Main Content
What to Expect When Meeting with a Confidential Advocate
If meeting in-person, you will meet with the advocate in a private office situated in a confidential space. If you prefer to meet virtually, we will use a version of Zoom that maintains your privacy and security. You can tell the advocate as much or as little as you'd like, there is no expectation of how much information you’d like to share. There's 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. You can meet with an advocate as much or as little as you’d like.
Advocates help you explore what your needs and goals are and then provides support to help you achieve them. This means that support will be tailored to you.
Advocacy support can include:
Emotional Support
- Learn about common reactions to sexual assault, relationship violence, domestic violence, stalking, sexual harassment, trauma, and other experiences.
- Learn about your rights and reporting options.
- Discuss how you can take care of yourself and discover options to begin the healing process whether through counseling, stress reduction techniques, support groups, and/or other resources.
Connections to Services & Resources
- Discuss options for medical care and for other campus and community support resources.
Safety Planning
- Learn about civil protection orders, an option external to the University.
- Make a safety plan.
Reporting Options
- Discuss making a formal complaint to the University through the Title IX Investigation Office or the University Complaint Investigation and Resolution Office (UCIRO). The advocate is available to help support you through any reporting process you choose.
- Discuss making a report to the police. The advocate is available to help support you throughout this process.
Accommodations
- Discuss how your experience may have affected work or school and how the advocate can help by working with your professors.
Healing
- Make a holistic plan for managing the impact of this experience at UW.
- Connections to well-being supportive resources and services.