Nonprofit celebrates 50 years of advocating for sexual assault survivors | News

On average, TCS receives approximately 1,200 hotline calls per year, including calls from MUSC for personal assistance. Running a 24/7 call line is no easy feat, especially due to the sensitive and intense nature of the conversations, Freel said.

Volunteers undergo extensive training in speaking with survivors. Ultimately, the task requires a tremendous sense of responsibility, but many volunteers find it infinitely rewarding, Freel said.

“They really enjoy being that resource and then being able to end a call and the person feeling better than they did on the first call when they were so distressed.

“The difference it makes in people’s lives is just lifesaving,” Freel said.

On a typical call to the hotline, a volunteer walks a caller through grounding techniques, provides the caller with support resources, and attempts to identify what the caller needs immediately.

What callers need from TCS varies greatly. Volunteers often travel to MUSC’s emergency department to accompany survivors during Sexual Assault Forensic Examinations (SAFE). While the hotline calls are undoubtedly difficult, seeing a bereaved family member in person in a medical setting can be far more difficult, Freel said.

Essential partnerships

Deep within a long maze of beige, two-tone hallways at MUSC is the sexual assault exam room. Behind a massive wooden door, the examination room is more reminiscent of a local GP practice than a sterile room in a hospital.

The exam room walls are splattered with soothing light blue paint, floral stickers and wooden artwork depicting a bright white dandelion flower with the words “Just Breathe.”

The thought of an intrusive examination after a sexual assault deters many survivors from seeking this help. But these studies and the test results of the rape tests analyzed can be important evidence in court if a survivor decides to report an assault, said Carter Coyle, director of public affairs for the National Mass Violence Center at MUSC.