Sexual Assault Support & Help For Americans Abroad, SASHAA, Launches Worldwide
PORTLAND, Ore., July 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sexual Assault Support & Help for Americans Abroad Program, SASHAA, has launched a new resource to assist American citizens and legal permanent residents who are sexually assaulted in a foreign country while taking a holiday overseas.
Over 80 million Americans travel overseas every year. The Sexual Assault Support & Help for Americans Abroad program, SASHAA, was created to ensure Americans victimized in a foreign country have immediate access to services no matter where they are in the world.
SASHAA case managers provide an informed, compassionate response, as well as advocacy and assistance navigating medical, law enforcement and legal options. This support is continued long term, including counseling and other services. The program can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from overseas by calling an international toll free hotline, 866-USWOMEN, via the AT&T Direct Access code for each country. Instructions can be found on the SASHAA website, www.sashaa.org. Other forms of communication include a live chat feature on the SASHAA website, and a crisis email: [email protected].
If the caller is more comfortable communicating in a foreign language, SASHAA advocates and case managers have access to a language bank.
SASHAA is a program of the Americans Overseas Domestic Violence Crisis Center. AODVC, www.866uswomen.org was founded in 1999 to assist American victims of domestic violence overseas by Paula Lucas. Paula lived overseas for 14 years, escaping back to the USA with her three sons to flee domestic violence and child abuse. She founded the program based on what she had wished had been available to herself and her children.
In 2010 AODVC began serving American sexual assault victims organically. "Funding from the US Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime, enabled us to formally establish the SASHAA program," Paula Lucas, Founder & Executive Director, explains. "We know that statistically, only a small portion of American sexual assault victims overseas reach out for help. With our confidential, 24/7 program, we hope more victims will reach out for assistance during the worst experience of their lives." SASHAA is also a resource for study abroad programs, Americans teaching English overseas, employees traveling overseas for work, and so on.
SASHAA also operates an email aimed at prevention: [email protected]
Prior to departing overseas, travelers can email the knowb4ugo email and get information about the country they are traveling to including how to reach SASHAA from overseas.
For more information please visit www.sashaa.org or email Alix Allison, Global Safety Net Coordinator, at [email protected].
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150713/235930
SOURCE Americans Overseas Domestic Violence Crisis Center
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