Domestic violence, unhealthy relationships and sexual assault are common dialogue for the volunteers of the Sexual Assault Survivor Advocate (SASA) Network.
The community of supporters is run by Gender Violence Education and Support Services (GVESS), providing a resource for victims to reach out for support and guidance.
Student volunteers run the network, carrying a designated cell phone for a week at a time in order to receive calls from victims in need.
According to Dana Vaughn-Mgunda, the program director of GVESS, the content of incoming calls ranges from looking for definitions of sexual assault to emergencies.
“Sometimes callers have questions about definitions, what resources are available to them or just need someone to talk to,” said Vaughn-Mgunda.
Callers can choose to remain anonymous or choose to meet with their advocate to discuss their situation with a sense of comfort.
To apply for volunteer duty, students, faculty and staff members go through the GVESS office.
Students undergo extensive training, totaling 40 hours held on designated Saturdays throughout the quarter to help them prepare for callers as well as understand definitions and background knowledge for the issues they will encounter as an advocate.
Advocates are equipped with the knowledge to answer questions regarding sexual assault and domestic violence defintions, provide resources to further counseling and medical assistance and information for healthy relationships.
The hotline is open to students, faculty, staff and family of those connected to the university. For instance, Vaughn-Mgunda described an instance where a mother called in to express concerns about her daughter being involved in a violent relationship.
Advocates are required to make a one-year commitment to the SASA Network.
Although advocates must keep their specific experiences with the SASA Network confidential, Megan Rafferty, a graduate student studying international disaster psychology, recollects her experiences with the hotline as irreplaceable.
“Although I already knew a lot about gender-based violence and sexual assault from my master’s studies, being a member of the hotline helped me keep up my awareness of these issues in everyday life,” said Rafferty.
There are currently seven advocates involved in the SASA network. Trainings for new advocates began Oct. 15.
Applications to become an advocate beginning in the winter quarter are due Jan. 13, with trainings being held the following four Saturdays.
The application can be obtained by visiting www.du.edu/studentlife/sexual_assault/SASA.html.
The SASA Network hotline phone number is 303-871-3456. While the hotline had previously been open for school calendar days only, the hotline is now open year-round.
