Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault (PAVSA) is a non-profit sexual violence crisis center in southern Saint Louis County that provides free and confidential services to victim-survivors, their family, and friends ages 13 and up. Our services are available whether the violence happened yesterday or years ago. We ensure that everyone, regardless of gender identity, language, ability, race, ethnicity, income, age, immigration status, or religion is given the support to heal from the trauma of sexual violence and help stop the cycle of violence.

Our Mission

We are dedicated to the elimination of sexual violence in southern Saint Louis County through supporting victims, educating the community, and advocating for change.

Our Core Values

• Confidentiality
• Inclusivity
• Resiliency
• Community-mindedness

Supporting Victim-Survivors and Their Support People

After experiencing sexual violence, you may feel powerless. We’re here, whatever you decide. We will share our knowledge, offer options, and empower you through your healing journey. Free and confidential services are available that range from immediate crisis intervention to long-term counseling, including:

• 24-Hour Helpline
• 24-Hour Hospital Advocacy and SANE Response
• Support after sexual violence happens, including trafficking and exploitation
• Support in reporting sexual violence, including trafficking and exploitation
• Support in navigating the criminal justice process or reporting to education institutions
• Assistance in applying for protection orders
• Legal Advocacy
• Individual Counseling
• Support Groups
• Outreach Groups to vulnerable and incarcerated individuals
• Support for Partners, Friends, and Family

For more information on our services, click here.

Confidentiality

Our services are confidential, meaning we will not share victim-survivors’ information without their permission. Our advocates explain confidentiality and our duty as mandated reporters to anyone seeking our services. We are here to get you through this without judgement.

Educating the Community

We provide education to the community through our community awareness events and presentations. We present to area middle schools, high schools, colleges, universities, civic and faith-based groups, social service providers, and other organizations. Presentations range from 45 – 90 minutes and can be requested at any time. Please contact us at least two weeks in advance to ensure a speaker is available. Presentation topics include:

• Introductory Presentations
  • PAVSA services
  • Basics of Sexual Violence
  • Basics of Trafficking and Exploitation
  • Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program
• Youth Focused Topics
  • Consent and Internet Safety
  • Trafficking and Exploitation
• Criminal Justice System Topics
  • Sexual Assault Kit Initiative
  • Crime Victim Rights
  • Sexual Violence and Corrections
• Advanced Topics
  • Intimate Partner Sexual Violence
  • Sexual Violence and the Media

If you are interested in a topic not on this list, please contact us to determine if we can fit your needs. To request a presentation, click here. 

Advocating for Change by Collaborating with Community Partners

We advocate for change by collaborating with other systems and service providers involved in preventing, responding to, and reporting sexual violence. These partnerships along with coordinating the Sexual Assault Multidisciplinary Action Response Team (SMART), allow us to create and maintain a victim-centered, trauma-informed response to sexual violence.

We partner with:

• Hospitals
• Victim Services Agencies
• Youth Specific Agencies
• Colleges and Universities
• Law Enforcement and Prosecution
• Correctional Facilities
• Treatment Facilities
• County Social Services

To learn more about our partnerships and SMART, click here. 

Our Commitment to Cultural Humility and Inclusivity

Our Staff and Board represent a wide variety of life experiences, ages, backgrounds, orientations, and gender identities. All of our advocates have completed a mandatory 40-hour Sexual Assault Victim Advocacy training. This training includes a number of modules focusing on service provision to communities who experience higher rates of sexual and structural violence including Native/Indigenous, LGBTQAI, folks in nontraditional relationships, male survivors, and individuals with disabilities and mental illness. Our staff continues their journey of cultural humility and inclusivity through additional training and education during their time at PAVSA.

Additionally, we are connected to local faith communities and Indigenous spiritual providers so that we may refer anyone who has spiritual needs. Our advocates are equipped with the skills they need to support victim-survivors in crisis, by sharing their knowledge, offering options, and supporting their decisions.

Funding

Our services and work in the community is made possible through:

• Generous Individual Donations
• Sponsorship and Attendance of our events
• Support from Community Foundations
  • Junior League Duluth
  • Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation
  • Miller Dwan Foundation
  • Northland Foundation
  • Ordean Foundation
• Local, State, and Federal Grants
  • Essentia Health
  • Minnesota Office of Justice Programs
  • Office on Violence Against Women
  • St. Louis County
  • St. Louis County Attorney’s Office
  • St. Luke’s Hospital
  • MN Department of Health
  • Department of Justice
  • Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
  • Medica Foundation
  • Women’s Foundation

If you are in need of PAVSA’s federal tax form 990, governing documents, and/or conflict of interest statements, click here.