Future of Roanoke rape counseling service SARA uncertain

By: Scott Leamon | WSLS 10
Published: October 08, 2009

The future of Roanoke's chapter of Sexual Assault Response and Awareness, or SARA for short, is uncertain.

Currently operated by Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare using primarily grant money, the service provides a hotline and free counseling services to victims of sexual assault.

Volunteers are with each victim from the time they check in to the emergency room to the time the victim meets with police.

Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare has now began the process of approaching other Roanoke area non-profits, looking to transfer SARA to a willing participant.

"We're not at all looking at the discontinuation of services," said Blue Ridge executive director Tim Steller.

"We haven't set a deadline for either seeking another organization or other considerations for SARA's future," Steller said Wednesday afternoon in a phone interview with 10 On Your Side.

Steller said SARA operates with about $145,000 from a pair of grants from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services.

He said there are also around $80,000 in additional costs not covered by either of the grants.

Steller said Blue Ridge is looking to transfer the program to a non-profit more in line with SARA's mission to assist sexual assault victims.

Sources familiar with the organization said a transfer could be beneficial to SARA since it might then qualify for grants it cannot qualify for now under the umbrella of Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare.