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Many people might not realize that there is such a thing as a sexual assault response team. But right here in Utah County, there is such a team — and they keep very busy. Now, they are in need of help from the community in the form of donations to be used with sexual assault survivors.

According to Lori Jenkins, sexual assault services director for The Refuge Utah, the team responds to more than 20 victims at local hospitals each month, with the numbers going up each year. Last year, 45% of the victims on hospital calls were between the ages of 18 and 25. “With two major universities and several other trade schools in the valley, Utah County has an outsize population of individuals in the highest risk age category,” she said.

The sexual assault response team includes trained volunteers who respond when a victim of sexual assault is at a hospital and stay throughout the investigation process, providing support, comfort and information.

They also take each victim a backpack of donated supplies, including a change of clothes, snacks and a comfortable blanket. They help explain what is happening at the hospital and give them resources for further help and support. The items that are given to victims come from donations, which are now in need of replenishment.

Items needed include small fidget toys, throw blankets, individually wrapped snacks, new sports bras, new women’s underwear, “Survivors rely on these donations to feel comforted and calm during their hospital exams,” it reads on a recent The Refuge Utah Facebook post. “It is with your help that they know they are not alone.”

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Jenkins praised the work done by volunteers, saying they are able to bring stability, support and information to people facing a very difficult situation.

“We are currently recruiting for a new volunteer training that will begin in early May. We provide new volunteers with very thorough training,” she said.

Volunteers receive over 40 hours of training to prepare them to respond to victims in crisis over the 24-hour hotline and in person at hospitals countywide when a victim has come in for a forensic exam.

Team members also can go with victims to report to law enforcement and to court appearances. Community advocates can help with safety planning and applying for a protective order.

“After training, new volunteers are mentored by existing team members. Due to the sensitive nature of the work we do, we carefully screen potential volunteers to make sure serving with us is a good fit for our clients and for the volunteers themselves,” Jenkins said.

According to Jenkins, a sexual assault victim can go into any hospital emergency room and get a medical forensic exam free of charge if the crime happened in the state of Utah. The exam includes the collection of DNA evidence, medications and a head-to-toe exam. There are also 24-hour helplines for victims and loved ones: 801-356-2511, or in Spanish at 801-736-4356.

In addition to the sexual assault response team and the helplines, The Refuge Utah offers free individual and group therapy for survivors. Every Wednesday evening, there is a peer support class at the Orem office, 1433 E. 840 North, where survivors and/or their supporters can come and learn about topics related to domestic violence and sexual assault in a supportive group environment.

Anyone can come and drop into these classes any week. Domestic violence classes are at 6 p.m. in English and 7 p.m. in Spanish. Sexual Assault support classes are at 7 p.m. in English and 8 p.m. in Spanish. There also is a housing program that can assist with those needs.

For more information about getting help for sexual assault or domestic abuse, or about volunteering, go to therefugeutah.org.

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