Rape treatment programmes: delivering innovative services to survivors

This article discusses a study commissioned by the State of Florida (USA) to identify services provided to rape survivors and to identify unmet needs of survivors. Attention is given to the portion of the study which describes the 25 specialized rape service programmes located in the state. These provide a variety of services including crisis intervention, advocacy, counselling, and community education. Most programmes are closely associated with a parent organization, which provides funding, administrative support and physical facilities, but maintaining adequate funding remains a problem for many programmes. Most employ some paid staff, but must rely heavily on volunteers. Florida's rape service programmes offer a number of innovative services, including sensitivity training for law enforcement officers, provision of tangible items such as disposable clothing and handbooks to survivors, advocacy with the judicial system, the establishment of inter-agency committees to promote better treatment of survivors and recognition of volunteers and community officials who have been especially helpful.