CSUSB Survivor Advocacy Services
Survivor Advocacy Services (SAS) provides confidential support to CSUSB students, staff, and faculty who have experienced sexual violence, stalking, or intimate partner violence (including dating or domestic violence). SAS is committed to creating a safe environment where survivors can explore the dynamics of abuse, learn about their rights and options, and gain the empowerment needed to make informed decisions. SAS strives to change campus culture through prevention education, awareness initiatives, survivor advocacy, and collaboration with key partners.
Confidential Services Provided
- Crisis intervention.
- Education on reporting options.
- Guide and support individuals during investigations, hearings, and meetings with Institutional Equity and Compliance (Title IX).
- Offer support during investigations, hearings, and meetings with the Student Conduct & Ethical Development Office.
- Provide emotional support during law enforcement investigations.
- Advocate for necessary accommodations for survivors, including employment, academics, or housing.
- Assist individuals in drafting civil and domestic violence restraining orders and offer emotional support during related hearings.
- Connect individuals with campus and local community resources tailored to their needs.
Philosophy
The staff at Survivor Advocacy Services believes that:
- Services should be trauma-informed.
- Confidentiality is crucial for ensuring the safety of survivors.
- Services must be survivor-centered, recognizing that survivors are the experts on their own experiences.
- Services must be accessible to all CSUSB students, faculty, and staff.
- Services should be available to everyone, regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, citizenship status, nationality, socio-economic status, size, ability, or religion.
- Services must be culturally competent and responsive to the individual needs of survivors.
- Intimate partner violence, domestic violence, sexual violence, and stalking are choices made by perpetrators, not the fault of the victims or survivors.
- Intimate partner violence, domestic violence, sexual violence, and stalking are public health issues that impact society as a whole.
- Social justice and social change are essential to addressing the social, cultural, and institutional oppressions that contribute to violence and hinder healing.
- Campus-wide prevention education is crucial for challenging victim-blaming attitudes and promoting an understanding of consent and healthy relationships.