Victim advocates provide emotional support to sexual assault victims and their families. Under the provisions of Public Health Law ~ 2805-I, a sexual assault victim has the right to be accompanied by a victim advocate or rape crisis counselor during the sexual offense evidence collection examination. Advocates provide information that allows the victim and/or family members a critical opportunity to regain control. Their sole purpose is to provide support to the victim, ease trauma, and facilitate the victim's passage to recovery. These advocates can be located through local Rape Crisis Centers,
http://nyscasa.org/ .
Advocates may provide:
Crisis intervention
Support services to the child/adolescent and family
Information regarding the family court and criminal justice systems
Accompaniment and support for the child/adolescent and family during involvement with the family court and criminal justice system, including court appearances
Knowledge of and assistance in accessing crime victim’s compensation available from the New York State Crime Victims Board www.ovs.ny.gov
Assistance with witness preparation
Accompaniment of children and adolescents during the medical exam(s) and other appointments, as appropriate
