Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
New Mexico is home to a statewide network of dedicated, trained professionals who have spent decades providing support and care to survivors of sexual assault.
We need these professionals and the programs they work for in our communities to be there for those of us and our family members who experience sexual trauma.
Locally, Arise Sexual Assault Services provides a 24/7 helpline, advocacy, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) exams, counseling, outreach, and prevention to six counties in eastern New Mexico -- Curry, Roosevelt, Quay, De Baca, Harding and Union -- free of charge. The office is in Portales, and Arise staff travel to other counties to provide assistance or provide gas cards to aid in transportation for survivors seeking services.
Visit arisenm.org to learn more. In Eastern New Mexico, survivors and referring agencies can call Arise’s 24/7 helpline at 575-226-7263.
While Arise and the network of sexual assault service providers work hard to address survivor needs, New Mexico is a geographically large state where many survivors still lack access to the care needed to heal from the impact of sexual trauma.
Survivors of sexual assault deserve access to support no matter where they live and there has been a need for additional statewide coordination to ensure that survivors across the state can get the help they need. In partnership, providers like Arise and the NM Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs worked together on this complex challenge and began taking thoughtful steps to build a solution that would work for New Mexico’s unique communities.
We are now excited and proud to announce the development of the New Mexico Sexual Assault Helpline.
The NMSA Helpline is an essential added layer of capacity for our rural state. For survivors in need of support, the Helpline builds a bridge between the network of existing services by connecting them locally to programs like Arise or to a fellow New Mexican trained to listen and support them.
We have built the statewide Helpline for all to call (or text) -- because the truth of the matter is that for too many people who experience sexual assault, the nearest provider could be hours away, and survivors need help right where they are.
The confidential Helpline centers on survivors and connects them to someone trained to listen, with zero pressure to do or say anything they don’t want to. Created by New Mexicans for everyone in New Mexico, the Helpline is accessible 24/7 by phone, online chat, or text message.
We have committed our careers to supporting sexual assault survivors and providers, and we know that nowhere values community and connection quite like New Mexico. Strong, healthy communities are built and sustained through togetherness, and beginning to heal from sexual assault is no different.
We are incredibly proud to invest in care for everyone in New Mexico with the Helpline. Save the number and the website. Share it with your friends and family. This service is here for you, wherever you are.
Visit us at www.nmsahelp.org or call 1-844-667-2457.
Sarah Long is executive director of Arise Sexual Assault Services in Portales. Alexandria Taylor, executive director of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, contributed to this report. Contact: [email protected]
