Support for me

Confidential advocacy: A safe place to start

Advocacy and support are available to all Cascadia College and UW Bothell students affected by sexual assault, rape, relationship violence, domestic violence, stalking, sexual harassment and other related experiences. This resource is free and open to students impacted directly and indirectly. If you or someone you know is being impacted by violence or harassment, we are available to meet with you and provide a safe, judgement free environment to be heard. Meeting with an advocate will not automatically lead to any kind of investigation by UW Bothell, Cascadia College, or the police.

A confidential advocate through the Violence Prevention & Advocacy Program can provide caring, empowering support to students. With an advocate, you can explore your rights, options, and resources, and all decisions about possible next steps will be entirely up to you.

Why students reach out for support

If you feel harmed, uncomfortable, or unsafe, that is more than enough of a reason to reach out to our program. Sometimes, people are hesistant to seek support because they aren’t sure how to describe or categorize what happened to them. Other times, folks can feel like the situation isn’t serious enough, or they don’t know if any action can be taken. These are normal, common feelings to have; don’t let them prevent you from getting the care that you need and deserve.

What an advocate can provide

The goal of advocacy is to help you explore your unique needs and goals, and then work alongside you to help you achieve them. Advocacy is a short term option and advocates can refer students to long term care. As a result, advocacy looks different for every person. You can meet with an advocate once or on an ongoing basis, and they can offer support and resources in the following areas.

• Immediate & emotional support

  • Learn about common reactions to sexual assault, relationship violence, domestic violence, stalking, sexual harassment, trauma and other experiences.
  • The advocate can provide options, rights, resources, and referrals, including those related to many of the areas outlined below.
  • Process your experience in a safe, judgment-free environment.
  • Discuss how you can take care of yourself and heal through counseling options, stress reduction techniques, support groups, and/or other resources.

• Safety planning

  • Explore ways your experience impacted, and may continue to impact, your ability to be and feel safe.
  • Make a safety plan.
  • Learn about protection orders.
  • Referrals to community advocactes who may be able to accompany you to court appointments and hearings if you decide to pursue this option.

• Connection to medical care

  • Discuss resources for medical care and explore whether you want to get a specialized exam for evidence collection.
  • Referrals to community advocates who may be able to accompany you to medical exams and treatment appointments.

• Accommodations

  • Discuss how your experience may have affected work or school and how an advocate can help by working with your professors and supervisors.
  • Explore options for safer housing.

• Reporting options

  • Learn about your rights and reporting options. You have the right to report to the University, to the police, to both, or to neither.
  • Discuss making a report to the University through the Title IX Investigation Office or the University Complaint Investigation and Resolution Office (UCIRO). An advocate is available to help support you through this process and accompany you to appointments.
  • Discuss making a report to the police. An advocate is available to help support you through this process and accompany you to appointments.

• Referrals to long term care

  • Learn about additional on campus resources to support your long-term wellbeing.
  • Referrals to off campus resources with community partners.

What to expect

Making an appointment

When students go to book an appointment, they will be able to see the advocate’s availability and can schedule an appointment. Please note, the VPA is not a crisis service and it might take up to a week to see an advocate depending on availability.

The first appointment

If your appointment is in person, you’ll meet with an advocate in a private office on the UWB campus. If you are meeting over Zoom, the advocate will still be in a private space, to maintain your privacy and confidentiality. You can tell your advocate as much or as little as you’d like. There is nothing in particular that you need to bring with you, but if you have documents or notes that you’d like to refer to, you’re welcome to bring them along.