Sexual Assault Survivor Mental Health Support Network
Program Background
In the United States, an estimated 25.5 million women have been raped, more than 19 million have experienced sexual coercion, and 45 million have experienced some form of contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner at some point in their lives. Each year, there are an estimated 463,634 victims of rape and sexual assault (CDC, 2018; Smith, et al., 2017; NISVS, 2015).
Only a fraction of sexual assaults are reported to authorities, and many survivors face significant barriers in the reporting process, such as fear, financial burden, and a lack of support (DOJ, 2020). More often than not the costs of support services prevent survivors from pursuing justice.
Average legal service cost: The average cost for legal services is $43,164, leaving many at an automatic disadvantage depending on geographic location, case duration, and additional services such as appeals (Merryman 2024; Cheser, 2017).
Average mental and physical healthcare cost: The average cost of medical treatment for survivors is $6,737, and the annual cost of talk therapy averages $3,600. This totals $10,337 on the lowest end. This is achieved only by pursuing low-cost mental health support and state legislation designed to minimize sexual assault evidence retention costs (Corso, 2024; IWPR, 2017).
The overall cost for sexual assault support services: On the lower end, a survivor can be quoted $53,501 to receive full legal representation, counseling services for the duration of their case, and medical support in the form of gynecology visits, diagnostic testing, and both identification of and treatment for any sexually transmitted diseases.
Of the few who can afford these excessive financial costs, only a fraction have the capacity to sift through the droves of information available when seeking to report their assault. Factoring in complex state-specific laws and specialty case requirements makes this a particularly grueling task for survivors, often leaving them isolated and overwhelmed during a time when they need support the most.
The Survivor Support Network (SSN) was developed by WAI to provide survivors of sexual assault who are pursuing a case against their assailants with the mental health, legal, and medical staff needed for them to achieve justice and healing, at no cost.
For survivors to participate, they simply complete a confidential form on the Survivor Support Network page of our website, indicating their needs and why (legal, mental health, medical, or any combination), geographic location, and any relevant demographic information they wish to share. For example, if a survivor’s native language is Spanish, and they want to meet with a clinician who has native proficiency they will be recommended one in alignment with this preference. Upon completion of the form, WAI recommends relevant professionals within the Survivor Support Network who have committed to the practice of trauma-informed care. Of those selected within the network to support the survivor throughout their case, WAI takes on the financial burden through grants, foundations, and donors to further the mission of eliminating the barriers to sexual assault reporting.
The Mental Health subsection of the Survivor Support Network exists with three aims:
Reduce the time to begin therapy post-assault by 50% within the first year.
WAI compares average therapy uptake time following an assault against engagement with Mental Health SSN services.
Survivors self-report improvement of mental well-being by 40% within the first six months and an improvement of 70% from the initial start date.
WAI provides the American Psychiatric Association DSM-5 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measurement form for survivors to track overall emotional well-being. WAI requests this questionnaire be re-completed by the survivor every three months, as well as upon completion of the program. This allows WAI to track program efficacy without requesting any detailed, confidential, or identifying information.
The Survivor Support Legal Network, a subset of the SSN, was created with two aims:
Increase the number of survivors of sexual violence who pursue action against their assailant via Title IX complaint, police report, criminal case, or civil suit.
Survivors are often unable to pursue a Title IX complaint or court case due to financial limitations and inadequate emotional support. WAI aims to reduce these barriers and improve reporting rates by tracking ongoing state reports against post-WAI programming integration.
Within states with pro-bono and volunteer requirements, WAI meets eligibility requirements to fulfill these hours. The Survivor Support Network thus offers opportunities for career development and survivor support in whatever capacity our professionals select.
Mental Health Program Logistics
Often when seeking therapeutic services following their assault, survivors are inundated with options, many of whom may lack proper accreditation and trauma-informed care training. Many survivors seeking mental health treatment for the first time do not have an understanding of various therapeutic options, leading to insufficient support and a poor provider-client fit. Factoring in demographic data such as age, ethnic background, religion, and sexual orientation - all nuances that must be taken into account for patient-specific, holistic care - creates an exhaustive list of factors that survivors must consider to find a provider best suited to their needs.
The Sexual Assault Survivor Mental Health Network, a subset of the Survivor Support Network, provides survivors requesting assistance with free mental healthcare for the full duration of the action against the assailant, and with referrals following completion of the program to ensure the survivor is able to maintain consistent care. This assistance is facilitated via direct reference to a team of vetted therapists, counselors, and mediators within the Survivor Support Network.
Rather than sifting through Psychology.com or local organizations in hopes of finding a provider suitable for their needs - one who may be out of network or unavailable - the Sexual Assault Survivor Mental Health Network shifts the work from the survivor onto WAI.
Survivors interested in receiving care can access the Support Request feature on the WAI Survivor Support Network website page where they will fill out a preliminary form to determine which services are necessary and an estimated duration of care. They are then provided with a list of relevant professionals who will be able to support their needs moving forward.
Sexual Assault Survivor Mental Health Network clinicians are contacted when an appropriate fit is determined and requested to complete an introductory meeting. Acting as a direct reference and communicatory body between support and survivor, this program exists to support survivor healing. Once successfully selected, mental health support personnel are responsible for a minimum of bimonthly to a maximum of once-weekly sessions covered by WAI. This begins following the preliminary meeting with the survivor to determine fit and continues for the full duration of the survivor’s case.
Networked clinicians submit a yes or no form every month confirming client participation in sessions and if they would recommend the program. This simply informs WAI that survivor and professional expectations are being responsibly maintained. If progress is halted for any reason or there appears to be a poor fit, survivors and clinicians respectively can submit reports to WAI for adjustments and/or interventions in care.
To ensure consistency, WAI maintains the policy that four missed sessions from a survivor with no contact cancellation result in termination from the program unless extended circumstances are explicitly communicated. Similarly, if a clinician cancels three consecutive sessions, a meeting will be conducted to ensure that they have the capacity to support the survivor and action will be determined upon conference. The consumer and clinician complaint process is also available at any time, provided during onboarding for clinicians or program invitation for survivors. This is to ensure the safety and well-being of all involved parties.
No confidential information is ever made public or provided to any entity for funding or otherwise unless expressly authorized by the survivor. To track referral progress there are standardized pre and post-treatment assessments for mental and emotional health. We also track referral times, follow-up rates, and success rates of referrals leading to service uptake monthly with regular reports. These allow WAI to determine that progress has been made and the services provided were effective. At no point will WAI ever request information discussed during survivors’ sessions. While basic demographic and geographic information may be shared in funding applications, all protocols are taken to ensure the utmost privacy for all participants. Participants also receive the option to opt out entirely from data-sharing practices at any time.
Identification, Onboarding, and Function
How are clinicians identified?
WAI maintains a team that conducts in-depth research based on geographic data to develop a national network of trauma-informed clinicians. The team then identifies demographic markers to ensure survivors of all backgrounds have support that matches their identities, religions, cultures, and practices.
Upon preliminary identification of clinicians, the team then ensures proper certification with all relevant regulatory boards and follows up on certification listings to ensure alignment with WAI’s practices and expectations.
Clinicians with prior board complaints, sustained consumer concerns, or criminal histories are ineligible to join the Survivor Support Network.
In a holistic overview, once the team has identified a potential clinician, they are contacted for a preliminary conversation with the Survivor Support Network Head of Operations to determine alignment.
How are clinicians onboarded?
Interested clinicians must first undergo a background check which includes license verification, a criminal background check, and a professional reference check.
Upon confirmation of a clean and updated background, enrollment begins with WAI’s relevant paperwork including a non-disclosure agreement to ensure the protection of participants and principle commitment documents including DEI, Staff Well-Being, and Trauma-Informed Care.
Clinicians then must undergo WAI’s Survivor Support Certification Program. This is an asynchronous training that ensures an understanding of survivor care expectations and a commitment to the practice of sustained survivor support.
Clinicians then provide us with their client onboarding paperwork. When a survivor is matched with their support team and enters a contract to utilize these services through WAI, we provide all relevant forms in one packet to reduce lost forms and longer setup times.
Upon signing and sending relevant paperwork, a clinician is welcomed to the network and made available on the Survivor Therapy Support Network website page for survivors to see and become accessible for matched recommendations.
Paid vs Pro Bono - Some clinicians participate in a pro bono capacity, others on a sliding scale or paid in full. For practitioners who are in-network for survivors’ insurance, WAI covers relevant copays. Regardless of how or why someone chooses to engage, WAI maintains nondiscriminatory practices to ensure that survivors are matched with the professional that best aligns with their needs.
How do clinicians function within the Survivor Support Network?
Once a clinician is entered into the Survivor Support Network their information is available in two capacities.
Clinician information becomes available on the Survivor Support Network website page including their picture and brief details on their specialty. Survivors seeking care may include the names of clinicians they believe are a good fit.
Clinician information becomes available in the Survivor Support Network algorithm for recommendations based on survivor needs.
Once a clinician is identified as a potential provider for a survivor their information is provided to the survivor. The clinician is then notified and connected to the survivor based on their preferred contact method to set up a preliminary introduction. This turnaround is expected to be completed within 7 days.
Next, the survivor will be surveyed to confirm fit and if confirmed, the clinician is notified by WAI. A meeting schedule must be established and based on need. Clinicians will determine the needed consistency with average care lasting six months up to a year for the case alone.
Clinicians and participants are then provided a monthly yes or no form that confirms their participation and if they would recommend the program.
Financing begins following the introduction meeting depending upon the selected track.
Pro-bono clinicians seeking to complete required volunteer hours must provide the relevant forms to WAI required to sign off on their participation.
WAI is a Presidential Service Award-certified organization meaning that those seeking to complete their Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Lifetime Achievement awards may complete so by volunteering.
Paid clinicians are paid through their preferred online billing method based on either their standard payment expectation or on a sliding scale with the requested payment outlined to WAI prior to participant engagement.
Some clinicians prefer to dedicate their time to meaningful causes for free with the understanding that WAI works in a constant fundraising state to support sustained care while others prefer regular payment cycles for respective reasons. Regardless, WAI places no preference on which clinician is selected for survivors, they are simply recommended per the best fit.
The Developmental Timeline
Timeline Overview
Network Development: From June 2024 to August 2024 WAI is developing its list of practitioners for survivors in Washington DC, Florida, and Hawai’i which have been identified as high-priority comprehensive care needs states. Our clinician network is the backbone of the SSN, meaning we are prioritizing the selection and onboarding of professionals with the utmost care. This also means we are seeking those with diverse backgrounds and experience working directly with survivors of sexual assault.
Training & Onboarding: WAI will spend the end of July to mid-August providing quality survivor support training to ensure ongoing alignment for comprehensive survivor care. Additional onboarding as necessary will also occur at this time.
Pilot Programming: On August 15th, 2024 the pilot launch will occur in the three target states. To ensure the quality of care and appropriately maintained organizational capacity, WAI will be conducting a pilot launch with fifteen minimum practitioners per state across all three Survivor Support Network subgroups. WAI will then be taking on its initial survivors and gaining valuable information on how to best facilitate its services.
Expansion: Following the pilot launch, WAI will begin preparing for expansion in five-state increments to ensure organizational capacity. Should any state need further support or require rearrangements, WAI will delay expansion to ensure that it is appropriately stewarding its ongoing efforts before moving forward.
Feedback & Improvement: SSN programming continually adapts and evolves based on feedback from participants and stakeholders. WAI works with specific in-network practitioners to provide in-depth feedback reviews. It also offers participants (clinicians and survivors) recommendation and experience outline forms to continually improve its offerings. These are completely anonymous to ensure that individuals can openly express their opinions without fear of reprisal.
WAI has also committed to the practice of publishing anonymized aggregates of our compiled feedback data to ensure ongoing transparency and encourage nonprofit accountability.
Full Launch: The aim of this SSN launch is to offer services to survivors across all 50 states with a minimum of fifteen practitioners per state.
Frequently Asked Questions
For questions not covered in detail throughout the document, we’ve also listed the following questions as a quick reference guide for additional information:
Q: Does WAI have the staff and/or resources to operate effectively and without shortfalls?
A: The WAI staff is a quickly growing team with the organization prioritizing capacity-building and program maintenance efforts. Currently, the staff has the resources and staff to operate effectively and without shortfalls within the pilot metrics which have been intentionally outlined to ensure no overflow or errors in survivor care.
Q: Are clinicians in the WAI network typically also covered by state-based Victims of Crime Compensation Funds?
A: WAI takes all opportunities to determine appropriate funding sources for survivors. For clinicians covered under the Victims of Crime Compensation Funds, all efforts are made by our team to ensure that their care is covered under the program.
Q: What is WAI’s consumer complaint process?
A: WAI offers a consumer and practitioner complaint form available to both from the initial meeting onward. If a survivor or clinician wishes to file a complaint, they will fill out our complaint form and appropriate action will be determined based on the information provided. All complaints are processed within 24 hours and the course of action is determined in the following 72 hours.
Q: Does WAI have a policy for re-evaluating networked clinicians, especially if a consumer complaint (or a licensing board complaint) has been levied against them?
A: The WAI team has a consistent review schedule tracking relevant licensing board information to ensure the safety of everyone involved. WAI also conducts bi-yearly assessments with all networked clinicians, requiring them to fill out a form reaffirming their relevant certifications and board compliance documents. Clinicians with licensing board complaints cannot participate in the SSN and will be pulled from the program. For those with consumer complaints, necessary research and meetings will be conducted to determine an appropriate course of action.
Q: What quick steps would it take for me to become a clinician within the SSN?
A: Confirm your interest, complete the relevant background check and licensing verification, and provide two professional references. Afterward, you will be provided with the required training. You will then send WAI your client paperwork and you’re good to go!