Get Help

Contact our Survivor Advocate

Have you experienced sexual or relationship violence and need to get help? Here's what you can do. 

Make sure you’re safe

If you are in immediate danger or afraid that you will be hurt again, call 911 or EMU Security at 540-432-4911.

You can also call a trusted friend/relative to help you access a safe place or local services. Harrisonburg has two service providers who are available 24/7 to assist you in decision-making or offer support: 

• For experiences of sexual violence, Collins Center provides 24-hour services via their hotline at 540-434-2272. 
• For experiences of dating or intimate partner violence, First Step provides 24-hour services via their hotline at 540-432-0295.

Seek medical attention

If you have been sexually assaulted, consider receiving a PERK (physical evidence recovery kit) exam at Sentara RMH emergency room. 

If you plan to file a police report now or would like the option to file one in the future, receiving a PERK exam may be helpful to the police investigation. Receiving a PERK exam is also helpful if you fear injury, pregnancy, or transmission of an STI.

If at all possible, try not to bathe, shower, brush your teeth or hair, wash clothes, eat or drink, or use the restroom because it may interfere with evidence collection. Bring clothing that was worn during the assault to the hospital.

Harrisonburg’s Collins Center provides hospital accompaniment via their 24-hour hotline at 540-434-2272.

Seek support

It is common for someone’s mental and emotional well-being to be impacted after experiencing a traumatic event. Reaching out to people who can support you is an essential part of your healing and recovery. It is never too early or too late to seek support.

EMU’s Counseling Services, Health Services, Campus Ministries, and Safer Together provide confidential support and are not required to report disclosures of sexual and relationship violence to the Title IX office. 

Safer Together’s survivor advocate is available to talk through available resources and help a survivor process what supports and services are right for them.

Community-based support services include:

• Collins Center, which provides sexual assault crisis services and trauma-informed therapy 
• First Step, which provides support for those who are experiencing dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking 
• Harrisonburg Police Department, which can investigate an incident of sexual violence, domestic violence, or stalking and assist with pressing civil or criminal charges, as requested
• Local community counselors, who can help you process the impact of an experience of sexual or relationship violence on your life

A full list of on- and off-campus resources is available here.

Consider filing a report

EMU’s Title IX office was established to adjudicate claims of sexual misconduct and relationship violence to determine violation of EMU’s Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct Policy and levy sanctions in cases of policy violation. 

EMU’s Title IX Coordinator provides compassionate space to make a university report and to learn more about available resources and support. Reports can be made in person or online to the Title IX Coordinator at 540-434-4849 or titleixcoordinator@emu.edu. 

You can speak confidentially with EMU’s survivor advocate, Rehana Franklin (540-820-4237 or rehana.franklin@emu.edu) to get the support and information that you need to make an informed decision before making a report.

Making a report does not automatically mean deciding to go through campus disciplinary proceedings, although that option is available only to those who choose to report. Making a report does not automatically mean pressing charges with local law enforcement, though you may choose to file a police report before, after, or at the same time as filing a report with the Title IX office.

You can make a report at any time, and you may access accommodations and support, such as academic or housing accommodations, via the Title IX Coordinator, even if you choose not to make a report.

For more information about the reporting process, see the Title IX Process Flow Chart.

This project was supported by grant 2017-WA-AX-0022 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, US Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.