Victim Advocacy Services

Types of Victim Advocacy Services Offered

Student Wellness & Health Promotion offers several types of assistance for survivors of sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, sexual harassment, or stalking, which includes: 24/7/365 Crisis Assistance, Professional Advocacy & Crisis Counseling, and Support Groups.

Our office offers both Group and Individual counseling sessions. Our certified, professional Victim Advocates are:

  • Angela Seguin
  • Zainab Shah

Victim Advocacy at Student Wellness is available to all undergraduate and graduate students at UD.

Scheduling an appointment in advance is advised, but if there is a sense of urgency around your need to meet with someone, the best option for scheduling is to call: 302-831-3457. 

Want to Schedule an Appointment Online?

You can schedule an appointment by using our online appointment form. We are located at Warner Hall, 280 The Green on the 3rd Floor. Click the button below to complete the form.

Schedule Online Now!

Instructions to Schedule an Appointment Using Our Online Form

  1. Login with your UD ID and password. Enter 2-Factor Authentication code if prompted.
  2. Enter DOB and click Proceed.
  3. On the left-hand menu, click Appointments
  4. Any currently scheduled appointments will be listed. Click “Schedule an appointment”.
  5. Select the button next to “Meet with a Victim Advocate regarding sexual harassment, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, or stalking at Student Wellness” and click Continue.
  6. Read through the instructions. Click Continue to proceed with scheduling.
  7. Confirm that your contact information is up to date. Make any necessary changes by clicking the Edit links to the right.
  8. Enter the best phone number where you can be reached if necessary. This may be the same as the phone number listed from the previous step. Click Continue.
  9. A list of available appointment times will be displayed. Select the button to the left of your preferred appointment and click Continue at the bottom of the page.
  10. Confirm the appointment date and time. If everything is correct, click Schedule. If there is a problem, click Retry and return to the previous step.
  11. One you’ve completed these steps, your appointment will be scheduled. A reminder text will be sent to you 1 hour prior to the appointment at the cell phone number you provided.
  12. In the event that you need to cancel, follow these instructions to step 4 and click the Cancel Appointment option under the currently scheduled appointment shown.

If you have any difficulty using online scheduling, (e.g. if the system tells you that you are ineligible to use this feature, you aren’t sure whether you paid the Student Wellbeing Fee, the internet is out, etc.) then you can always call Monday through Friday during University hours to make an appointment.

Want to Schedule an Appointment by Phone?

You can also schedule an appointment by calling our office: 302-831-3457. We are located at Suite #305 Warner Hall, 280 The Green, Newark, DE 19716. If you’re viewing this page on your smartphone, click the button below to call our office.

Call to Schedule Now!

Sexual Offense Support (S.O.S.) 24/7/365 Crisis Assistance

Sexual Offense Support provides a 24/7 crisis service for anyone in the UD community.  Trained Victim Advocates offer support during crisis, provide options and information regarding both time-sensitive and longer-term concerns, and answer questions.  Contacts may be over the phone or in person at the Student Health Service.  S.O.S. services are available to survivors, their friends, significant others, family members, and UD staff who are working with a survivor. Click the toggle below to read how S.O.S. advocates support victims and our community.

What Do S.O.S. Advocates Do?

  • Offer support, compassion, empathy
  • Explain options & information about reporting to police, reporting to UD, medical care, evidence collection, safety, emergency housing, financial options, counseling services, academic accommodations, etc.
  • Assist victims in understanding what may have happened, and explain relevant UD policies or Delaware laws Accompany the victim to the resources – especially to the hospital.
  • Advocate can explain what will happen, wait with the victim, provide comfort to friends or family present, act as an advocate to make sure that victims’ needs are met
  • Arrange a ride to the hospital via UD Public Safety and accompany the victim if preferred
  • Make arrangements to utilize on-campus Emergency Housing or refer victims to off-campus Shelter resources
  • Assist victims in making a coping plan to get through the next few days/week

Sexual Offense Support

S.O.S. Victim Advocates are available to call 24/7/365.  Press 1 to reach a victim advocate. The staff member who answers will take a first name and phone number, and an S.O.S. Victim Advocate will call you back within 10 minutes. Click the button below to call.

302-831-1001

Professional Advocacy and Crisis Counseling

Professional advocate/counselors at Student Wellness provide crisis counseling and ongoing victim advocacy through Individual Crisis Counseling.  Angela Seguin is a certified Victim Advocate with over 20 years of experience doing crisis counseling related to gender-based violence. Click the toggle below to learn about the full suite of services provided by our team: 

 

 

What Services Do These Professionals Provide?

  • Support beyond the initial situation, assisting victims in processing the experience in a safe environment, and in addressing related concerns
  • Education about normal responses to fear and trauma
  • Education about sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, sexual harassment & stalking, and what behaviors may constitute violations of UD policies and Delaware law
  • Education about coping strategies and assistance in setting up a coping plan
  • Arrangements for academic accommodations, either directly with faculty/Asst Deans, or via the Office of the Dean of Students (ex: excusal from missed classes, extension on work due, postponement of an exam, extra help, etc.)
  • Assistance in seeking Emergency Housing (on campus or in a Shelter), room change, contract termination, and/or accompaniment to meet with Residence Life & Housing staff
  • Assistance in creating a Safety Plan
  • Ongoing advocacy throughout the student conduct or criminal processes, including accompaniment to meetings, interviews, court, etc. and assistance in preparing for each step in the process
  • Assistance in seeking a Protection From Abuse Order process and accompaniment to Family Court
  • Letter to landlord to support termination of an off-campus rental lease
  • Assistance in seeking financial compensation through Delaware’s Victims Compensation Assistance Program (VCAP)

Support Groups

Click the toggles below to learn more about the short-term support groups for victims available through our office:

Empowerment Group
  • This group is designed for survivors of sexual assault or intimate partner violence who are no longer in the initial crisis period.  This period can vary from survivor to survivor. Typically survivors who join group are at least 3 months past the assault or out of an abusive relationship, but often longer (6 mos, 1 yr, 3 yrs).  The abuse did not have to be physical – much more commonly dating violence is emotional/psychological abuse through control or possessiveness.  Learn more about abusive relationships here.
  • Group typically runs in the Spring semester for 8 to 10 weeks, but you can contact us anytime for an individual appointment.
  • Time day of the week are determined based on participants’ availability.
  • This group is a psychoeducational support group led by certified professional Victim Advocates; it is not a therapy group.

Victim Advocacy Handout

You can download all the information on this page about victim advocacy, including the S.O.S. information as a printable pdf.