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Need Immediate Assistance?

Suicide Prevention

If you or someone you know is in imminent danger of harming themselves or someone else, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

If you’d like to speak to a counselor immediately, any time day or night, please call the counseling center's 24/7 mental health access line: 509.777.3259, then press 1. You will be connected with a counselor.

If you or someone you know experiences a mental health crisis during the counseling center’s business hours, same-day crisis-intervention appointments are available, as appropriate. Simply call the Counseling Center at 509.777.3259 and press 2 to schedule a time or walk in to the counseling center in Schumacher Hall.

However, if you cannot wait for a response from the counseling center, please call 911 or campus security at 509.777.4444. There are many 24/7 crisis hotlines available for specific needs that include text and chat options. Please see Helpful Hotlines on the Resources page for more information.

Emergency Rooms

  • Holy Family Hospital
    5633 N. Lidgerwood, Spokane, 99208
    509.482.0111
  • Sacred Heart Medical Center
    101 W. Eighth Ave., Spokane, 99204
    509.474.3131

What to Do If You Are a Victim of Sexual Assault

  • Make sure you are in a safe place.
  • Remember: You are not to blame!
  • Call a support person. Please don't try to go through this alone.
  • Contact a professional support person, who may include...
    • a counselor at the counseling center (509.777.3259, press 2)
    • a staff member at the health center (509.777.3259, press 2)
    • your resident assistant or area coordinator
    • an advocate at Spokane’s sexual assault crisis line (509.624.7273, texting available during business hours)
    • Title IX staff: Rhosetta Rhodes (rrhodes@whitworth.edu or 509.777.4536)
  • Seek medical care. Seeking medical care after experiencing sexual assault may help treat and prevent any injuries, as well as provide a way to preserve evidence (in case it’s needed in the future). Medical care could offer the following:
    • A physical exam that will identify any injuries.
    • Discussion of the risks for sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy
    • Testing for possible sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
    • Medication that prevents contracting HIV and other STIs
    • Testing to determine if you were given a sedating substance or other drug
  • Highly recommended: Go to a hospital emergency room as soon as possible. The sooner evidence is collected, the better, but evidence can be collected up to 96 hours after assault. In our region, the Deaconess Hospital Emergency Room (800 W. 5th Ave.) is well prepared to help.
  • Do not shower, bathe, douche or change clothes before going to the hospital, even though you may feel a strong need to do so. It's crucial that you do not destroy evidence in case you decide at any point in the future to press charges.
  • Let medical personnel at the hospital know that you have been sexually assaulted, so they know what kind of treatment is important.
  • You will be encouraged at the hospital to call the police, but you are not required to make a police report. Preserving evidence through a medical examination will keep your options open in case you decide to make a police report in your future.

Whitworth University takes gender-based violence seriously and provides support and information on sexual violence to survivors, friends and families of survivors, and the university community.

Please see the following link for additional Whitworth-specific information, found in the Student Handbook: (Title IX) Sexual/Gender Harassment, Discrimination & Misconduct Policy.

For more 24/7 hotline resources addressing sexual violence, please see Helpful Hotlines on the Resources page.