The Morongo Basin Rape Crisis Center was established in 1998 to meet the needs of sexual assault survivors and their families in the Morongo Basin area of Southern California. With two paid staff members and over thirty trained volunteers, the program offers crisis counseling and other supportive services to residents of, and visitors to, the communities of Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms, Yucca Valley, Morongo Valley, and Landers.
All services are confidential and free .
Morongo Basin Rape Crisis Center provides a 24 hour hotline, which is staffed nights and weekends by volunteers. If a person is sexually assaulted, and reports the assault to the police or a hospital, the on-call volunteer is contacted to be with the survivor during the police interview and medical examination. Crisis intervention assistance also is provided over the telephone, if a survivor chooses not to report, or to go to a hospital. Staff members or volunteers also accompany survivors to follow-up medical examination, legal interview, and court appearance, to explain procedures, provide support, and insure that the survivor's legal rights are respected. A paraprofessional counselor provides on-going counseling to survivors who desire it, and a licensed therapist is available to provide consultation and to handle more difficult cases.