FAQ: Getting help

I’ve experienced sexual violence. Where can I go for help?

If you are in immediate danger or need immediate medical attention, call 911.

If you are not in immediate danger:

• If you are a student, your campus CARE advocate is a valuable resource for you. CARE advocates work with student survivors of sexual violence, including sexual assault, dating/domestic violence and stalking, to provide immediate confidential emotional support and assistance. In addition, advocates work with survivors to access campus resources such as psychological counseling, medical care, emergency housing, transportation and academic needs. And advocates can explain your options for filing a formal report with law enforcement or the university — as well as the option not to report. For more information about campus CARE advocates, visit our FAQs on advocates. To reach a campus CARE advocate now, visit our Get Help page. Advocacy services are available 24 hours a day.
• If you are a faculty member, other academic appointee or staff member, trained professionals on your campus offer confidential counseling and help, and information about where to go if you want to file a report. Faculty members may also contact their Academic Personnel Office regarding their academic rights.

If I talk to the campus CARE advocate or my Employee Assistance Program, will my personal information, such as my name, be kept confidential?

Yes. CARE advocates as well as the Employee Assistance Program staff are confidential resources that are available to help you. Speaking to these resources will not trigger an investigation and personally identifiable information, such as your name, will be kept confidential, consistent with legal requirements.

I just want to talk to someone and I don’t want to file a report or I’m not ready to decide if I want to report yet. Can I still get help?

Yes. Regardless of whether you decide to file a report, the university has many resources available to you, such as counseling and academic support.

If you are an undergraduate or graduate student, your campus CARE advocate can provide immediate confidential support, explain the campus resources available and help you access the ones you want. Here are some examples of resources and services:

• Emotional support, including crisis intervention, long-term counseling, support groups and other resources on and off campus.
• Academic support, including changing your academic class schedule and switching course sections.
• Health care, such as a medical exam and help with other needs at campus health and counseling centers.
• Housing, such as helping you obtain temporary housing or new housing.
• Personal safety. You can consult with university police to understand your rights to physical protection, including restraining orders or a safety escort on campus at night. Advocates can help you obtain no-contact orders or temporary or permanent orders of protection.

If you are a faculty member, other academic appointee or staff member, you can talk one-on-one with the trained professionals on your campus who can offer confidential support and help you identify other available resources.

To learn more about options available to you, visit your campus website.

What do I do if my friend or colleague has experienced sexual violence?

If your friend or colleague is in immediate danger or needs immediate medical attention, call 911.

If there is no immediate danger, let your friend or colleague know university resources are available but do not pressure them to go:

• If the person is an undergraduate or graduate student, let them know that their campus CARE Advocate Office is available for confidential support, as well as to explain medical, academic, legal and reporting options.
• If your colleague is a UC faculty member, other academic appointee or staff member, the university has trained professionals on your campus who can provide confidential support, and information about where to go if you want to file a report. Faculty members may also contact their Academic Personnel Office regarding their academic rights.

We have tips for how you can help a friend or colleague here.

If I experienced sexual violence off-campus or before I enrolled or started working at UC, can I still get help?

Yes. Confidential support is available to help any undergraduate or graduate student currently enrolled at UC or any UC faculty, academic appointee or staff member, regardless of whether the sexual violence occurred on or off campus.

In addition, we understand that some people may have experienced sexual violence before coming to UC and may be seeking support services. Your campus advocate can talk to you about resources, including connecting you with trained psychological counselors.