Betty Griffin Center provides rape care services at another hospital

Betty Griffin Center now provides rape care services at Ascension St. Vincent’s St. Johns hospital, located at 2001 County Road 210 in St. Johns.

The hospital and Betty Griffin Center staff provide for the immediate medical and forensic needs of rape victims — with privacy and professional care — along with counseling and transitional housing. A trained advocate is present during the exam, which is conducted by a sexual assault nurse examiner. The exam is confidential and free.

The nonprofit agency, which provides services for survivors of domestic and sexual assault, has operated a rape crisis center at UF Health St. Johns (formerly Flagler Hospital) since 2016. In 2023, the agency conducted more than 25 exams at that hospital and provided more than 10,000 hours of supportive services to 1,035 women, children and men.

“With the population growth in St. Johns County, we’ve wanted to provide similar services in the northern part of the county for the last several years,” said Betty Griffin Center CEO Kelly Franklin. “Though this partnership with Ascension St. Vincent’s St. Johns, assault survivors in that area will no longer have to drive across the county to St. Augustine to obtain these services.”

If someone shares that they have been sexually assaulted, people should:

• Listen without being judgmental.

• Let the person know that the assault/rape or abuse was not their fault. 

• Reassure the person that they are cared for, loved and provide unconditional support. 

• Encourage the person to seek medical attention. 

• If the assault just happened, help the person preserve evidence. They do not have to decide right away if they want to talk to the police or press charges against the person who assaulted them, but just in case they do, it is important for them to take precautions to preserve any evidence that may have been left behind after the assault.

• Encourage (do not force) the person to report the assault. Sexual assault is a crime, and they have the right to report what happened to them to the police — but only if they want to.

Today, there are approximately 1,200 rape care centers in the United States providing survivor support services and community education. The centers offer different resources based on community needs and financial resources, but the overarching goals remain the same. For those impacted by sexual violence, the centers oftentimes offer crisis intervention hotlines, support groups, counseling, legal and medical aids (to accompany survivors to medical exams or law enforcement interactions) as well as referrals to other local or virtual resources.