Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Program Advocate Office

What Can The Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Program Advocate Office (formerly the Office of the Victim Advocate) Do For You?

What is the Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Program (SARPP) Advocate Office?

The Sexual Assault Response Prevention Program (SARPP) Advocate Office is an office in the University Health Center whose mission is to respond to incidents of sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, and sexual harassment. The SARPP Advocate Office provides resources, support, and assistance to men and women, primary and secondary victims, and individuals, student groups, and academic classes. Becoming a victim or dealing with someone else's victimization can be devastating—and each of us deals with it differently. The SARPP Advocate Office will help you figure out what your needs are and help you find a solution that is right for you.

Confidentiality

All services of the SARPP Advocate Office are private and confidential. Without your permission, no advocate will ever talk about what you tell us outside of the SARPP Advocate Office. With the exception of anonymous reporting of crime locations, the SARPP Advocate Office will not report any incident to any campus office without your permission.

Physical health

The SARPP Advocate Office can help you connect with emergency and ongoing medical care. Even though you may not feel as if you are hurt, it is important to receive medical care to ensure you have no injuries you have not identified. We can also help you explore options regarding emergency contraception or pregnancy and can help you get tested and treated for sexual transmitted infections (STIs).

Mental health

The SARPP Advocate Office can help you find professional and ongoing mental health services on campus or in your home community.

Housing

The SARPP Advocate Office can help you find alternative housing, if you are feeling unsafe or uncomfortable in your current housing.

Academic support

The SARPP Advocate Office can help you communicate with your professors if you are concerned about maintaining your coursework. If you are uncomfortable communicating with your professors, the SARPP Advocate Office can communicate with them on your behalf.

Financial assistance

The SARPP Advocate Office may be able to provide emergency financial support to pay for certain expenses related to your victimization.

Support and advocacy

The SARPP Advocate Office can provide support and advocacy if you choose to pursue proceedings in the criminal justice system, civil justice system, or the Office of Student Conduct. A victim advocate can accompany you to the police station, hospital, District Court Commissioner, or Office of Student Conduct, if you wish to pursue a formal complaint against the person who harmed you.

Liaison services

The SARPP Advocate Office can act as a liaison between you and other campus offices. Often, when a person is victimized, the person has many needs that may include many different campus offices. The SARPP Advocate Office can work with the different offices on campus to ensure that your campus needs are met. The SARPP Advocate Office will not communicate with any campus office and will never reveal to another campus office what you have discussed with us without your permission, however.

Referrals to legal assistance

The SARPP Advocate Office can help you find pro bono or low bono legal representation in civil, criminal, or campus disciplinary proceedings.

The Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Program Advocate Office cannot provide legal advice or legal representation. The information provided by the SARPP Advocate Office is only for informational purposes and should not be relied upon for legal advice or representation. If you wish to seek or retain legal services, the SARPP Advocate Office can provide you with referrals to low cost or no cost legal service providers in the community.

What if I am the partner, friend, teammate, or family member of the victim…what can the SARPP Advocate Office do for me?

Partners, friends, teammates, and family members of someone who has been sexually assaulted, stalked, sexually harassed, or in an abusive relationship are called secondary victims and the SARPP Advocate Office is also here to help you. When someone close to you is victimized, you may feel many of the same symptoms as the primary victim or your may feel very different from the primary victim. It is important that you educate yourself and receive help for yourself so that you can be a positive support for the primary victim during this difficult time. Any of the services available for primary victims may be available for secondary victims.

What if I am neither a primary or secondary victim, but I want to learn more about these issues…what can the SARPP Advocate Office do for me?

The SARPP Advocate Office is a resource for every student, staff, and faculty member at the University of Maryland. We understand that every one of us has the potential to become a victim of these crimes or to have someone close to us become a victim. We provide informational interviews, presentations, and program development assistance for campus offices, student organizations, athletic teams, academic classes, Greek organizations, and individual students around the issues of sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, and sexual harassment. We are available to train your group or office to identify when someone has been victimized, talk to or get resources for someone who has been victimized, or to start discussions among your organization about these issues. We work with male, female, and co-ed student organizations and athletic teams and will work with each individual or group to get them the information most relevant to your needs.