battered Women”s Legal Advocacy Project – www.bwlap.org
Call: 612.343.9842 or 800.313.2666
Step 4: Financial Assistance
Financial Assistance may not seem as important from a safety standpoint, but at some point you”re going to need some money in order to take care of yourself (and your children if you have them).
This is from the Minnesota Unemployment Website: “Minnesota Unemployment Law Protects Victims of Domestic Violence. Minnesota Statutes Chapter 268.095 (2001) includes leaving employment to protect one”s self or children from domestic violence among good cause. You must provide evidence of domestic violence (usually a police report, injunction or statement from a domestic violence service provider). You can get more info from the Minnesota Unemployment Office.”
Support Groups:
There are also support groups and crisis counselors available in our county. If your local police department doesn”t recommend one (and I”m sure they would), you can contact The Refuge Network at 1.800.338.SAFE (7233).
As always, if you”re in immediate danger, make sure to stop reading this and call 911!!!!
Finally, know that there are many people out there willing to help you, even when it doesn”t seem like it. What happened to you was not your fault, and you are still and will always be a person worthy and deserving of love and respect.
Where one person is hurt, the whole community suffers.
