With the new fall semester back in full swing, on behalf of the Office of Health Promotion & Wellness Services, I would like to introduce myself and some of our programs. My name is Judith White and I am the Coordinator for Survivor Advocacy and Violence Prevention. My job is two-fold, in that it addresses both advocacy and prevention. I coordinate the Safe Harbor program and Green Dot bystander intervention trainings and overviews.
Safe Harbor is our 24/7 free and confidential advocacy service for any students, faculty and staff who have experienced any form of power-based personal violence, which includes stalking, dating or domestic violence, and sexual assault.
Safe Harbor is here to provide support and assist with whatever the survivor needs or requests. The most common areas we help with are academic assistance, counseling referrals, working with Title IX, reporting to police if desired, formal accommodations and community partnerships with the Domestic Violence Intervention Center and Rape Counselors of East Alabama.
There is no pressure when working with Safe Harbor, which allows us to meet the needs of the survivor. We do not encourage or discourage reporting to appropriate authorities and understand reporting is not always the goal of seeking support. However, if a survivor is interested in reporting, we can help facilitate the process.
We are available to provide more information to survivors and loved ones of survivors about how to navigate everyday life after experiencing power-based personal violence. We offer scheduled or walk-in appointments in our office, or via Zoom if the survivor prefers.
We also have a 24-hour hotline, which can be reached at any hour of the day 334-844-7233. Safe Harbor can also be emailed at ausafe@auburn.edu.
Green Dot is our bystander intervention program. We coordinate 60-mintue overviews and multi-hour trainings across campus for students, faculty, and staff.
During Green Dot overviews and trainings, we focus on the perspective of the bystander, how to recognize warning signs of power-based personal violence, and options for intervening. Another important part of the Green Dot initiative is recognizing that we all have barriers that get in the way of intervening as bystanders. By identifying these barriers, we can work around them using a variety of bystander intervention techniques to still be effective despite our barriers.
Any group of students, faculty, or staff can request a Green Dot overview or training. Reach out to us to schedule! We will also be out on the concourse throughout the semester, come stop by for a T-shirt and treat.
For anyone who has intervened as a bystander, submit your Green Dot moments here: http://health.auburn.edu/wedotauburn.
Our office is located in suite 1206 on the first floor of the Melton Student Center. We’d love for you to stop by and see us or reach out via email, hpws@auburn.edu.
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