FAQ

Urgent Help

If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

If you are injured or need immediate medical treatment, go directly to the nearest hospital (which may not provide SART exams).

Yes. Advocates and counseling support are confidential resources. Connect with them via MySHR (for non-emergency services) or by calling 213-740-9355 WELL to explore your medical concerns and forensic exam options.

You may have heard the term “rape kit,” which is a term commonly used to refer to a sexual assault forensic exam, which is used in criminal prosecution. DNA evidence from a crime like sexual assault can be collected from the crime scene, but it can also be collected from the survivor’s body, clothes, and other personal belongings.

Survivors may choose to have a sexual assault forensic exam to preserve possible DNA evidence and receive important medical care. The process gives survivors the chance to safely store evidence if/when they decide to prosecute. The length of the exam may take a few hours, but the actual time will vary based on several different factors.

It may be helpful to have a support person—a friend to give you emotional support—as you go through this process. An Advocate can stay with you throughout any exam or any follow up process that you may choose to pursue.
An Confidential Advocate can arrange free Lyft transportation and accompany you to a SART center for an exam and additional immediate (gender- and power-based harm) care services (i.e. court accompaniments, restraining order hearings, EEO-TIX hearings, etc.).
You can go to USC Student Health for important medical follow up care and STI testing. You can explore your medical options and receive assistance booking an appointment at Student Health by contacting one of our Confidential Advocates.
SART/SARC programs are typically associated with emergency rooms in hospitals so that survivors can be treated for medical needs in addition to counseling, guidance on options for evidence collection (“rape kit”), and criminal prosecution.

In Los Angeles County, SART/SARC programs are required by law to operate in conjunction with a licensed general acute care hospital, a licensed basic emergency department or a hospital sponsored program clinic that has met specific requirements approved by the County of Los Angeles to receive patients who are victims of sexual assault/abuse.

In the Los Angeles County region, there are nine SART/SARC (Sexual Assault Response Teams/Centers) serving a population of 10 million people: Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center, LAC-DHS in partnership with USC (Eastern Los Angeles), Long Beach Community Hospital (Long Beach), San Gabriel Valley Hospital (San Gabriel), Little Company of Mary (Torrance), Presbyterian Community Hospital (Whittier), Antelope Valley Hospital, Citrus Valley Medical Center (West Covina), and Pomona Valley Medical Center (Pomona).

The Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center is our preferred services partner as RTC provides the advantage of evidence that is frozen and stored in perpetuity. There is an additional benefit of no cost to clients and no charges that appear on insurance billing.

CARE-SC provides trauma-informed services which involve understanding, recognizing, and responding to the effects of all types of trauma on well-being and behavior. Trauma-informed care emphasizes physical, psychological, social and moral safety and helps trauma survivors rebuild a sense of control and empowerment.

Date Rape Drugs

Regardless of whether you chose to ingest a substance or you were unknowingly drugged, remember that sexual violence is not your fault. Unfortunately, drug and alcohol facilitated sexual assaults are quite common, and memory impairment is common.

If you think you may have been assaulted while incapacitated/unconscious, we encourage that you still contact an advocate to explore your medical concerns and forensic options as soon as possible after the incident. For more information regarding drug and alcohol facilitated sexual assaults contact an CARE-SC advocate.

Reporting

No. Pursuing reporting options (law enforcement, EEOTIX) are up to the client.
Please see Reporting Options.
Please see Reporting Options.
The role of the advocate is not to speak on behalf of the student, but to support the student. For example, the advocate cannot report the student’s assault/experience in lieu of the student speaking directly to law enforcement. However, advocates can provide emotional support or clarity, and accompany them while reporting on and off campus.
If you’d like advice on how you can support your friend, provide additional resources for them, or explore reporting your concerns, please contact the Advocates.

For Survivors

USC also refers students to YWCA of Greater Los Angeles, Sexual Assault Crisis Services Program, and Peace Over Violence. These centers provide crisis intervention services, sexual trauma counseling, and advocacy services but do not provide SART/SARC services nor acute medical services. These organizations, especially Peace Over Violence, have provided reliable and professional services to students.

However, they service the broad public community of Los Angeles and are not specialized for support issues related to college students, such as academic accommodations, emergency housing on campus, Title IX reporting, counseling services, etc. This is why the advocates in Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention and Services may serve as a better navigational resource for students.

Self blame is a really common feeling for survivors because of the messages that we all receive from our society and community about self protection, but relationship and sexual violence is never the fault of the survivor. Be kind to yourself and remember that you can always talk to an CARE-SC Advocate about these feelings.
No one has the right to tell you how to feel about your experience. It might help to know that sometimes when we share our experiences it can be triggering for that person and they may react poorly. Other times that person is not the right person to help us on our healing journey. Reach out to an CARE-SC Therapist or Advocate for the support that you deserved to have the first time you shared.

There are a lot of factors that might impact when and if you feel ready to share and who you might want to share with. You have no obligation to disclose your experience to anyone, unless you want to. If you want to talk out this scenario with a confidential resource give our Advocates a call or make an appointment on MySHR.

Helping Others

Remember that it can be difficult to disclose so make sure you thank the friend for sharing their experience with you, listen to them, and support them. You can find more tips on how to support a survivor here. Be sure to inform them about resources available to them if they are interested.

Many survivors need additional services beyond the support that a friend can provide, so it can be helpful to learn about the resources available such as CARE-SC Advocates and Counselors and share that information with your friend. Everyone heals in their own way so never push or force them to contact resources.

It is always up to the survivor to decide whether they want to report or seek services for relationship and sexual violence. You may have strong feelings in response to your friend’s disclosure and you may feel compelled to take action, however you cannot make decisions on their behalf. Let them know that you will support them in whatever decision they make.

Survivors should always have the power to define their own experiences. You can always empower your friend by sharing your knowledge about definitions, resources, and any other information that you think may be helpful, but it is important that survivors are able to define their own experiences however is most comfortable for them.

It can be difficult and stressful to support a friend through trauma. This may be even more difficult for those who have experienced trauma themselves. If you are concerned that supporting a friend may affect your mental health and wellbeing, you can schedule your own appointment at Counseling and Mental Health Services through MySHR. CARE-SC advocates can also help someone who is supporting a friend through relationship and sexual violence.