5.6 Building Referral Networks

It’s useful to be able to connect the survivor to other support services.

You will need to develop a referral network of agencies and organizations that can appropriately address survivors’ needs.

Talk directly to the providers in your network to learn more about the services they offer.

Ask them for information so that you can inform a survivor of their services.

Keep your referral network list accurate and up-to-date, as organizations and their contact points often change.

The following are agencies or organizations you may want to include in your referral network:

1. Sexual violence shelters or rape crisis centers;

2. Groups that can provide legal or financial assistance;

3. Groups that can provide relocation assistance;

4. Taxi or other private transport services;

5. Support groups for survivors of sexual assault or intimate partner violence;

6. Mental health specialists, such as therapists or counsellors, including addiction specialists;

7. Healthcare providers; and

8. Law enforcement.

Depending on the area or community where you work, some or all of these resources may not be available.

If you live in a rural area, the closest available services may be in the nearest urban area.

Before making a referral, you must explain to the survivor about any confidentiality issue or mandated reporting obligations that the service provider may have.

For example, if you are referring a survivor under the age of 18 to a counsellor, they will likely be required by law to report the assault to law enforcement, depending on which country you are in.