What is Sexual Assault?

Sexual assault is a crime of violence intended to over-power, humiliate or degrade someone. It can be defined as any sexual touching to sexual penetration that is forced upon a person against their will or without their consent.

24-Hour Crisis Line

Call the crisis line at 989.835.6771, or toll-free at 877.216.6383. Someone is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week to answer your call. If you are in a crisis or if you just need someone to talk to, a trained professional will listen and help.

When you call this line, you will speak with a trained professional that will listen and support you and help explain your options for receiving medical attention, counseling support and reporting the assault. You are in control of deciding what is best for you to do. Calling the crisis line does not obligate you to make a report to the police. All information you discuss with the professional on this line is confidential and will not be released without your written permission.

     Other emergency numbers: 

          Midland County Police Department: 911

Mid-Michigan Regional Medical Center Emergency Room: 989.839.3100

Advocacy/Counseling

Our Sexual Assault Program provides counseling, legal advocacy, and support groups at no charge for survivors of sexual assault. Individual crisis counseling is available to any survivor of sexual assault (male or female) over the age of 12, regardless of the age at which the assault occurred. Crisis counseling provides survivors with a supportive environment for exploring their thoughts and feelings about their experience of sexual assault. Individual crisis support is also available to friends, family members, and partners of survivors so that they can have a safe place to process and gain positive ways to support the survivor.

Our client advocates, counselors and trained volunteers are available to accompany you to the emergency room, the police or sheriff's department, the courts, or to other related appointments. We can bring you fresh clothing in case the ones you were wearing at the time of the assault are kept as evidence.

Services include both one to one crisis counseling as well as the opportunity to engage in group counseling sessions. It is recommended that for one to one crisis counseling you make an appointment to ensure a time and day of the week that best fits with your schedule. However, staff are able to assist you at anytime. Evening and weekend appointments are also available.

All services are free and confidential and are available to all persons regardless of age, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or ability.

Outreach and Prevention Services

The Sexual Assault Program also provides outreach and prevention services to the community. Trained staff will facilitate educational programs on both sexual assault and domestic violence topics to local schools, churches, community agencies, and any other interested groups. 

Some of the current groups that are being provided are a Safe Dates program for adolescents at the Juvenile Care Center and Your Safety . . . Your Rights to women through the ARC of Midland.  Building Positive Personal Relationships (BPPR) is another group being offered. Referrals for this group generally come from Friend of the Court, Children’s Protective Services and self referrals. The group is for women who have been charged with domestic violence. Along with the BPPR group, Shelterhouse offers a group geared towards male offenders of violence called Alternatives to Violence. Referrals to this group can also be self referrals or through the court system.

In addition to the educational groups that Shelterhouse is involved with we also participate in presentations at the schools to help prevent and educate youth on the impact of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault as well as the importance of building healthy relationships and how to develop appropriate boundaries.  Throughout the community Shelterhouse speaks to many organizations on topics that include, but are not limited to Healthy Relationships, Developing appropriate boundaries, effects of Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence, Criminal Sexual Conduct Laws, Safe Dating and Alternatives to Violence.

Client Advocates

Victims and family members often experience many emotions following the trauma of sexual assault. Feelings of fear, confusion, shame, anger, shock, and self blame are a variety of emotions that a survivor can experience. Many survivors also experience flashbacks, nightmares, and numbness. Each person is unique and copes with crisis in his/her own way.

It is common for many survivors to feel nervous about coming into counseling for the first time. It is up to you to decide how much information you want to share with your client advocate. You can also decide to end the services at any time. 

The advocates provide a safe, supportive and non-judgmental atmosphere for you to express your feelings, discuss concerns, and explore options that survivors often face when dealing with their victimizations. Upon completion of counseling, many survivors report feeling more in control of their lives and gain an understanding that the violence was not their fault. If we cannot provide a service, we will refer you to another agency that can help you in your particular situation.

Support Groups

Sexual assault survivors meet weekly in small groups in Midland and Gladwin Counties to discuss the effects of sexual assault on their lives and to work through the healing process together. The groups are facilitated by trained sexual assault client advocates and are strictly confidential. It is common for survivors to feel alone in dealing with the impact of violence on their lives.  Support groups offer an opportunity for survivors to share their experiences and identify common feelings, which foster a connection among group members. Survivors often report that they feel less isolated by the end of the group.

The group is open ended and interested persons can join at any time.  Free child care is provided during the Midland group. For more information regarding joining the sexual assault support group please call 989.835.6771. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is most at risk for sexual assault?

Any woman, regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, or geographic location is at risk for sexual assault.

Am I more likely to be assaulted by a stranger or by someone I know? In my home or in a public place?

 Contrary to popular belief, you are more likely to be assaulted by someone you know than by a stranger lurking in the bushes.   Most sexual assaults also occur in a private rather than public place.

Where can I go for help if I have been sexually assaulted?

If you have been sexually assaulted, there are a number of options that you can choose from. First, you may choose to contact the police.  A staff member from Shelterhouse is available to accompany you to the police department at any time if that is the decision that you choose to make.

In addition to police, there are a number of places that women can go if they need assistance.

• You can talk to family, friends, teachers, counselors or someone else you trust.
• You can get medical assistance from your family doctor, a clinic or a hospital.  Many hospitals, such as Mid Michigan Medical Center, participate in the SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) program.  This program has trained registered nurses that perform the medical examination and provide support to the survivor while in the emergency room.
• You can get help through a sexual assault or women's crisis center or a local 24-hour crisis line. These centers are staffed by women and they provide a number of important services: non-judgmental crisis counseling (both in person and on the phone), referrals, court support, and advocacy.

It is important that you get support from someone you trust, whether or not you choose to report the assault. Supporters can provide you with emotional support and they can help you if you choose to use the legal system.

What should I do if I have been sexually assaulted?

Get to a safe place immediately

Contact someone who can help you: a friend, the Council on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault (Shelterhouse) Response Line at 989.835.6771, Mid-Michigan Medical Center Emergency Room at 989.839.3100 or the police (911).

Council on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault (Shelterhouse) Response Line will help you think through your options regarding getting medical attention, getting counseling support, and reporting the assault.  This call is confidential and does not obligate you to take any further action.

Do not shower, drink, eat, brush your teeth, brush your hair, or change your clothes.  These activities destroy important physical evidence in the event that you decide to prosecute the assailant.

Get medical attention as soon as possible.  You may have hidden injuries and may want to explore options for preventing pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.

Write down everything that you remember happening, with as much detail as possible. This can help with your own healing process and in any legal or disciplinary action you might decide to take.

Seek counseling or other sources of support.  Talking with a trained mental health professional can help in coping with the aftermath of a sexual assault. Family and friends can also be a source of comfort and support.  

Remember, sexual assault is never the victim's fault.  Do not blame yourself.

What can I do to help someone who has been sexually assaulted?

If a friend, relative or acquaintance discloses that she has been sexually assaulted, it is critical that you let them know that you believe them. This first step is very important in helping them begin to heal.

Second, let them know that they are not alone.  Surviving a sexual assault can be an isolating and lonely experience, and the support of others can help alleviate this.

Third, support any decision that the person makes. Whether or not they choose to go to the police or a sexual assault center or the emergency room, it is important that they feel they have made the right decision for them, without judgment from others.