The Campus Advocate can help with:
- Sexual Harassment
- Sexual Assault
- Stalking
- Intimate Partner Violence
The Campus Advocate is a confidential survivor advocate from Monterey County Rape Crisis Center serving the CSUMB community. Call, text, email, or stop by for more information!
You are not alone and we are here to help!
Call or text: 831-402-9477
24/7 line (call only): 831-375-4357
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You do not have report to receive help from the campus advocate. The campus advocate can help you gain access to resources and services regardless of whether you report or not.
Make an appointment
If you would like to get in touch with the campus advocate for any reason, you have a few options:
- Call or text 831-402-9477
- Call the 24 hour crisis line 831-375-HELP (4357)
Possible services
Because every person and situation is unique, the services below are some examples of what the campus advocate can help with. The campus advocate is here to support survivors throughout their college career. If you have any questions or need help with something that is not on the list below, don't be afraid to reach out!
All services provided by the campus advocate are privileged and confidential. This means that no information given to the campus advocate is shared with anyone including CSUMB employees unless the survivor gives permission for the campus advocate to do so.
These are just some of the possible services that the campus advocate can provide:
- Academic and housing accommodations
- Crisis intervention
- Referrals to both on campus and off campus resources such as counseling or legal support
- Help in making a report to law enforcement or Title IX
- Medical exam accompaniment
- Legal advocacy
Reporting options
Survivors on college campuses have two places they can report their assault. They can choose to report to law enforcement or Title IX. Survivors can report to just one place, both places, or neither- the decision depends on what makes the most sense for the survivor.
The campus advocate is here to discuss these options, help the survivor make the right choice for themselves and support the survivor throughout the reporting process if that is what the survivor wants.
Law enforcement
At CSUMB, law enforcement means our on-campus police department or possibly one of the surrounding local police departments. Reporting to the CSUMB police department starts a criminal investigation.
For more in-depth discussion of what reporting to law enforcement can look like, please contact the campus advocate.
Title IX
Title IX is an office on campus that is in charge of investigating and making disciplinary rulings in cases of sexual harassment, sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence, and other forms of harassment and discrimination.
Title IX is for students who want to report to the university. If a report is made to Title IX, perpetrators of sexual assault are not held accountable in the U.S. legal system. They are only subject to the rulings of the university. Reporting to Title IX starts a disciplinary investigation.
For more in-depth discussion of what reporting to the Title IX office can look like, please contact the campus advocate.
Reporting to both law enforcement and Title IX
If a survivor wishes to report to both law enforcement and Title IX, the police and the Title IX coordinator should arrange a time for all three parties to meet. This way the survivor does not have to repeat their story multiple times. The campus advocate can help in arranging such a meeting.
For a brief overview of either option, please read the above tabs. For a more in-depth discussion of what reporting to both law enforcement and Title IX can look like, please contact the campus advocate.
Not reporting
Reporting to law enforcement or the university can be terrifying or overwhelming. Reporting is not the right choice for everyone. The campus advocate is here to support survivors, no matter who they choose to tell or to not tell. Survivors can still access the support and services offered by the campus advocate regardless of if they have reported.
Medical care after a sexual assault
SART exam
SART stands for sexual assault response team. SART exams are medical exams that have two goals: to make sure a survivor is healthy and to collect potential evidence for law enforcement. The evidence collected from a SART exam is sometimes referred to as a rape kit. SART exams are free to survivors of sexual violence.
SART exams can generally take place up to 5 days after an assault has occurred.
There are two options for SART exams, a standard exam and an abbreviated exam. Both of these exams include a full head to toe check to ensure that a survivor is healthy and to collect evidence. Survivors who need emergency contraception or medicine that helps prevent sexually transmitted infections are given those medications regardless of which exam they choose.
The only difference between a standard and abbreviated exam is the amount of police involvement. At a standard SART exam, police are there at the beginning to collect information and start investigating immediately. In an abbreviated exam, the evidence collected is handed over to police but the survivor's name is not given. Instead a survivor is given an ID number that is put on all evidence collected. Survivors then have 2 years to come forward to the police to begin an investigation.
To start a SART exam, survivors have two options. They can go to either Natividad Hospital in Salinas or Community Hospital Of Monterey Peninsula (CHOMP) in Monterey and tell a doctor that they were assaulted and would like a SART exam. Survivors can also go to a police station and tell the police officers who will activate a SART exam and provide transportation to the hospital.
Survivors can also call or text the campus advocate and can be met at either the police station or hospital for support in starting this exam.
General medical care
Survivors should know that all medical professionals in California are mandated reporters. This means that if you tell a medical professional that you were sexually assaulted or suspect that you were, they must notify law enforcement. It is up to you whether you engage with the police. You are not required to make a report just because the police have shown up, you get to share what you would like to share.
Survivors of sexual assault may want to consider seeking help for any physical injuries, sexually transmitted infections, or possible pregnancies. There are many places here locally that can help with any of these services. Contact the campus advocate for more information.
How to get help for yourself
The campus advocate is not just for CSUMB students! Staff and faculty are protected under the same laws as students and go through very similar procedures in regards to reporting. Please refer to the "For students" section above and contact the campus advocate for more specific information.
Referring a student to the campus advocate
If a student has disclosed that they are a survivor of sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, or dating/domestic violence, the campus advocate asks that staff and faculty give the student information about the campus advocate.
If the student agrees, their contact information can be passed along to the campus advocate by emailing campusadvocate@csumb.edu.
How to support a student
Hearing another person disclose that they've been sexually assaulted, stalked, or are in an abusive relationship can be a lot to handle but there are some easy ways to support that person and show you care. Below are some do's and don'ts to keep in mind when talking with survivors.
Do:
- Listen.
- Remain calm.
- Believe what the survivor is saying.
- Let the survivor know that the assault/abuse/ harassment was not their fault.
- Let the survivor know about your reporting responsibilities. This should preferably be done prior to a disclosure. For example, including information about your responsible employee status in your syllabus or if you are concerned about a possible disclosure reminding the student of your duty to report.
- Before touching the survivor or any physical contact, ask for the survivor's permission and listen to what they say.
- Give the survivor information about resources that might be available to them.
- Let the survivor express themselves and their feelings however they need to. Not everyone reacts in the same way to trauma, there is no right way to act or feel after trauma.
Don't:
- Get angry if the survivor doesn't want to talk much. The survivor has put a lot of trust in you and anger may make the survivor feel like you are blaming them for what happened.
- Try to get detailed information from the survivor. You are not the police, you only need to know what the survivor wants to tell you.
- Touch, hold, or hug the survivor without their permission
- Tell the survivor that "everything is alright"- it's not alright.
- Say what the survivor should have done differently or what you would have done differently
- Ask blaming questions such as "what were you wearing?" or "why didn't you run or scream?"
- Ask irrelevant questions like "was she good looking?"
- Tell the survivor to "get over it".
Don't forget to take care of yourself after a disclosure. Go for a hike, lay on the beach, paint, do whatever you need to take care of you. The campus advocate is also available to talk to staff and faculty after a disclosure.
Responsible employee information
Almost all staff and faculty are considered "responsible employees". There are few positions that are not considered responsible employees. Currently the only employees exempt from this responsibility are the campus advocate, university chaplains, and licensed counselors who are employed by our campus counseling center.
All other employees are required to report any information they have about sexual assaults, sexual harassment, stalking, or dating/domestic violence to the Title IX coordinator. CSUMB's interim Title IX and DHR Coordinator is Raquel Bonilla.
If an employee thinks that a student may disclose a sexual assault, stalking, harassment, or dating/domestic violence during a conversation, it is best practice to inform the student of your responsible employee designation as soon as you can. It's also a great idea to include information about your responsible employee status in your syllabus. Letting the student know that you have to report sexual assaults, stalking, harassment or dating/domestic violence allows the student to make an informed decision.
For more information about the responsible employee designation, please contact the campus advocate or the Title IX office.
Presentations in classes
The campus advocate is happy to come and give presentations to any class about the services the campus advocate can provide. The campus advocate will also take some time to answer any questions students may have about sexual violence or the campus advocate's role on campus. These presentations generally take between 15 and 20 minutes at a minimum. To schedule a presentation, please email campusadvocate@csumb.edu.
Other topics that may be of interest to the class can be added to a services presentation. Examples of other topics included defining and contextualizing consent, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. Other possibilities include discussing the role of gender stereotypes, different forms of systemic/institutional oppression, and mass media's role in sexual violence. If you have any other topic you would like the campus advocate to discuss, please contact the campus advocate to work out those details. Please keep in mind that adding additional topics will increase the time of the presentation.
Supporting survivors
Do:
- Listen.
- Remain calm.
- Believe what the survivor is saying.
- Let the survivor know that the assault/abuse/harassment was NOT their fault.
- Before touching the survivor or providing any physical contact, ask for the survivor's permission and listen to what they say.
- Give the survivor information about resources that might be available to them.
- Let the survivor express themselves and their feelings however they need to. Not everyone reacts in the same way to trauma, there is no right way to act or feel after trauma
Don't:
- Get angry if the survivor doesn't want to talk much. The survivor has put a lot of trust in you and anger may make the survivor feel like you are blaming them for what happened.
- Try to get detailed information from the survivor. You are not the police, you only need to know what the survivor wants to tell you.
- Touch, hold, or hug the survivor without their permission
- Tell the survivor that "everything is alright"- it's not alright.
- Say what the survivor should have done differently or what you would have done differently
- Ask blaming questions such as "what were you wearing?" or "why didn't you run or scream?"
- Ask irrelevant questions like "was she good looking?"
- Tell the survivor to "get over it".
- Confront the perpetrator or encourage the survivor to seek revenge. It will only escalate the situation and potentially land you or your friend in jail.
Don't forget to take care of yourself after a disclosure. Go for a hike, lay on the beach, paint, do whatever you need to take care of you. The campus advocate is also here to talk if you would like.
Contact Campus Advocate
Phone: 831-402-9477
Email: Send an email
Building: Building 80, 6012 General Jim Moore, Marina, CA 93933
Office Hours: Available upon request