What is Advocacy?

MEDICAL CARE

Your physical and emotional safety are first and foremost. Make the choices that feel best for you.
After experiencing harm or assault, a survivor may wish to seek medical attention to treat any possible injuries, check for injuries a survivor may not be able to see, get tested for STI exposure, and potentially complete evidence collection. A survivor may call the Care Line to talk to a confidential advocate to determine if you are interested in seeking medical care and/or collecting evidence. The confidential advocate can also help a survivor identify an appropriate local health care facility, and may transport and accompany a survivor to medical care.
Survivors can be accompanied by a confidential advocate to seek medical services, for emotional support, and to assist in navigating reporting requirements and options. Medical staff are required to report to the police any physical evidence of a violent crime (such as bruising, tearing, bleeding) observed during a physical exam. Listed below are healthcare facilities local to the UC Berkeley campus.

Forensic evidence collection
Evidence collection is a law enforcement process to collect and preserve possible evidence of a crime, and can only be done at designated sites. If a survivor of relationship violence or sexual assault is considering or wants to pursue criminal charges immediately or in the future, forensic evidence collection conducted soon after an incident may yield valuable evidence. Evidence is collected within 72 hours, although the window may be extended in certain circumstances. Survivors can call the UC Berkeley Care Line any time to arrange for a confidential advocate to provide support in navigating options, coordinate local police response for reporting, as well as to accompany and/or transport them to medical care and/or evidence collection. It is advised if a survivor plans on accessing a forensic exam that the survivor does not shower, brush their teeth or eat/drink liquids. If clothing worn during the assault is in the survivors possession, the survivor is advised to place it in a paper bag.

*The Tang Center is not an "evidence collection" site, meaning that it is not equipped to perform forensic exams and preserve physical evidence of a crime.

Care Line: (510) 643-2005 • Bay Area Women Against Rape: (510) 845-7273 • Tang After-Hours Assistance at (510) 643-7197

Highland Hospital
411 E 31st St, Oakland, CA 94602 | (510) 437-4800
Sexual Assault Hotline at Highland Hospital: (510) 534-9291
Highland Emergency at (510) 437-4559 x7
http://www.highlandahs.org/
Highland Hospital houses the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) for adults in the Berkeley/Oakland area. At Highland, evidence collection costs are covered for survivors of sexual violence.
University Health Services
Urgent Care at University Health Services (UHS), Tang Center
2222 Bancroft Way (1st Floor) | 510-642-3188
uhs.berkeley.edu/medical/urgent-care
UHS is available for general medical care for all Berkeley students, seven days a week, regardless of insurance status. Students may be treated for injury, prevention of sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy, and help coordinate specialty care with community providers to collect evidence*. At UHS, medical costs are covered for student survivors of sexual violence. For after hours medical assistance, call UHS Advice Nurse at 510-643-7197.
If you have recently experienced violence or harm, it is encouraged to seek medical care to ensure your physical health needs are addressed.

STI and pregnancy testing
Some medical concerns may not be immediately apparent, such as sexually transmitted infections (STIS), internal injuries and pregnancy. Even if you do not wish to have a doctor or nurse collect evidence for an investigation, seeking prompt medical evaluation may be beneficial. Some medications, such as emergency contraception, are most effective when administered as soon as possible.
Testing and STI screening can be completed at Tang, through your primary doctor’s office if you receive care outside of UHS, or by Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood West Oakland
1682 7th St, Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 300- 3800

SAFETY PLANNING AND SAFE HOUSING 

Safety Planning

It is important that you find a safe and secure environment. If you're in immediate danger and need to contact the police, please call 911. To contact UCPD, call 510-642-3333. 

 An advocate can assist you in developing a safety plan based on your individual needs and concerns. Safety planning is a conversation brainstorming ways in which you can stay safe, reduce the risk of future harm, and know the best ways to react if in danger. Finding ways to stay and feel safer can also be an important step towards healing.

Safe Housing

Advocates can support survivors in arranging for immediate relocation to a safe place. Advocates can also help in obtaining long term safe housing by assisting in voiding leases/contracts with resident halls and rental properties.

 Confidential Advocates can assist survivors who have safety concerns with regard to their housing. Advocates can coordinate temporary safe housing for any survivors in urgent need. Call the Care Line (510) 643-2005.

ONLINE STALKING AND SAFETY 

Stalking behaviors are not limited to in person or real time actions. One way in which perpetrators stalk their victim is through the use of the internet and other electronic means such as cell phones, laptops and some bluetooth/smart devices. 

If you are concerned about behaviors you are experiencing while online or the integrity of your devices an advocate can assist you in completing a risk assessment, collecting evidence, safety planning and accessing resources.  

Should you wish to meet with an advocate, please communicate these concerns when scheduling an appointment. If you believe the integrity of your device has been compromised, we encourage you to refrain from using email when communicating with our office.

FINANCIAL AND BASIC NEEDS

Financial Need
The aftermath of sexual harassment and violence are often challenging, and can lead to financial costs. We are a Center, and a campus, with many local resources available to provide to students, faculty, and staff who need help after experiencing harm. Connect with an advocate to learn more about the following resources:
Victim of Crime Compensation
Emergency Loans
ASUC funds

Basic Needs
If a survivor is struggling with basic needs insecurity, the PATH to Care Center is here to support and help connect to the best resources to address the survivors needs. As a Center, our philosophy involves caring for and looking at the health of the whole person. Ensuring basic needs are met is a large part of continuing to thrive on campus.
Click here to go to the UC Berkeley Basic Needs Security Hub.

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AND COUNSELING

If you or someone you know has been impacted by sexual harassment, sexual violence, dating/intimate partner violence, stalking, and/or invasion of privacy, please know that there are trained and caring professionals at UC Berkeley who are available to offer support, if you wish. Every question you have is valid and important.
Advocacy and support for staff, faculty, and students is available through the confidential PATH to Care Center, which is a separate resource from counseling.
The PATH to Care Center provides affirming, empowering, and confidential support for those who have experienced gendered violence, including: sexual harassment, sexual violence, dating/intimate partner violence, stalking, and/or invasion of privacy. Advocates bring a non-judgmental, caring approach to exploring all options, rights, and resources.
The PATH to Care Center provides holistic support, helping victims/survivors to access resources related to any aspect of life that is impacted by sexual violence, intimate partner violence, stalking, or harassment. Services are provided at free-of-charge. It can accompany them to appointments, including medical, legal, administrative, and academic appointments.

For urgent advocate support, please call the 24/7 Care Line at 510-643-2005. To make an appointment, call the PATH to Care Center office at (510) 642-1988.

Students may access Social Services at University Health Services for counseling. Staff and faculty may receive support at Be Well At Work Employee Assistance (formerly CARE Services) also located at University Health Services in the Tang Center.

Emotional support for undergraduate and graduate students: Social Services at UHS (Tang Center) 
Social Services provides confidential counseling support to students impacted by sexual assault, stalking, harassment, and relationship or other violence. To see their full range of services go to the Social Services website.
Social Services staff will assess a student's immediate needs, whether they are medical, academic, legal, emotional, financial, and/or family-related. The staff then works with the student to develop a plan to meet those needs. They also offer student groups and workshops, including a group for sexual assault survivors who identify as women.
You can reach Social Services at (510) 642-6074 and at the 2nd Floor of the Tang Center, Room 2280.

Emotional support for staff and faculty: Be Well at Work Employee Assistance (Tang Center)
Be Well at Work Employee Assistance is the campus faculty and staff assistance program providing free, confidential problem assessment and referral for UC Berkeley faculty and staff. It is also the employee assistance program for the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Be Well at Work also provides free and confidential consultation and training services for faculty and staff management and campus administration related to problems that impact workplace functioning. Employee Assistance offers problem assessment, crisis intervention, and referral to community resources.
You can reach Employee Assistance at (510) 643-7754.

ACADEMIC AND WORKPLACE ACCOMMODATIONS 

The UC Berkeley community deserves an environment where everyone can learn, work, and thrive free of violence. Experiencing violence commonly impacts many aspects of a survivor’s life, including their access to school and/or work. If sexual assault, relationship violence, sexual harassment, or stalking is disrupting or preventing your access to school or work, PATH to Care is here to offer support. For example, a PATH to Care advocate can provide assistance with:

Workplace Accommodations

• Help arrange workplace accommodations, such as schedule or work space changes and leave time. 
• Make referrals to campus and community resources

Academic Accommodations

Help coordinating academic accommodations, including assignment extensions, incomplete, retroactive accommodations and information about withdrawals. 

• Assist in arranging a change in classroom sections or courses.
• Make referrals to the Disabled Students’ Program, and other campus and community partners.

When seeking academic or workplace accommodations, an advocate will not contact anyone, including your employer, professor, or GSI, without your permission. You have the right to reasonable accommodations without needing to disclose details of your experience to others. If you have any concerns about your privacy while seeking accommodations, please feel welcome to discuss with a confidential advocate.

Police

PATH to Care advocates are available to assist survivors in exploring reporting options and the potential impact based on a survivor’s individual experience and needs. In many cases, a meeting with an advocate can act as a consult to explore if engaging with reporting process is the best fit for the survivor’s goals.  If a survivor chooses to report, an advocate can be present during the process to accompany the survivor to the initial interview, and any needed follow up meetings.

The police can provide emergency assistance and crisis intervention for survivors of violence. Talking to the police does not mean you are committed to filing charges. Criminal charges may be pursued concurrently with other reporting options described below:

1. If the incident occurred on campus (or on university property), survivors can contact University Police (UCPD) to report, and UCPD will investigate. If the incident(s) occurred locally, but off campus, the police department of the city in which the crime occurred will conduct the investigation.
   
   
2. You can reach UCPD at (510) 642-6760, police@berkeley.edu, http://police.berkeley.edu
   
3. You can reach Berkeley Police Department at (510) 981-5900, police@cityofberkeley.info, or http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/police/
   
4. In the case of an emergency contact 911

OPHD

Survivors may also choose to report to the University, and may do so by contacting the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD). OPHD is a non confidential office responsible for ensuring the university provides an environment for faculty, staff and students that is free from discrimination and harassment on the basis of categories including race, color, national origin, gender, age and sexual orientation/identity. 

OPHD oversees the process for the investigation and resolution of sexual harassment and sexual violence complaints against faculty, staff and students pursuant to the UC Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment.

You can reach OPHD at (510) 643-7985, ask_ophd@berkeley.edu, and/or http://ophd.berkeley.edu

Responsible employees are certain university officials who must report incidents of sexual violence and/or harassment to the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD). If you confide in a responsible employee, they must notify OPHD and reveal details that you have disclosed to them. Many university officials are considered responsible employees including academic advisors, administrators, athletic coaches, GSls, professors, resident advisors, supervisors/managers, and more. PATH to Care advocates are confidential and do not provide OPHD with any information without the explicit consent and request of the survivor.

HEALING

Coping after an experience
Survivors can feel an array of emotions after an experience of harm. It is also common for some survivors to be disconnected, disassociated, or numb. Any response to an experience of harm is completely normal. Aspects of the survivor’s life may be impacted after an experience of harm. This can include things like increasing or decreasing social interactions, a shift in academic or work engagement, physical health and wellness, and more. Survivors should be empowered to cope in whatever ways feel right for them. Survivors can also meet with a Confidential Advocate to explore other coping strategies and healing modalities available to them.

Find your healing path
Healing looks different for every survivor. And there is no “right way” to release trauma or to heal. It is common for survivors not to know how to heal or where to start with their healing journey. There are various healing modalities that survivors may or may not choose to access at any time after an experience of harm. These can include: talk therapy/counseling, movement practices, meditation and mindfulness, energy healing, eco therapy, art, and much more. As survivors move through their healing journey, they may choose to add or shift to different modalities that better meet their present needs. Survivors should have full autonomy to decide what services they want to access and when.

We recognize that we live in a society that has historically and continuously upholds ableism.

Survivors living with disabilities hold their own individualized experiences. These disabilities are both visible and invisible. Many may have interpersonal violence exerted on them specifically utilizing their access and disability needs. Someone’s access and disability needs also can be a direct result of past or present interpersonal violence, trauma, and harm that they have experienced.

Challenges & barriers for survivors with disabilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Finances, basic needs, and needed medical support controlled
• Denial or blame for their disability or access needs
• Isolation from their support network and resources
• Resources, options, and spaces that are not accessible to them
• Support people, providers, or service entities that invalidate or do not take into consideration access needs

PATH to Care is centered on the access and disability needs of all survivors and UC Berkeley community members. We acknowledge that access and disability needs take many different forms and are present for people at any and all stages of their lives.

Your ability does not and should not invalidate your experiences as a survivor.

We affirm that folks have a right to access the PATH to Care Center with those access needs in mind. We will make sure that the meeting spaces, resources, forms of communication, and support that we provide, takes into account those access needs.

Folks that can access the PATH to Care Center to receive support during situations of active harm and during their healing processes after harm, and their access needs will be taken into account at each step of their process.

PATH to Care also works with the Disabled Students Program at UC Berkeley to support students with their access needs during their time in UC Berkeley academic spaces. PTC also works with the Office of Disability Access and Compliance for staff with their access needs. The PATH to Center will reach out to campus and community resources to support with access needs in non-academic spaces, as well.

Campus & Community Resources for Survivors Living with Disabilities

Disabled Students Program (DSP) (For students)
260 César E. Chávez Student Center, #4250
Berkeley, CA 94720-4250
dsp@berkeley.edu
Voice: (510) 642-0518
TTY: (510) 642-6376
Fax: (510) 643-9686

Disability Management (For staff and faculty)
Be Well at Work – Disability Management
University Health Services (Tang Center)
2222 Bancroft Way, Suite 2100
Berkeley, CA 94720-4300
Phone: (510) 643-7921
Fax: (510) 642-6505

Deaf Hope
Email: deafhope@deaf-hope.org
Phone: (510) 735.8553 

We recognize that we live in a society that upholds homophobia, biphobia, the gender binary, transphobia, and sexism.

Survivors who are LGBTQ+ hold their own specific and personal experiences, and no assumptions should be made of a person based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Often institutions have been historically inaccessible to survivors who are LGBTQ+, due to discrimination and marginalization. And for survivors who are LGBTQ+, there is isolation and lack of support around their experiences of interpersonal violence.

Challenges and barriers for survivors who are LGBTQ+ may include, but are not limited to:

• One’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity being denied or invalidated
• Abuse and control over hormone treatments
• The threat of having one’s sexual orientation or gender identity “outed” to people they know, which could impact access to support and resources
• Messaging by the abuser that communicates the abuse is “mutual” or “even”
• Messaging that dating/domestic violence only occurs within straight/het relationships, and that what they are experiencing cannot be abuse 

The PATH to Care Center is here to uplift the gender identities, orientations, sexuality, and experiences of survivors who are LGBTQ+ and to connect them to resources and options that feel best.

The PATH to Care Center also has created intentional spaces of healing for survivors who are LGBTQ+.

Campus & Community Resources for Survivors who Identify as LGBTQ+

• Gender Equity Center 
• BAWAR’s LGBTQIA+ program
• Incite!
• Community United Against Violence (CUAV) 
  

We recognize that we live in a society that structurally and culturally holds racism and classism.

Communities of color have their own particular history and experiences. The experiences of a survivor who is BIPOC is unique within their community and across other communities. BIPOC survivors face particular systemic and cultural issues, within their experiences of being impacted by interpersonal violence.

Challenges and barriers for survivors who are BIPOC may include, but are not limited to:

• Familial and community notions of shame
• Feelings that their experiences may confirm bias, stereotypes, or negative messaging about their community
• Navigating a person of harm being part of one’s community
• Fear or apprehension around pursuing reporting options, due to experiences of historical and systemic violence and oppression
• Providers that do not understand the experiences of them and do not represent their communities

The PATH to Care Center is here to be centered on the needs of survivors who are BIPOC around their lived experiences when navigating options and resources.

The PATH to Care Center has also created and works to provide intentional spaces of healing to support the needs of survivors who are BIPOC.

Campus & Community Resources Survivors who are BIPOC

• MCC (Multicultural Community Center)
• AASD (African American Student Development)
• NASD (Native American Student Development)
• CLSD (Chicanx Latinx Student Development)
• APASD (Asian Pacific American Student Development)
• Narika
• Asian Women’s Shelter
• Black Women’s Blueprint
• National Latin@ Network
• National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center
• My Sister’s House

Website to find a Therapists:

• LGBTQ Psychotherapists of Color
• Incite!

We recognize that barriers with language access and cultural understanding have shaped many of the systems in our society.

Survivors who are international students & scholars have their own individual and varied experiences within the UC Berkeley community. There are often particular challenges and barriers faced by international students and scholars, when impacted by interpersonal violence.

These challenges and barriers may include, but are not limited to:

• Navigating legal systems, reporting processes, and community resources that feel new and/or unfamiliar to them
• Taking into account one’s visa or refugee status
• Resources not always accessible in the languages one uses
• Support systems not being accessible due to distance
• Being taken advantage of or provided false information around legal systems, reporting processes, and community resources

PATH to Care works with international students, scholars, and staff, to ensure that they are informed of their resources and reporting options, with the considerations of visa status and particular experiences in mind.

PATH to Care can also serve UC Berkeley students and staff who are living or studying abroad, utilizing video chat or phone to provide supportive services and connect them to the appropriate campus or community resources. PATH to Care can connect UC Berkeley students or staff to the Office of Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination, while abroad, to make a report to the university.

Campus & Community Resources Survivors who are International Students or Scholars

• Berkeley International Office
• International House at UC Berkeley
• National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence (International links)

Interpersonal violence and abuse can occur to people of all gender identities. And while the experiences of survivors who identify as men differ, the myth and messaging that men cannot be victims of interpersonal violence creates experiences of isolation, lack of support, guilt, and shame for the survivors who do experience abuse.

Challenges and barriers for survivors who identify as men may include, but are not limited to:

• Experiences of abuse being questioned by providers or others in society
• Not being able to access or having more limited access to services (i.e. shelters)
• For gay/bi/queer/pansexual/trans men, feelings of self-blame, self-loathing, or harmful messaging that the experience was “deserved”
• A survivor’s sexuality being called into question after the harm
• Confusion around any physiological reactions

PATH to Care is here to serve survivors who identify as men at our center and ensure they are connected to needed resources and informed of their rights. We hold that relationship violence impacts people of all gender identities.

Community Resources for Survivors who Identify as Men

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We recognize that there are an incredible amount of barriers for those who are undocumented or lived in a mixed status family in the US.

The experiences of undocumented community members are not the same, nor fit any one story.

We must keep in mind that undocumented survivors may hold the shared experiences of uncertainty, stigma, and hyperawareness around what they can say and do.

Challenges and barriers for undocumented survivors may include, but are not limited to:

• Feeling that they must take into account their status, family member’s status, and/or the status of the person that harmed them in their decision making
• Holding uncertainty around which legal, law enforcement, and healthcare systems can be accessed and how that may impact their status and/or the status of others
• Being threatened, silenced, called into question, or having a survivor’s status be weaponized against them
• Feeling isolated from their support system or having a support system that is also isolated
• Not being able to access resources or aid funds, due to their status.
• Being taken advantage of or provided false information around legal systems, reporting processes, and community resources

PATH to Care holds important the lives and considerations of our undocumented survivors at UC Berkeley. One’s status is not a barrier to being supported at the PATH to Care Center.

People do not have to share their status with the PATH to Care Center, and they would not be asked about their status.

Undocumented survivors have a right to report anonymously, not to share their status, and not to have their university or institution threaten to deport them. (Source: End Rape on Campus).

Community Resources for Survivors who are Undocumented

• Undocumented Student Program
• East Bay Community Law Center
  (Source: UCSB CARE)