Our Mission

To provide healing for children, adults, and families affected by sexual assault and to end sexual violence through counseling, education, and advocacy.

 

Our History

The Sexual Assault Center began in 1978 as a small crisis line founded by two Vanderbilt University Divinity students who saw a critical need for compassionate support for survivors of rape and sexual abuse. 

Through the decades, SAC adapted to meet the needs of survivors. After a devastating fire in 1988 destroyed our building and records, the community rallied to rebuild. In 1997, SAC purchased and paid for a permanent home on Lindsley Avenue, and in 2008, we moved to our current location at 101 French Landing, made possible through a successful capital campaign.

In 2018, SAC opened the Tohill SAFE (Sexual Assault Forensic Exam) Clinic, a transformative milestone in our history. Through a partnership with Vanderbilt University Medical Center, SAC provides 24/7 medical-legal exams onsite, ensuring survivors receive compassionate, trauma-informed care in one safe and supportive environment.

Over the past several years, SAC has experienced tremendous growth and transition. Following a CEO succession in 2018, the organization has doubled in size and budget, expanding from a staff of approximately 25 to more than 50 professionals. This growth reflects SAC’s deepening commitment to comprehensive care and community impact across Tennessee.

Today, SAC is a statewide leader in sexual assault healing and prevention. Our Crisis & Support Line, now serves survivors and their loved ones across Tennessee. Our comprehensive programs include Clinical Services, Advocacy & SAFE Clinic, and our Training & Community Outreach Team, which equips professionals, campuses, and communities with the tools to prevent sexual violence and respond with care.

From a single crisis line to a statewide network of healing, SAC remains rooted in the same vision that inspired its founders—to provide hope and healing for survivors and to end sexual violence for good.

 

Impact

We are committed to providing the most effective services that empower individuals to overcome the effects of sexual assault. Our clinical staff is focused on providing specialized services to all victims of sexual assault including men, women, and children, regardless of their ability to pay. We are committed to providing a warm, safe, welcoming environment for all regardless of age, ethnicity, culture, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status or disability.

We use standardized measures to evaluate the progress our clients are achieving to reduce their trauma-related symptoms such as depression and anxiety. We are equally committed to reducing the number of individuals that are sexually abused by providing our community with the knowledge and skills to reduce sexual violence. Over 175,000 children throughout Tennessee are participating in our elementary school safety program, Safe@Last. Middle and high school students are exploring healthy relationships through our curriculum titled BE  (Be Empowered), and we educate adults through the prevention program, Stewards of Children, by increasing their knowledge about the impact sexual violence has on our community and how we can prevent it.

For more complete information, go to our GivingMatters profile here