Victim Advocates make a difference Published Dec. 4, 2015 By Amy Rollins Skywrighter WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Sexual Assault Response Coordinators (SARCs) and Sexual Assault Victim Advocates (SAVAs) at major Department of Defense installations stand ready to assist victims/survivors of sexual assault. At Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the responsibilities of an advocate include providing crisis intervention, referral and ongoing nonclinical support, as well as providing information on available options and resources to assist the victim in making informed decisions. An advocate may accompany the victim to medical, investigative, legal and court proceedings with permission. Two SAVAs at Wright-Patterson AFB are volunteer Capt. Robert Edwards of the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, and April Barrows of the SARC office staff. Edwards has been a volunteer SAVA on base since July 2013. While in college, a fellow cadet was assaulted by another cadet, and Edwards saw the need for victim advocates. He wanted to be a part of solutions to the problem of sexual assault. "It's definitely a rewarding experience. It's one thing to hear I'm keeping America safe as an intelligence officer; it's another thing when someone comes up and shakes my hand and says, 'That was the best SAPR briefing I've ever gotten. Thank you for highlighting why this matters to everybody'," he said. The briefings are about "here's how you help people who have been hurt," he commented. "I didn't know how to do that before and now I do. I want to be able to share that with other people." He understands that not everyone can be a SAVA, but everybody can be supportive and a friend. He's also very grateful to his supervisor and leadership for making it possible for him to pursue his volunteerism with the SAVA program. He is quick to say, "There's nothing special about me, other than I care" - caring being the most important qualification. The technical parts of being a SAVA, like conducting briefings, can be taught and are provided through training, he continued, so all that's really required of a prospective VA is a passion for the position and the heart for it. It helps that Edwards' wife is very supportive and sees his work as "the right thing to do," he said. The time commitment is being on call a weekend per month and an hour or two every other week, he estimated. "I haven't had a supervisor yet who begrudged any of that involvement," he said. He credits the SAPR program staff with doing all the "behind the scenes" work. "The more of us who are involved, the less any of us have to do and the more we can all support each other in furthering the program and supporting victims," Edwards noted. If the SAVAs can do more of the briefings, responses to victims and holding the 24/7 phone, then the office's permanent staff can focus on the administrative details and focus on other areas, said 1st Lt. Jennifer West, deputy SARC. "I love responding, but I love briefing as part of prevention more," she said. April Barrows recently completed 12 years of active duty. While deployed as an NCO down range in 2009, she was asked to consider being a sexual assault victim responder. She quickly became enamored of the important work she was doing, and continued doing it at her next two assignments. "I saw how needed this really, really was," Barrows said. "When I enlisted in 2003, there was no SAPR program. ... There wasn't anything for anyone who was sexually assaulted." She jumped at the opportunity to continue the work as a civilian. She enjoys briefing and is gratified when a victim heals so much that he or she gives positive reports about his or her wellbeing. When Barrows briefs at the First Term Airman Center or the U.S. School of Aerospace Medicine, she tells young Airmen, "It's such a different Air Force now." They, in turn, give the SAPR staff ideas about novel approaches, like YouTube videos on consent and apps, to improve the program. Barrows acknowledges it "still has some bumps in the road that are being smoothed out, but it is still so new. It's only 10 years old. It's night and day compared to what it was." Changes include the rise in support from commanders, chiefs and first sergeants, she said. Wright-Patterson AFB has about 15 SAVAs currently, and Carmen Schott, (SARC) and Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) program manager, would like to see that number at least double with actively engaged active-duty volunteers. "We're looking for people who want to see this problem in the Air Force solved - people who wish to contribute to the community and give back." To become a SAVA, there are age and rank requirements for applicants. An interview with the SARC, a full background check, commander approval and paperwork are part of the process. Mandatory monthly meetings, a 40-hour SAVA training course and continuing education also are required. VAs must obtain the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Advocate Certification Program (D-SAACP). The SAPR program provides free resources, speakers and continuing education credits toward this. For more information about Wright-Patterson AFB's SAPR program, go online to www.wpafb.af.mil/units/sarc/index.asp; call 937-257-SARC (7272) or 937-689-2154 (24/7); or email 88ABW.CVK@us.af.mil. - Senior Airman Jannelle Dickey, 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs, contributed to this article.