After experiencing a traumatic event like a sexual assault, incident of relationship violence, or stalking, a survivor might not know what their options are. CARE promotes access to meaningful services and builds a team of support. CARE Advocates will provide options for survivors and will follow the survivor's lead in making specific referrals.
If you would like to discuss your options with a confidential advocate, please call 805-893-4613 or email CARE@sa.ucsb.edu.
Our CARE Advocates are here to help survivors navigate medical resources and accompany survivors to medical appointments.
If you have experienced physical or sexual violence, it is important to be able to access medical care in a way that feels comfortable for you. If you visit an emergency room, Student Health, or other medical provider and disclose an incident of sexual assault or relationship violence, the medical provider will be mandated to report this incident to the police, though you are not required to participate in the reporting process.
If you have been sexually assaulted within the past five days, you have the option to receive a free forensic medical exam. This exam, called a SART (Sexual Assault Response Team) exam, is intended to collect evidence to match against existing DNA profiles, document injuries, and provide preventative treatment for pregnancy and STIs. This exam can be done confidentially, but only by contacting a confidential CARE advocate. A SART exam can be done regardless of whether you have made the decision to contact law enforcement, report the incident to the University, and/or seek a restraining order. The evidence collected can be stored and used if you make the decision to pursue reporting at a later time.
Aside from seeking a SART exam, students can also access medical attention from Student Health Services on campus or their primary medical provider. A medical provider can provide treatment for injuries, offer emergency contraception and pregnancy testing, and screen for or offer preventative medications for sexually transmitted infections.
Student Health Services offers a 24/7 medical and mental health nurse line at 800-539-1387. To request or learn more about the option of a SART exam, call CARE at 805-893-4613.
If you would like to discuss your options with a confidential advocate, please call 805-893-4613 or email CARE@sa.ucsb.edu.
It is your right to have an advocate present throughout the reporting process. A CARE Advocate can provide accompaniment during interviews, hearings, or any other proceedings involving criminal, civil, or administrative reports. If a survivor is in a reporting situation without an advocate present, they have the right to request that their advocate is present prior to proceeding, if desired.
A CARE Advocate can explain and accompany you through any reporting process you may choose, but will also support a decision not to report. Survivors may report to one or more of the following:
University of California Police Department (UCPD)
As part of the reporting process, CARE advocates can ask that a UCPD officer take down an incident report from within the safe and supportive environment of our CARE office with an advocate present. UCPD provides reporting, investigation, and forwarding of reports to the District Attorney for legal action regarding crimes committed on campus property. UCPD can also provide information about restraining orders and referrals for forensic exams.
The Isla Vista Foot Patrol (IVFP)
The Isla Vista Foot Patrol (IVFP) can be contacted regarding crimes committed in Isla Vista. IVFP provides reporting, investigation, and forwarding of reports to the District Attorney for legal action. IVFP can also provide information about restraining orders and referrals for forensic exams.
Office of Equal Opportunity & Sexual Harassment/Title IX Compliance
The Office of Equal Opportunity & Sexual Harassment/Title IX Compliance is located at 3217 Phelps Hall on campus and processes Title IX complaints, including sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking.
Office of Judicial Affairs
The Office of Judicial Affairs is located in the Office of Student Life on the second floor of the Student Resource Building on campus. While Judicial Affairs is not the office that receives official reports of sexual assault, relationship violence and stalking, it is the office that issues University judicial charges and sanctions against student perpetrators once a Title IX investigation has been completed. Judicial Affairs also issues “no contact orders” between complainants and respondents.
Anonymous Reporting
You may file an anonymous report with law enforcement, which means that law enforcement will keep the information you share about the crime on file, including the name of the perpetrator and the type of crime. Filing an anonymous report means that the police will keep the information you share on record. You can choose to be contacted by a CARE advocate if someone else makes a report about the same perpetrator. A police officer will not directly contact you as a result of making an anonymous report.
If you choose to make an anonymous report, you are under NO obligation to move forward with pressing charges or opening an investigation, and it will not result in the police contacting the perpetrator or arresting them. You may make an anonymous report using our online anonymous reporting form.
Some survivors choose to report anonymously because:
- it is an opportunity for the survivor to speak out
- it may help law enforcement identify an assailant’s pattern
- if the survivor chooses to make an official police report at a later date, the Anonymous Report can be used to support his/her story
- law enforcement is not present when the report is made
A report to law enforcement, including an anonymous report, may initiate an alert to the UCSB community if law enforcement determines that the information shared represents a potential danger to the community. An alert would not include your name as the reporting party, but may include information on the nature and location of the incident, and identifying details shared about the perpetrator.
Please do not hesitate to call if you have questions about making an anonymous report. We are here to support you and answer any questions you may have so that you can make an informed decision.
If you would like to discuss your options with a confidential advocate, please call 805-893-4613 or email CARE@sa.ucsb.edu.
Our CARE Advocates can help survivors with academic accommodations, including speaking with professors, advisors, and departments. Following an incident of sexual assault, relationship violence, or stalking, it can be difficult for survivors to concentrate on or complete their academic work. CARE Advocates can help students make changes to their class schedule, reschedule assignments or exams, or have access to quieter testing rooms.
If you would like to discuss your options with a confidential advocate, please call 805-893-4613 or email CARE@sa.ucsb.edu.
Our CARE Advocates can help survivors make sure they have a safe space to live and can help navigate moving options or switching residence halls. Make an appointment with a CARE Advocate to discuss your housing needs and to receive help with your housing accommodations.
If you would like to discuss your options with a confidential advocate, please call 805-893-4613 or email CARE@sa.ucsb.edu.
Our CARE Advocates are here to support, believe and validate survivors while providing a space to think out loud and consider the best path forward. A CARE Advocate can refer survivors to healing programs such as SurvivorsConnect, Thriving, Not Just Surviving, and Yoga as Healing. They can also refer survivors to counseling or support groups, including Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). CARE Advocates provide holistic support and help survivors to access the care they need free of charge.
Please see any of the following pages to learn about the healing programs that CARE offers:
CAPS offers specific support groups for survivors: Healing After Childhood Sexual Abuse, Healing After Sexual Assault, Men's Survivors Group, Support After Intimate Partner Abuse, and Yoga as Healing. Learn more about how to get connected to support groups at CAPS's website.
If you would like to discuss your options with a confidential advocate, please call 805-893-4613 or email CARE@sa.ucsb.edu
Our CARE Advocates can help connect survivors to campus and community funding sources if they have been financially impacted as a result of their experience. A CARE Advocate can help a survivor identify and access potential funding resources for unexpected costs, including court fees, medical bills, therapy costs, or housing changes.
Student survivors of sexual violence sometimes face unanticipated or emergency expenses. As an additional way to support student survivors and contribute to their success, UCSB has established a donor-supported fund intended to assist survivors who are experiencing financial impacts.
Learn more about the survivor fund.
Basic Needs connects the UCSB community with the services and resources provided on campus, focusing on food, housing, and technology insecurities. Feel free to check out our website for more information!
Making an Appointment
with a CARE Advocate
Schedule a non-urgent appointment with a CARE Advocate.
To speak with a confidential advocate immediately, please call our 24/7 CARE advocacy line at 805-893-4613. If you have an emergency or feel that you may be in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you have experienced a sexual assault within the last five days, call CARE at 805-893-4613 or navigate to the Medical section on our Advocacy Services page to learn about the time-sensitive option to seek a free, confidential forensic medical exam.