November 11 is Veterans Day, a day in which we honor the brave men and women who have served our country through military service.

Every year, thousands of men and women across the country make the decision to join the military. There may be a multitude of reasons driving this decision. Many feel a calling to serve their country and be part of something larger than themselves. Others are motivated by the numerous opportunities afforded by the military, such as education benefits and job training. Some are drawn to the possibility of adventure – a way to see the world beyond the parameters of the communities where they grew up.

Regardless of the motivation to join, no one anticipates experiencing sexual trauma while serving our country.

Unfortunately, one in four women and one in one-hundred men report to their Veteran Affairs (VA) health care providers that they have experienced military sexual trauma.

Military Sexual Trauma (MST) is a term used by the VA to refer to sexual assault or threatening sexual harassment that occurred while someone was serving our country. In the Central Florida area alone, there are nearly 4,000 men and women who have reported MST to their VA healthcare providers. We also know that there are many others who have not yet come forward.

MST can affect one’s physical and mental health for years afterwards. Common effects include unwanted memories, distress related to reminders of the trauma, anxiety, depression, a sense of always being “on guard,” difficulties with trusting others, and problems in relationships.

Fortunately, people can recover from experiences of MST. The VA is committed to ensuring that veterans who are survivors of MST have access to the help they need to recover.

Treatment for physical and mental health conditions related to MST is available at every VA facility and provided at no-cost. Veterans may be able to receive these services even if they are not eligible for other VA services. They do no need to be service connected or receive VA disability compensation. Also, it does not matter how much time has passed since the trauma or whether they reported the trauma to authorities (as the VA recognizes that many individuals do not report sexual trauma).

For more information, veterans can speak with their existing VA health care provider or present to the enrollment department at the nearest VA facility to start the process of getting connected to services. In addition, each VA Medical Center has a designated MST Coordinator who can provide information on MST related services and help veterans get connected.

I am happy to serve as MST Coordinator for the Orlando VA Medical Center and surrounding outpatient clinics, including facilities at Lake Nona, Lake Baldwin, Crossroads, Clermont, Deltona, Kissimmee, Tavares, Viera, and Daytona. I can be reached at 407-646-5500, extension 28442.

Veterans can also learn more about VA’s MST-related services online at www.mentalhealth.va.gov/msthome.asp

If you served our country and are a survivor of MST, please understand that you are not alone. We understand that it can be difficult to reach out for help. When you are ready, the VA is committed to help you in your journey of recovery.

Ashley Arens, Ph.D., ABPP

Clinical Psychologist

In 1996, the Board of County Commissioners agreed that a portion of the jails’ proceeds needed to be allocated to recovery services for crime survivors in the community and decided to allocate the funding from payphones in the jail to create a support agency. Commissioner Mary Johnson helped lead the charge for victims’ rights and the need for community services. By 1999 the Victim Service Center had opened its doors in the heart of downtown Orlando and was ready to help victims on their journey to healing.

In 2001, the Victim Service Center was incorporated as a nonprofit organization and became Victim Service Center of Orange County, Inc. That same year we opened the Sexual Assault Treatment Center (SATC), providing forensic examinations and medical intervention to sexual assault survivors. VSC ultimately became the only certified rape crisis program in Orange County through the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence (FCASV) just four years later in 2005.

2012 was a big year for for VSC; we became the Victim Service Center of Central Florida, Inc., moved to our current home on Michigan Street, and expanded to Osceola County offering all of our same services out of the Care Center. We also expanded our client offerings to include a full-time in-house therapy program to help clients dive deeper into their healing.

In the summer of 2014, VSC developed partnerships with the local detention centers in Orange and Osceola County to provide inmates with access to VSC’s sexual assault helpline directly. This effort assisted the detention centers in meeting the Prison Rape elimination Act requirements and allowed inmates who have experienced sexual assault while in detention the opportunity to speak with experienced Victim Advocates trained in the area of sexual violence and crisis intervention. In January 2015, VSC was contracted to provide in-person Sexual Trauma Services at the Orange County Detention Center. Services include Education and Awareness groups as well as individual and group Therapy aimed to assist female inmates with addressing emotional issues resulting from sexual trauma.  The program offers the opportunity for the participants to identify and replace dysfunctional coping patterns with appropriate coping skills, which is essential for long-term change and recovery to occur.

In 2016, we proudly expanded with a third office in Longwood to serve Seminole County, further extending our reach and providing services to more victims in need.

In order to keep up with our growth we actively began  fundraising to enhance our opportunities as a center with our first event at the Orlando Science Center in 2007 and later moved to the Mennello Museum of Art where we officially launched our signature event, Cheers to Change. [Some might remember our Executive Director, Lui, hanging signs off the edge of the museum.] Now five years later, Cheers to Change has grown into a highly anticipated 400+ person event, which is in large part due to our loyal and generous supporters who came out to make a difference in the lives of victims in our community.  Thank you for always making joining us at Cheers to Change a priority year after year.

Outreach and prevention has always been part of our work, but in 2015 we officially launched an education training program. We offer training’s on bullying as well as sexual harassment and assault to organizations and businesses. Our anti-bullying youth focused trainings cover the understanding that while it is never okay to bully another individual often times the bully is also being bullied. Our educators discuss how to stand up and be an active bystander for someone in these situations with direct, distract, and delegation options. Recently, we have been having a lot of conversation around our healthy relationship trainings, which can be adapted for any age where the conversation revolves around boundaries, trust, and consent.

With such a strong seventeen year history you might ask what could be next for VSC? While we have grown as an organization, there is still so much work to be done to help victims and spread the message of prevention. Nationally, according to RAINN, every 98 seconds another individual experiences sexual assault, and out of those, two out of three will go unreported. It is our responsibility as an organization, and as a community to help bring healing to those individuals by letting them know it is safe to seek help. With your help we can continue to bring healing to those who need it most.

PTSD in recent years has been most associated with military combat veterans who can experience the disorder at an approximate rate of 18%, but with sexual violence victims this percentage is much higher. According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) 94% of women who are raped experience symptoms of PTSD during the two weeks following the rape, and 30% of women report symptoms of PTSD 9 months after the rape.

All survivors suffering from PTSD will react differently, some possible signs to look for are generally categorized as:

1. re-experiencing: the feeling of reliving the event through flashbacks of the trauma, persistent thoughts, and stressful dreams;
2. avoidance: altering(possibly subconsciously) your routine or behavior to avoid or eliminate situations associated with the trauma;
3. hyperarousal: can include irritability, panic, being hyper alert to the possibility of danger, or a sense of panic or edginess.

According to PTSD United, an approximate 8% of Americans, 24.4 million people, today have PTSD. What can we as a community do to help someone who is suffering from symptoms of PTSD? We can continue to have open conversation about the importance of seeking help for mental health conditions.

As the supporter of a loved one with PTSD we can help maintain a sense of normalcy and calm. Express our support through belief and validation of their feelings without putting pressure on the survivor to talk about their experiences. Maintaining a calm composure when they are experiencing bouts of anxiety or anger, and remaining committed to the relationship to help them rebuild trust in their daily routine.

If you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of PTSD from sexual assault, reach out to Victim Service Center through our 24/7 Crisis Helpline (407) 500 HEAL. You can also reach the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or through their online chat.

Law Enforcement Responding to Sexual Assaults

By: Sergeant Rich Mankewich, Major Case/Sex Crimes, Orange County Sheriff’s Office

For years, law enforcement officers have never been fully trained to recognize and address the psychological and emotional trauma associated with a sexual assault.   During initial interviews, victims often are inconsistent, not showing emotion and unable to provide detailed information when describing the sexual assault they have suffered.  Investigators often mistake these inconsistencies and lack of emotions as either lies or attempts to cover up what has really occurred.   Learning how trauma affects the brain during a sexual assault is the first step for an investigator.   As investigators, we must be able to recognize that certain behaviors and actions are directly related to trauma caused by the sexual assault.  Once we learn how to recognize trauma, we then must then learn how to ask questions in such a manner as to gain the most detailed memories from the victim and, more importantly, not cause any more harm.

Trauma informed investigations using the Forensic Experiential Trauma Interview (FETI) was developed to uncover what victims are able to remember using questions that trigger recollections related to sensory memories recorded during the assault.  The Statewide SART (Sexual Assault Response Team), took on the project this year to develop a day long training to teach investigators this new interview technique.   The Orange County Sheriff’s Office was one of three agencies selected to be a pilot site to train and implement the FETI trauma informed investigation model.  As the new style of interviewing begins, we look forward to successful intervention, investigations and prosecution of sexual assault cases.