Overview of Victim Advocacy

This page provides a general overview of victim and survivor advocacy and how to connect with a Victim Advocate. If you would like to connect with a Victim Advocate here at ASU, visit our ASU Victim-Survivor Services webpage.

Victim advocates are trained to serve victims of crime, their family and their support network, regardless of whether the crime was reported. A victim-survivor working with a victim advocate can expect to be provided with options regarding reporting, safety and healing, resource referral and more. In Arizona, victim advocates hold privileged communication status (A.R.S. 12-2239, A.R.S. 12-2240, and A.R.S. 13-4430), and are a confidential resource unless otherwise mandated by state law to report; such as, in situations of child abuse, vulnerable adult abuse, or risk of harm to self or others.

Victim advocates can be employed by universities, cities or towns, counties, community agencies, police departments and the court system. In Arizona, there are many options to consult with a victim advocate regardless of whether you want to report to the police or to the university.

Here are some services that victim advocacy often includes:

Assistance with reporting the crime to law enforcement
Crisis intervention
Court accompaniment
Assistance with filing for orders of protection or injunctions against harassment
Safety planning
Searching for shelter availability in cases of domestic violence
Applying for Victims' Compensation
And more

Victim-survivors are not required to access all of the aforementioned services and are encouraged to select services based on their needs. Additionally, these services are dependent upon the agency providing the victim services and one or more may not be available through certain providers.

Selecting a Victim Advocacy program

Each victim-survivor has unique needs and what one survivor may find to be supportive, another may not. It is important to respect the decisions of victim-survivors as they are navigating the many avenues available to access safety and supportive services. For example, some victim-survivors may choose not to report to law enforcement and instead may focus on taking steps which are most supportive of their own personal healing. There is no single, correct manner in which a victim-survivor can access services, and victim advocates are committed to helping victim-survivors navigate the available resources in a manner in which they feel most comfortable.

Below are some considerations a victim-survivor may think through when determining what support may be most helpful:

Do they want to report the incident to the police?
Do they want to talk about reporting options at the university?
Are they interested in having an advocate accompany them to legal proceedings?
Are they considering an order of protection or injunction against harassment(i.e., protective order)?
Is the victim-survivor interested in obtaining a medical forensic exam?
Does the victim-survivor need to relocate to new housing or to a domestic violence shelter?
Is the victim-survivor exploring options for Victim’s Compensation?

Victim Advocacy services near ASU’s campuses

Here are just a few of the Victim Advocate programs around ASU’s campuses:

Arizona State University Victim-Survivor Services

ASU Victim Advocates offers free advocacy and support for students and employees affected by sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, sexual harassment and other related experiences. ASU Victim-Survivor Services is a safe and confidential starting point for ASU students and employees affected by these issues. ASU Victim Advocates are confidential except when required by law to report incidents of abuse of a child or vulnerable adult or risks of harm to self or others.

Mobile Victim Advocacy programs

Similar to ASU Victim-Survivor Services, community victim advocates, also known as mobile victim advocates, do not require police involvement in order to access advocacy services. The programs listed below are in close proximity to ASU’s four Maricopa County campuses or will meet victim-survivors at locations across the valley. Victim Advocates are not on call and cannot be reached 24/7.

A New Leaf Sexual Violence Services

A New Leaf's REACH Sexual Violence Services addresses the unique, short- and long-term emotional safety and healing needs of those who have experienced sexual violence in the past and/or present. The REACH Sexual Violence Services Center/24-hour helpline provides personal advocacy, emotional support, holistic healing options, and group support for survivors and secondary survivors of sexual violence.

The REACH Sexual Violence Services Center can be reached by calling the 24-hour helpline at (480) 733-3028 or emailing REACH@turnanewleaf.org.

EMPACT Trauma Healing Services

La Frontera / EMPACT-SPC’s Trauma Healing Program offers confidential, 24-hour a day services for individuals affected by sexual assault, domestic violence or hate crimes. Services include a confidential 24-hour hotline; mobile crisis support; individual, couples, family, and group therapy; and case management and advocacy. While the Victim Advocacy is not available 24/7, individuals can still call the crisis line after hours to be connected to an advocate the next business day.

HonorHealth Forensic Nursing Services

Victim-survivors who are seeking a medical forensic exam, regardless of whether they choose to involve law enforcement, can connect with a victim advocate from HonorHealth. HonorHealth Victim Advocates may assist with referrals to community resources, orders of protection, developing a safety plan, and more. For general information, call 480-312-6340 (available 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday).

For more service providers, review the Sexual Violence and Domestic Violence Programs List developed by the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence.

City or County Victim Advocate programs

Victim Advocate programs within city governments are often affiliated with Police Departments or the court system. This means that if an assault is reported to law enforcement, a victim advocate will often respond after hours. The following Victim Assistance Units do not require police or court interaction to provide services and can be contacted directly. Please note that in regards to a victim-survivor’s criminal case, only the agency that has jurisdiction of the case may provide case updates. Victim advocates can accompany victim-survivors to a medical forensic exam and provide the services discussed on this page, though each and every city is different in how their victim services programs operate.

Tempe - Care 7
Glendale Family Advocacy Center - Victim's Assistance
Mesa Family Advocacy Center - Victim Services
City of Scottsdale Family Advocacy Center
Phoenix Family Advocacy Center Victim Services
Lake Havasu Haven Family Resource Center
Amberly’s Place Family Advocacy Center (Yuma)