Programs that provide a variety of supportive services for victims of crimes and their families which may include general emotional support, crisis counseling, information about police investigative procedures, liaison to police personnel, assistance in completing and filing applications for reimbursement of crime-related expenses or losses, information about the mechanics of court proceedings, advice concerning court appearances, court accompaniment services, assistance in preparing victim impact statements and referrals for other needed services such as medical treatment, shelter away from home, transportation, child care, financial assistance and protective services.

Programs that intercede on behalf of individuals to help them establish eligibility for or obtain needed services when they have been denied benefits or services for which they are eligible, when they need assistance to communicate their needs to a service provider or to otherwise effectively represent themselves, or when they have a complaint about a service. Individual advocacy attempts to reach equitable settlements without resorting to litigation and seeks to meet individual needs without attempting to change social institutions.

Programs that provide assistance for people who need to obtain legal protection to prevent harassment, stalking or violence in situations involving child abuse, domestic abuse, elder abuse, abduction, sexual assault, stalking or other forms of harassment or the threat of workplace violence. Depending on the situation, a person may have more than one type of order. Restraining and personal protection order laws vary from one jurisdiction to another but all establish who can file for an order, what protection or relief a person can get from such an order and how the order will be enforced. The court will order the adverse party to refrain from certain actions and/or require compliance with certain provisions. Failure to comply is a violation of the order which can result in the arrest and prosecution of the offender. Violations in some jurisdictions may also constitute criminal or civil contempt of court.

Mutual support groups whose members are individuals who have been sexually assaulted or have experienced incest as a child, their spouses or partners, other family members and friends. The groups provide emotional support, information and resources to help participants recover from their ordeal and may be structured specifically for male and female sexual assault survivors; individuals who have been sexually abused by physicians, therapists, religious authority figures or other trusted individuals; or male and/or female adults and teens who experienced incest or were sexually exploited as children. Groups may also be offered for perpetrators of sexual assault, child molestation or other sex crimes. Meeting formats may include in-person, telephone or Internet options.

Programs that provide crisis, short-term and/or ongoing counseling for people who are coping with the emotional trauma of being forced to engage in sexual intercourse or other sexual acts without their consent. Included are military sexual trauma (MST) counseling programs offered by facilities operated by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, which address the needs of veterans who have been traumatized by having experienced assault or repeated threatening sexual harassment which occurred while serving on active duty in the military. Counseling and support may be offered in a variety of settings and may include individual, conjoint, family and group therapy sessions for the survivor and/or significant others.

Adults who, as adults or children, have survived an actual or attempted act of rape, forced oral copulation, sodomy or other sexual assault or abuse which was perpetrated by an individual other than their spouse or, in the case of a child, by an individual other than a parent or other extended family member whom the child trusted.