Emotionally

• Survivors can call the 24 hour crisis hotline at (888)802-8890 and speak with a trained professional.
• Survivors can call Northwest CASA at (847)806-6526 to set up a crisis intervention session or counseling services.

Medically

• After an assault, survivors should visit a local emergency room as soon as possible.
• Hospital staff will treat survivors for any injuries and provide a physical exam.
• Survivors will be given a pregnancy test and offered emergency contraception if appropriate and if the hospital visit is within 72 hours of the assault.
• Survivors will be given medication to prevent any sexually transmitted infections from occurring due to the assault.
• At the hospital survivors can consent to having an evidence collection kit completed.
• The evidence collection kit process has many steps to it.  Some of these steps include collecting oral and vaginal swabs.
• Survivors have the right to consent to any part or all of the evidence collection kit.
• Hospital staff will ask survivors to provide a narrative of what happened during the assault to be included in the evidence collection kit.
• If survivors do think they will be completing an evidence collection kit at the hospital, survivors should not shower, take a bath, douche, go to the bathroom, or change their clothes before the collection is complete.  All of these acts can lead to loss of evidence of the assault.
• When survivors seek treatment for an assault at the emergency room, they should know that the police will be called because a crime has been committed.

Legally

• Survivors can file a report with the police about the assault.
• An advocate from Northwest CASA can assist survivors with this process.  Survivors can speak with an advocate through our hotline at (888)802-8890.
• Survivors can report to the police if they seek medical attention at a hospital, or survivors can go to the police department of the city where the assault occurred.
• While filing a police report, the investigating officer will ask for a summary of the assault, including where and when the assault happened.  Survivors may talk to both patrolling officers as well as detectives.  Survivors will be asked to give a description of the perpetrator.
• Survivors may be asked to look at photographs of known sex offenders, and /or work with a police artist to create a composite sketch of the perpetrator.
• Photographs may be taken of survivors if there are bruises or signs of attack.
• The police may collect evidence at the scene of the assault as well.  Survivors or anyone else should not remove anything from the crime scene.
• If charges are pressed, the legal process can take a very long time.  Northwest CASA can also provide survivors with an advocate to attend court with or for survivors.
• Legal involvement can be a long, emotional, and complex process.  That is why Northwest CASA can provide an advocate who can help survivors through this process.
• Survivors should not be afraid to ask questions when speaking with the police, detectives, or a state’s attorney.