Ready to Help

Day One ready to help St. George's School sex abuse survivors
Under agreement, Providence nonprofit will provide mental health assistance
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — For some sexual assault survivors, media reports of alleged systemic sexual abuse at St. George's School in the 1970s and '80s will plunge them back into a nightmare, no matter if the abuse occurred decades ago.
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"We will do what Day One’s primarily mission is, which is to provide support and advocacy ... We’re basically providing case management for anyone who needs services," says Langhammer.

"We have an excellent team," says Langhammer. Day One clinicians "are trained in trauma-informed care, which is really a step up from what people know as traditional counseling. We have counterparts in every state," and are prepared to make referrals to agencies that provide trauma-informed care.

"The silence has gone on for so long — the gag orders have gone on so long, these victims have been traumatized for so long, they need support in accessing services. We will do that. The victims will have to contact us. They don’t have to communicate with anyone at St. George’s," Langhammer said.

The agency, founded in 1973 as the Rhode Island Rape Crisis Center, is the only organization of its kind in Rhode Island, Langhammer says. "We operate as a sexual assault coalition, which is a federal designation, through the Violence Against Women Act."

To reach Day One, call (401) 421-4100, or the 24-hour hotline at 1-800-494-8100. For more information, visit www.dayoneri.org.

-By Karen Lee Ziner

Journal Staff Writer

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