Area Navy bases offer around-the-clock assistance for sexual assault victims

With a new report that military sexual assaults are on the rise in the U.S., we're looking into what resources are available for anyone at our local bases who might need help.

Susan Bartley is the sexual assault response coordinator at Naval Station Mayport, and she says there are always multiple counselors ready to provide assistance at a moment's notice. She pointed out that's also the case across town at Naval Air Station Jacksonville.

It all falls under the umbrella of the Fleet and Family Support Center.

"The beauty that we have with our counselors is if they [victims] come to us and they are in crisis mode or they just need to speak to somebody right now, we tend to have two people on call," Bartley says.

She says sexual assault victims are handed off to one of those counselors right away. They'll meet with the victim to get them through the initial crisis, and Bartley says from there they can set up a regularly scheduled visit depending on the individual needs.

Sometimes those visits are weekly, but sometimes they can happen less frequently. Bartley could not comment on the specific number of cases at Mayport each year, but she says they offer assistance to many victims on a regular basis.

"I like to say we're busy because we are taking care of people," Bartley says. "We're making sure they are provided all the resources that they need, and that they know we are available to them whenever they need us."

At Mayport there's also another resource available for sailors on the USS Iwo Jima. They're called deployed resiliency counselors.

Bartley says one licensed counselor is assigned to the ship right now and another is coming in the next few weeks. They deploy with the ship, and when the ship isn't deployed they have an office on the base.

That's because they develop relationships with the sailors and can continue to build those relationships back on shore. Bartley says even though they are assigned to the Iwo Jima, any sailor can get help from them.

Bartly says it’s important to know that all the services are offered for free, and they are not limited to active-duty personnel. Their family members are encouraged to utilize the program if they need to.

You can visit www.bit.ly/2ZQVdVE  for information on the Fleet and Family Support Center at Mayport or www.bit.ly/2vxFyg9 for information on the program at NAS JAX.