Taking the First Steps Towards Healing

If you are a survivor of sexual assault, reaching out for help is an extremely important step in your recovery and healing process. It is up to you as a person who and how to reach out for help, but here are some possible options.

1) Tell someone you trust. Sexual assaults can be terrifying, traumatic, and an enormous burden to bear alone. Think about whom you might trust to tell that would be supportive. You can also call SAPAC at (734)998-9368, CAPS at (734)764-8312, or our 24 hour crisis line at (734)936-3333. You may also meet with a SAPAC or CAPS staff member in person. The most important thing is finding someone to talk to and not staying silent about what has happened to you.

2) Request a medical examination. Even if you don’t think you were physically hurt, you may want to be checked for internal injuries, pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases as soon as possible. Having a medical exam within 72 hours is best for collecting physical evidence of the sexual assault.

The emergency rooms at U of M Hospitals and St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital can provide both a medical exam and evidence collection for sexual assault survivors. You can also call University Health Services (734)764-8325 for a medical examination, but UHS does not collect evidence. Please know that if you seek evidence collection through an ER, the police will be contacted; however, it is up to you whether to file a police report.

You can call the SAPAC 24-hour crisis line at (734)936-3333 to have a SAPAC advocate accompany you to the emergency room or to UHS for your exam.

3) Report to the Police. You can contact SAPAC for assistance in reviewing your reporting options. Whether to file a police report is your decision, and you do not have to make it immediately. However, if you decide to file a report, it would be advantageous to your case to do this as soon as possible. If you are making an immediate report, evidence may be preserved in the following ways: do not wash, bathe, or brush your teeth; don’t remove anything in the area where the assault took place.

A SAPAC advocate can accompany you if you decide to make a police report or provide more information about the evidence collection exam.

4) Seek additional supportive counseling. Regardless of whether you get a medical examination or report the assault, you may want help to deal with the impact of the assault. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers comprehensive, expert therapeutic services to help you through the recovery process. You can come in to the CAPS office at 3100 Michigan Union on a walk-in crisis basis and be seen by a counselor as soon as possible the same day. You can also come in and make an appointment with one of CAPS therapists who specialize in working with sexual assault survivors.

It is crucial that you remember that no matter what the circumstances were, you are not to blame for happened to you. Give yourself permission to do what you need to do to take care of yourself. And most of all, reach out for help! There are people in your life who care about you and professionals who can help you heal.