Violence Prevention & Advocacy
The Violence Prevention & Advocacy office (VPA) leads the efforts at UW Bothell and Cascadia College to foster a community of respect, consent and healthy relationships.
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What We Do
Confidential Advocacy: a safe place to start
The VPA offers advocacy services to all UW Bothell and Cascadia College students impacted by relationship violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, sexual harassment, and related experiences. This resource is free and available to currently enrolled students.
Advocacy is a safe and confidential starting point for students who have been affected directly or are supporting a friend or loved one. Advocates are trained professionals who understand the dynamics of abuse and harassment, share options for support, and stand by students while they navigate their healing.
Should I make an appointment?
If you have experienced harm or feel unsafe, that is more than enough of a reason to reach out to the VPA. Sometimes, people are hesitant 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. Please know you are not alone, these feelings are very common and you deserve support.
What does confidential mean?
Confidentiality is an agreement between the student and the Advocate to keep information between them. Our advocates are not required to make a report to the University or police after receiving a disclosure from a student. Advocates do not share whether they are working with a student. Information that is shared with an Advocate is legally protected and no one can access it without the student’s specific, informed permission, or when required by law. You are in charge of your information and who it is shared with.
How does an Advocate help?
Confidential Advocates help by listening and providing support. Students may share as much or as little as they like. Advocates offer safety planning, help with academic accommodations and housing, options for reporting to the University or police, medical referrals, counseling referrals, civil and legal options and more.
Students can choose to meet with a Confidential Survivor Advocate in the Prevention, Health & Wellness office on campus, or over Zoom. We encourage you to make the decision that best meets your needs in terms of privacy, safety, and accessibility. Schedule below or email: uwbvpa@uw.edu.
Prevention & Education: learn life skills
The VPA offers education and prevention programs related to healthy relationships, consent, bystander intervention, and the dynamics of domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment and stalking. VPA provides education on campus through workshops, classroom visits, trainings and student events.
Workshops offered:
Bystander Intervention
- Help keep our campus safe by learning about ways to interrupt harm in a safe and deescalating way.
Consent Workshop
- Navigating consent in relationships, sex and everyday lives.
Healthy Relationships
- Definitions of healthy relationships, toxic relationships and the dynamics of abuse. How to detect red flags and seek support. On and off campus resources for survivors and how to support someone experiencing violence.
Student Staff Training
- How to make referrals to the VPA. How to handle disclosures of violence. Resources for supporting survivors on and off campus.
If you’d like to request a special topic or collaborate on an event, email shark9@uw.edu or use the request a workshop below to speak with our Prevention Program Manager. Please note: The VPA does not provide Title IX training. To request a training on Title IX , email titleix@uw.edu.
Location & Hours
We are located in UW1 061 in the Prevention, Health & Wellness Office on the bottom level, near the elevator. We are open Monday – Friday, from 9am- 5pm.