Community resources available to raise awareness, help prevent sexual assault violence
Fernanda Gonzalez
Local organizations remind people about the available resources they offer to create awareness to help prevent sexual assault violence and reduce the number of cases in the Rio Grande Valley.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website, Sexual Assault Awareness Month is observed in April and aims to increase knowledge and awareness, and identifies strategies and resources to prevent sexual violence.
Organizations, such as Mujeres Unidas and the UTRGV Office for Advocacy and Violence Prevention, are available for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Mujeres Unidas is a nonprofit organization established in 1978 with the objective of providing crisis intervention to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. All of its services are free and confidential.
Licensed Master Social Worker and Sexual Assault Program Director for Mujeres Unidas Hilda Gracia said Mujeres Unidas provides a Crisis Rape Center, with services such as crisis intervention, information and referrals, a 24-hour hotline and accompaniment.
“We provide accompaniment [to victims] to the police department,” Gracia said. “We provide accompaniment to court and also we provide accompaniment to the hospital.”
She said there are several ways an individual can get in contact with Mujeres Unidas, such as the 24-hour hotline, which serves as an information provider.
“Another way is that they are being referred by the police department so we can provide them with services,” Gracia said. “Another way is that a person can just come in, and they don’t need an appointment.”
Director of the Advocacy and Violence Prevention office Cynthia Jones said UTRGV has a trauma responsive licensed professional counselor, which is not a replacement of the counseling center.
“She provides services that include crisis response, short and long term counseling and group sessions for survivors of violence or bystanders of violence,” Jones said.
She said faculty, staff and students can use the services of the OAVP office.
“But we can also make referrals regardless of where a person is located or coming from,” Jones said. “If they never attended the university or worked with the university, we keep a fairly up-to-date resource list of community resources available to anyone in the Rio Grande Valley. We try to keep it updated for all four counties.”
Gracia said it is important to have a Sexual Assault Awareness Month because of the showcase of resources the month observes.
“Bringing awareness to our community here in the Hidalgo County, it’s very important for us because we would like for the numbers to decrease,” she said.
This is Fernanda Gonzalez for Vaquero Radio.
