If you are unsure if your situation fits into the victimizations that VSC serves, please call our office at 407-254-9415 to speak to an advocate.
VSC provides around the clock support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Through our Sexual Assault Helpline, you will be in immediate contact with a Sexual Assault Counselor who can provide crisis intervention, service options, and information on sexual assault.
VSC’s crisis counselors provide crisis intervention following a traumatic event and provide a safe space in which a survivor is able to talk through their situation. Other crisis intervention services provided include assessing and planning a survivor’s safety, providing survivor with information, and assisting the survivors in beginning the process of identifying options/resources and considering possible actions.
VSC’s advocates are available to assist with individualized advocacy services such as assistance in making informed decisions about care, information and assistance with Victim Compensation Program application, and on-going case management to ensure continuity of services. More info on the VC program application text https://www.myfloridalegal.com/victim-compensation
VSC is available to assist survivors by providing appropriate information and referral, and phone numbers of other appropriate service providers based on the information provided by the survivor about their situation.
Accompaniment and emotional support can be provided by an advocate for events such as court hearings, forensic exams, interviews, trial and sentencing, and other necessary appointments or services.
24-Hour Sexual Assault Helpline: VSC provides around the clock support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Through our 24-Hour Sexual Assault Helpline, you will be in immediate contact with a Sexual Assault Counselor who can provide crisis intervention, service options, and information on sexual assault.
VSC is the certified Rape Crisis Center for Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties. In Orange and Osceola Counties, our team of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) provide 24/7 on-call forensic examinations and medical services for survivors ages 12 and older.
A VSC crisis counselor will provide the survivor with accompaniment and emotional support throughout the forensic collection process. All information provided to the crisis counselor is considered confidential per Florida Statute 90.5035.
A sexual assault forensic collection (also known as a “rape kit”) is used to gather evidence that has been left in or on the body following a sexual assault.
A forensic exam cannot determine if a sexual encounter occurred, nor if it was consensual or nonconsensual.
A forensic exam can be performed up to 120 hours after the sexual assault.
A Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE), who is a nurse that is trained to collect forensic evidence, conducts forensic exams for VSC.
VSC operates two confidential forensic exam locations: one in Orange County and one in Osceola County. If an individual requires hospitalization, a forensic exam may be performed by a VSC SANE within the hospital setting.
For forensic exams that are completed without a report to law enforcement, the evidence will be stored for 50 years without identifying information on the outside of the kit in order to ensure your privacy. This evidence will be available for testing if you choose to report the sexual assault in the future. Per Florida statute, non-report kits are not tested.
VSC SANEs can provide basic first aid, emergency contraceptives, antibiotics for common STIs, as well as referrals to other agencies for HIV preventative services.
There is a maximum window of 90 days in which a forensic exam kit must be tested. You will be able to track the processing of your kit using the Track Kit system. Once testing has been completed and results are available, your detective will contact you to let you know the results. You will not see the results in the Track Kit system, but rather a message that results are available.
VSC provides forensic exams free of cost to survivors.
If you have any other questions about the forensic exam process, please call our 24/7 helpline at 407-500-HEAL (4325) to speak to an advocate.
*Forensics provided at a separate confidential location.
*Forensics provided at a separate confidential location.
*Forensics provided at a separate confidential location.
Victim Service Center of Central Florida is the Certified Rape Crisis Center in Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties. We serve all victims of sexual assault, violent crime and traumatic circumstance through free and confidential crisis intervention, therapy, advocacy and outreach. www.HealHere.org.
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