Advocacy & Support
Gender-based Violence (GBV) Support
Gender-based violence (GBV) is a priority concern for the Women's Center. GBV includes but is not limited to sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, and harassment. The Women’s Center offers the following free advocacy-based support services to students, faculty, and staff who have been impacted by GBV:
- Trauma-informed, advocacy-based, short-term counseling and crisis management
- Support and assistance for friends, family, and other impacted individuals
- Information about forensic evidence collection, also known as a PERK, and other medical care resources
- Assistance finding safe housing
- Information about counseling options on-campus and in the local community
- Academic support
- Consultation services for faculty and staff about how to support students who disclose sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, and/or any other form of gender-based violence
- Information and accompaniment to the following University proceedings:
- Title IX investigations/meetings
- Student Conduct meetings
- Information and accompaniment to the following Criminal/Civil proceedings:
- Reporting to law enforcement
- Criminal court proceedings
- Obtaining protective orders
The Women's Center does NOT give legal advice or serve as advisors in student conduct hearings, but can provide referrals to legal and advising services.
Scheduling an appointment
To meet the needs of our community, our support and advocacy services will be offered in-person and virtually this semester. Our services are available Monday through Friday, 8AM to 5PM. To schedule a meeting with an advocate:
- Call 540-231-7806 and ask to schedule an appointment
- Email wcsupport@vt.edu and one of our advocates will respond as soon as possible.
The Women’s Center operates on the standard university schedule. We are open Monday through Friday, 8AM–5PM, except for holidays and other times the university is closed.
If you have an emergency or need to speak to someone immediately and the Women’s Center is closed, please call the Women’s Resource Center of the NRV 24-hour hotline at 540-639-1123.
If your safety is in jeopardy, please call 911.
Information on Support Groups
Support Group for Virginia Tech Students, facilitated and hosted by the Women’s Resource Center of the NRV
This group is gender-inclusive and focuses on trauma and secondary survivors as well. Please reach out to the contact below for more information:
Tammy M. Blanding, MA, QMHP A/C
Adult Sexual Assault Counselor
Women's Resource Center of the New River Valley
Phone: 540-639-9592
24/7 Hotline: 540-639-1123
Meet the Support and Advocacy Team
| Staff Name & Email | Title | Bio Page |
|---|---|---|
| Rebecca Jarvis | Advocacy Coordinator | Rebecca |
| Shannon Shastry | Assistant Director, Advocacy Services | Shannon |
| Christine Dennis Smith | Co-Director, Services | Christine |
| Paige Bik | Assistant Director, Gender-Based Violence Prevention | Paige |
A note about confidentiality of services
The Women’s Center is here to provide a safe space and will make every effort to preserve our clients' privacy. In certain situations, information may be shared with other university departments in order to assist survivors, to provide for the safety of survivors, and/or provide for the safety of the campus community. If you have questions about confidentiality and privacy at the Women’s Center or other university departments, please contact us for further explanation.
The Women's Center is considered a "confidential resource" under Title IX and is not required to make a Title IX report to the university.
For more information, visit safe.vt.edu or follow the links below: