The Cottage services are FREE and CONFIDENTIAL to all individuals impacted by sexual violence regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, age, ability, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, citizenship, immigration status, marital status, familial status or language spoken.
Adult services are available for adults, 18 years old or older, who have experienced sexual violence at any point in their life. Services are available to individuals who live in and/or were assaulted in Clarke, Madison, and Oglethorpe counties in the state of Georgia. The Cottage will assist survivors outside of these jurisdictions with finding local resources for their areas.
Room at the Family Protection Center where Athens-Clarke County Police Department interview adult clients, should they choose to report sexual assault. Cottage staff are available to accompany the client in this process.
Adult clients of the Cottage may identify as the following but are not limited to:
Adults Abused as Children
Individuals facing the affects of childhood sexual abuse during adulthood
Adult Survivors of Sexual Assault
Individuals who are seeking help after an assault in their adulthood at any point in time
Adult Survivors of Sex Trafficking
Adults who have experienced sexual exploitation at any point in their life
Adults have the option to report or not report assault to police. The Cottage offers services to individuals regardless of whether the report or don't report. The Cottage works to empower all survivors by providing information on their options for services and supporting their decisions for their healing process.
Services provided for adults:
24-hour Crisis and Information Hotline
Crisis Counseling
Medical Advocacy
Legal Advocacy
Free Counseling Referrals for Survivors
Other Referrals as Needed
Support Groups
Support for Secondary Survivors
Male Survivors of Sexual Assault
What is this service?
24-hour crisis and information hotline
Call 1.877.363.1912
The 24/7 hotline is available 365 days a year to provide crisis support and information on services/options for survivors. The hotline is free and confidential and is usually the first point of contact for anyone interested in accessing services. Language translation services are available to eliminate any barriers.
Crisis counseling
A crisis is unique to each person and can include anything from assistance following an assault to working through emotions that may have come up due to a trigger/flashback that reminds the survivor of the events of an attack. This can be done in person or over the phone.
Medical Advocacy
Adults have the option of receiving a forensic medical exam (FME) to collect evidence within 5 days or 120 hours from a sexual assault. The Cottage partners with SANE, Inc,/Anchor Point in providing this service for free. The exam includes options for STI preventative medication and emergency contraceptive. The Cottage advocates can accompany and provide emotional support through the exam process and/or during follow-up medical appointments. Medical advocacy is an option for survivors regardless of if they choose to report to law enforcement or not. For more information or to arrange an accompaniment, please call our 24/7 hotline at 1.877.363.1912.
Legal advocacy
Adults have the option of reporting a sexual assault to law enforcement. The Cottage advocates can accompany and provide emotional support through the reporting process. If a case moves forward to prosecution, an advocate can accompany the survivor to any court meetings/proceedings with the District Attorney’s Office. For more information or to arrange an accompaniment, please call our 24/7 hotline at 1.877.363.1912.
Counseling referrals for survivors
We refer to several agencies in our community that are trained and knowledgeable in working with survivors of sexual assault and abuse. The Cottage can offer assistance with payment of counseling if client does not have the means to pay or does not have insurance. Many agencies have a sliding scale for fees and we are happy to give that information to survivors if they are not interested in receiving services through The Cottage.
Other referrals as needed
This can include assistance on a case by case basis with locating resources for food, clothing, housing, etc. We understand that an assault or past abuse ripples throughout all aspects of our lives and we are here to help.
Support Groups
The Cottage provides a variety of support groups including but not limited to: Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse and Adult Survivors of Sexual Assault. Groups are closed and run on an alternating schedule throughout the year. Please contact the Groups Coordinator for further information.
Support for secondary survivors
The Cottage recognizes that sexual violence impacts not just the primary survivor but their support systems as well. We offer our support, counseling referral services, and helpful information to friends, family members and partners (secondary survivors) of the primary survivor. Supporting those who care for the survivor in turn supports the survivor.
Male Survivors of Sexual Assault
The Cottage Sexual Assault Center and Children’s Advocacy Center has always been a resource for male survivors of childhood sexual abuse and sexual assault. According to the organization 1 in 6, “at least 1 in 6 men has experienced unwanted or abusive sexual experiences in childhood” and about 10% of sexual assaults in the United States are perpetrated against men (Texas Association Against Sexual Assault). Yet, men are an underserved population when it comes to treating the trauma and symptoms of sexual abuse and assault. The Cottage works to do our part in helping everyone who has been affected by sexual trauma and to reduce the amount of males whose suffering exists without relief.
