Confidential Resources

What is a confidential resource?

A confidential resource at UCSB is a place you can go and disclose an incident or incidents of interpersonal violence and the staff there will not report the case to the school without your permission.

Non-Confidential Resources

What is a non-confidential resource?

A non-confidential resource is one where the staff are considered “responsible employees” and are required to report any disclosures of interpersonal violence to the school.

Healing Programs

What are healing programs?

Healing programs create transformative and nurturing spaces in which survivors who have experienced trauma can find safety, connection and support.

CARE | Confidential

What do they do?
CARE stands for campus advocacy, resources, and education. “CARE’s mission is to provide professionally designed services for the prevention and intervention of sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking and harassment.” (CARE’s website)

Who can contact them?
The CARE office supports undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, alumni, and even offers support for loved ones connected to the UCSB community. They support survivors of color, LGBTQ+ survivors, male survivors, survivors with disabilities, undocumented survivors, and international/study abroad survivors. You can contact CARE even if you are indirectly impacted by an event.

What happens once I contact them?
If you contact them you will be paired with a CARE advocate. The advocate will “provide accompaniment, provide resources, and create a plan” with you. After experiencing a traumatic event or if you feel you are in an unsafe environment (e.g. stalking, unhealthy relationship), you might consider going to CARE first in order to discuss your emotional, financial, medical, housing, academic, and/or reporting options and navigate those resources.

Where can I find/contact them?
On campus, CARE is located on the 1st floor of the student resources building (SRB) and shares a space with the women’s center. In Isla Vista, CARE is located in the Gaucho Support Center, on the second floor of 970 Embarcadero Del Mar.

Call the 24/7 CARE Advocacy Line to speak with a CARE advocate immediately: (805)893-4613
If you have experienced a sexual assault in the last 5 days call (805) 893-4613 to discuss the time-sensitive option of a free, confidential forensic medical exam.
To make an appointment fill out the form on this page: http://wgse.sa.ucsb.edu/care/how-we-help/make-an-appointment/make-an-appointment-with-care

CAPS | Confidential

What do they do?
CAPS stands for counseling and psychological services. “The mission of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is to assist Student Affairs and the University in helping the student body achieve academically, socially, and personally through culturally responsive mental health services.” (CAPS website)
CAPS services include: short-term individual counseling, single session therapy, referral to a mental health provider for long-term counseling, group therapy, and mental health peer services. You can find out more about these options at https://caps.sa.ucsb.edu/services/overview-of-services

Who can contact them?
CAPS will support UCSB students, faculty, and staff.

What happens once I contact them?
The best way to use CAPS services is through an Initial Brief Assessment. You will be asked to fill out a questionnaire about your concerns and emotional health that will be given to the clinician before the assessment. Then you will discuss the above options and develop a mental health plan that may include on- and/or off- campus resources. You may share any preferences about treatment with the clinician.

Where can I find/contact them?
The main office is building 599 located across the bike path from the Arts Building and Storke Tower. They share the building with Career Services. In Isla Vista, CAPS can be found in the Gaucho Support Center at 970 Embarcadero Del Mar.
The CAPS annex is adjacent to the main building in building 434. The Mental Health Peers Office is also in building 434. There is an El Centro CAPS satellite office on the first floor of El Centro Arnulfo Casillas: Building 406. There is a CAPS clinician working in the Hosford Clinic and you can contact CAPS to be seen in this location. The Intercollegiate Athletics CAPS Satellite Office is located in the ICA building on Ocean Road. There is a San Clemente satellite office in Arrowhead Village (1108C). There is a Santa Catalina satellite office in Espacio 12. Finally, there are several CAPS clinicians in the Student Resource Building. For more information about any of these locations, visit: https://caps.sa.ucsb.edu/about-us/contact-us-hours-location
Call CAPS 24/7 Line for a phone consultation at (805)893-4411.

IV Survivor Resource Center | Confidential

What do they do?
The IV Survivor Resource Center is a partnership between STESA and the Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD) to provide “a safe space and one where survivors can access medical, emergency, and legal services that would have otherwise been only accessible in downtown Santa Barbara.”

Who can contact them?
Any survivor in the Isla Vista community.

What happens once I contact them?
After calling the hotline you will be connected with a STESA representative. You can tell them that you are in IV and would like to be treated there. You can then meet with a STESA representative at the IV resource center. You will have access to any medical, emergency, and/or legal services that are applicable to your situation and that you might’ve received at the STESA downtown office.

Where can I find/contact them?
The IV Survivor Resource Center is located at 970 Embarcadero Del Mar behind the CSD office. They share the same hotline as STESA at (805)564-3696.

STESA | *Confidential

*It is important to note that while STESA is a confidential resource because they are not affiliated with UCSB, all STESA advocates are mandated reporters, meaning they must contact child welfare services or adult protective services if a case involves the abuse of a child or elder.

What do they do?
STESA stands for standing together to end sexual assault. They provide “confidential counseling and support services to survivors of sexual assault and their loved ones.” (STESA website)
They are committed to preventing sexual assault through education, and they provide services for survivors responding to sexual assault. These services include a 24-hour hotline, in-person crisis counseling, long-term counseling, group counseling, and providing advocacy and accompaniment. This can include helping a survivor receive medical attention, make a police report, obtain an emergency protective order, assess for emergency services such as shelter, food, and/or transportation, apply for a U-Visa or T-Visa if appropriate, and/or receive referrals for other services.

Who can contact them?
Survivors, family members, and friends in the Santa Barbara area.

What happens once I contact them?
If you call the hotline, trained advocates will provide confidential* counseling and information over the phone.
You can also receive in-person walk-in counseling, long-term counseling, and group counseling. After talking with a STESA advocate you can navigate medical and legal options.

Where can I find/contact them?
The STESA office is located on 433 E. Cañon Perdido Street in Santa Barbara. Walk-in hours are Monday through Friday 9:00am-5:00pm. You can call this office at (805)963-6832.
You can also fill out a contact form at https://sbstesa.org/contact/
Their 24/7 hotline is (805)564-3696.

Title IX Office | Non-Confidential

What do they do?
Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in all areas of education including but not limited to issues of program equity, sexual harrassment, and sexual assault. Regardless of gender, you can receive support and guidance from the Title IX office. If the incident is connected to the UCSB community (i.e. student, faculty, staff, etc.) and you wish to report, Title IX is the place to go to seek University involvement. A Title IX investigation is not a criminal investigation, but purely an administration investigation.
Title IX is a reporting office and is not a confidential resource. They are responsible employees and must report any disclosure of SVSH to the University.

Who can contact them?
Students, faculty, and staff.

What happens once I contact them?
The Title IX process can get confusing and can look very different depending on the situation. Factors include: if the respondent is a student, if the respondent is staff or non-faculty academic personnel, if the respondent is senate or non-senate faculty, DOE-covered conduct, non-DOE-covered conduct, etc. The one thing to remember is that the office is a neutral service to determine policy violation, and that your report will be investigated. It is also important to remember that participation in a Title IX process is optional.
First, the office reaches out to you, provides you with resources, and explains the process. If you decide to participate further, you are interviewed. Then there is an initial assessment made by Title IX. The respondent is not notified of the report until after the initial assessment, and they may not be notified at all. The initial assessment leads to an “appropriate response.”
The appropriate response can take 4 forms, depending on the situation: closure, alternative resolution, other inquiry, or an investigation. A closure may happen if you request that no investigation occurs. There is no statute of limitations, so you can reopen the case at any date. It is important to note that if the report suggests a threat to campus safety, for instance if they have received multiple reports about the same person, this closure request may not be honored.
An alternative resolution may be offered if both parties agree in writing. This does not result in an investigation. It is important to note that this option is not offered in cases in which the survivor is a student and the respondent is an employee of the University.
If an investigation occurs, the process is different depending on the case. We encourage you to read about the response procedures that may apply to your case at: https://titleix.ucsb.edu/policies-and-response-procedures/response-procedures.

Where can I find/contact them?
The Title IX and Sexual Harassment Policy Compliance Office can be found at 3211 Phelps Hall. You may also call them at 805-893-2701.
You can file a report at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdEOLG-97hKJwDSSdIlootVrx_lzWV52D7nYDHKo_EQ-axdCg/viewform.

UCPD Interpersonal Violence Investigator | Non-Confidential

What do they do?
The UCPD Interpersonal Violence Investigator Detective Avila “[works] directly with survivors, suspects and witnesses to investigate interpersonal violence-related crimes [in Isla Vista]… Together with CARE and STESA, the Investigator will serve as a crucial guide and facilitator of difficult processes such as case investigation.” They are a proud survivor-centered office and they conduct trauma-informed interviews and work hand in hand with advocates.
The office is not confidential. They have specific legal mandates that require an investigation and/or an arrest in the following cases: domestic/dating violence, elder abuse, child sex crimes, child abuse, and in any case in which there is an iminent threat to any person. Their office recommends speaking to a CARE advocate first to ensure that your case will proceed in a way that you are comfortable. If the case does not fall under these categories, you may stop the investigation at any time.

Who can contact them?
Anyone can contact their office, even if the incident did not occur on UCSB campus or in Isla Vista. If they are unable to assist you they will direct you to a resource that can help.

What happens once I contact them?
Most investigations are unique to the case and there is no “normal” investigation, but you can expect a general process as follows. An advocate will be in contact with you before or shortly after the initial trauma informed interview has begun. Once the initial interview has been taken, typically the office will begin collecting evidence and gathering witness statements. The last thing the office will do is interview the suspect. If there is probable cause for an arrest, then an arrest is made at that time. The report will then be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for their review.

Can I make a report without pressing charges?
If you do not wish to have your incident investigated and the crime does not fall under any of the office’s mandates, they can still write a report of the trauma informed interview. Some survivors wish to do this so the incident is fresh in their memory and they know they will have the option to move forward with an investigation in the future when/if they are ready. Some survivors wish to do this so they can submit the report to civil court when applying for a civil restraining order. If you are worried about mandated reporting, the office recommends that you see a CARE advocate to ensure that you know how the case will proceed and that you will maintain control over your case.

Where can I find/contact them?
If you would like to file a report you can call 805-893-3446 or fill out a form at this link.

ASAP | Confidential

What do they do?
ASAP stands for Academic and Staff Assistance Program. Their services include but are not limited to: anxiety and stress management, depression, anger management, crisis intervention, work-related problems, personal problems, difficult work relationships, and violence and trauma in the workplace. See https://www.hr.ucsb.edu/asap/services-we-provide for more services and details.

Who can contact them?
All UCSB staff and faculty. In addition, eligible family members who are spouses, partners, or children over 18 years of age currently enrolled as a dependent on the UCSB health insurance of a current employee.

What happens once I contact them?
At your first ASAP appointment you will explain your concerns to a counselor and they will help you make a plan. This might involve more ASAP sessions and/or referrals to other resources. These resources could include campus resources or a private provider in the community. If the plan involves more ASAP sessions, the short-term ASAP counseling model includes 3-5 sessions running 45-50 minutes.

Where can I find/contact them?
The ASAP office can be found at 3101 Student Affairs and Administrative Services Building.
This link provides ASAP’s contact page where you can find their psychologists and clinician: https://www.hr.ucsb.edu/contacts. If you have more questions about ASAP or you would like to schedule an appointment you can email asap@hr.ucsb.edu or call 805-893-3318.

RCSGD | *Confidential

*RCSGD has a confidential resource available as of fall 2020 with the addition of the role of Title IX Liaison. The Title IX Liaison will “provide support to the members of the community who have experienced sexual violence and/or sexual assault (SVSH).” The Title IX Liaison is not a responsible employee and is not required to report to the school. All other RCSGD employees are considered “responsible employees”.

What do they do?
RCSGD stands for Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity. Their resources include but are not limited to: bias incident reporting, crisis lines, graduate student resources, medical access, mental health, trans resources, undocuqueer/undocutrans resources, and queer and trans persons of color resources. There are many other resources that they offer that can be found here: http://rcsgd.sa.ucsb.edu/resources/resourcesoverview.

Who can contact them?
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, instersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members.

What happens once I contact them?
If you choose to contact the Title IX Liaison: You will be provided with a safe space to learn more about your rights, options, and resources. You may be connected with a CARE advocate or CAPS/other mental health resource if you wish. You will have the opportunity to learn about UCSB’s SVSH policy and response. More information about RCSGD as a confidential resource can be found here: http://rcsgd.sa.ucsb.edu/resources/rcsgd-confidential-resource.

Where can I find/contact them?
Email the Title IX Liaison, Quinn Solis, directly by emailing them at quinn.solis@sa.ucsb.edu, or schedule an appointment with them using the links on this page: http://rcsgd.sa.ucsb.edu/resources/rcsgd-confidential-resource.

Office of The Ombuds | Confidential

What do they do?
The word “Ombuds” originates in Sweden and means an official that informally resolves complaints. According to their website, the Office of the Ombuds offers “informal dispute resolution services” and “the office will be a place where members of the University community can can seek guidance regarding disputes or concerns at no cost and at any stage in the resolution process.” It is important to note that the Office of the Ombuds is supplementary to other resources but does not replace other resources.

Who can contact them?
Faculty, staff, and students (including undergraduate, graduate, and post-doc).

What happens once I contact them?
An ombuds will provide you a confidential space to “think aloud and develop options for any University-related concern.” The ombuds may be able to bring together you and another person (whether they be faculty, staff or a student) to talk through the situation with an impartial mediator, if both parties are willing.
They can also explain University bureaucracy (policies, procedures, administrative decisions) before you decide you get involved in those processes. As a survivor, you might be nervous about reporting to the University and starting that process. The Office of the Ombuds can be a great first confidential step if you’re considering reporting to Title IX.

Where can I find/contact them?
Call the Ombuds Office at 805-893-3285 to make an appointment.