You have the right to:

1. A respectful relationship with your advocate, free from verbal, physical, or sexual abuse.
2. Receive all of SVC’s services without discrimination.
3. Information about other available services.
4. Be notified of any changes in service, whenever possible.
5. Stop services or ask for a different advocate.
6. Bring up and use these rights without SVC treating you differently or badly.

Confidentiality:

You have the right to privacy. You have the right to choose who knows about what happened to you. The counseling relationship is confidential. No information you share will be given to any agency or person outside of SVC without your permission unless required by law. Under state law and ethical standards, your advocate might have to break confidentiality if:

1. you intend to hurt yourself or others
2. your advocate suspects trafficking of minors or child abuse
3. a support person is with you during services
4. you are contacting us from or within a correctional institution
5. you are under 18, some information may have to be shared with your parent(s) or legal guardian f) the court orders SVC to share your records

Your advocate will do their best to tell you if they are required to share information. 

Your Advocate

A sexual assault advocate is trained to support victim/survivors of sexual violence. SVC advocates receive over 40 hours of state-mandated training. SVC advocates understand the difficult situations and emotions that can come after sexual violence. Sexual violence can happen to anyone. It is never your fault. SVC advocates know about options and resources to help support you.

Conflict of Interest

SVC advocates cannot be your advocate if they are your friend, relative, employer, or have another close relationship with you. If you see an advocate outside of our agency, they will let you decide if you want to greet them or not. You must wait five years after your last service with SVC to enter into any relationship outside of the service role with SVC or our advocates.

Victim/Survivor Files

• SVC will keep a record of services you have received for seven years. Then your file will be destroyed.
• You have the right to see all records about yourself and have them explained to you.
• Funders have the right to see client files to ensure service.
• Privacy Rights Statement: law requires us to give you a privacy rights statement each time data is collected. This is the Tennessen Warning. We must tell you why data is collected, how data will be used, with whom data is shared, and what may happen if you do or do not give the data.

Fees

The Sexual Violence Center’s services are free.