About OVA

The OVA Vision & Mission: 

Traumatic events happen every day in all communities and CU's community is not exempt. The impact of this can vary from person to person. OVA strives to mitigate the impact of traumatic experiences by increasing access and awareness to empower the people we serve in making informed decision.  We do this by providing free and confidential trauma-focused services.

The Office of Victim Assistance (OVA) works towards a safer, more socially just and supportive campus community by providing culturally relevant trauma response and prevention services.

About Our Name

One does not need to identify with the word victim to use OVA services. We recognizes that the word victim may hold stigma and some may not feel comfortable using or identifying with the word. Some people we work with identify with the word victim, some identify with the term survivor, and some do not identify with either. OVA will not label your experience and we will use the words that you feel most comfortable using to identify your experience.

OVA Inclusion Statement

The Office of Victim Assistance values diversity, equity, social justice, and inclusion. We support students, faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds. The OVA shall maintain and promote a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender, pregnancy, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, political affiliation/philosophy, or veteran status. We acknowledge that culturally relevant trauma services is an ongoing process of learning that begins by looking within ourselves and honoring basic human rights. As individuals and as an agency, we are committed to responding effectively to social-cultural diversity.

OVA Staff

To learn more about OVA staff visit the bottom section of our contact page.

Services we provide:

Advocacy

Advocacy can vary based on the person's needs and can include informing people of their rights and reporting options, medical options, safety planning, information on civil protection orders, accompaniment to court, academic advocacy, and assistance with navigating systems (academic, administrative, criminal, and more). OVA will support the individual in whatever they decide is best for them. Regardless if an individual chooses to report or not, the individual has rights and options. Ones does not have to report to recieve advocacy services from OVA.  OVA can assist in navigating the various systems and advocate to address the individual's needs, whether it is working with academic, employment, medical, administrative, law enforcement, or other systems.

Trauma-focused Counseling

Counseling services are free and confidential. Students, graduate students, faculty, and staff impacted by a potentially traumatic or life disruptive event (this includes witnesses and secondary survivors) can receive up to 6 counseling sessions. If one is seeking/needing longer term counseling OVA can provide referrals to providers in the community. Counseling is about working with the client's goals around support and healing and can include processing one's traumatic experience(s), as well as learning coping skills and developing self-care.

Consultation and Support

OVA is also available to consult with and provide support to colleagues, friends, roommates, partners, and family of individuals who have experienced a potentially traumatic or life disruptive event. OVA can offer guidance on how to support the individual, answer questions regarding systems and options, as well as provide direct support to the impacted friend or family member.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is an essential part of the work in OVA. Services provided by licensed social workers, professional counselors and psychologists are confidential. Information provided during your individual sessions with these providers are legally confidential and not released without your consent. Clinical counseling and advocacy records are maintained in files completely separate from the academic or employment records and cannot be accessed by campus or community systems without the client's signed authorization. Information will not be released to any person or agency without written consent, unless we are required to do so by law. Such exceptions include:

  • Disclosures of suspected child (person under the age of 18) or elder (person over the age of 70) abuse or neglect
  • Disclosures of suspected abuse or neglect of an at-risk adult with IDD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities)
  • The client may inflict serious harm, is in imminent danger, to themselves or others
  • Client becomes gravely disabled
  • Duty to warn of a serious threat of imminent violence against a specific person(s)
  • If you disclose unethical conduct by a mental health professional your counselor will be required to report this; however, you can remain anonymous
  • To a health oversight agency for reasons such as licensure or disciplinary actions
  • In response to a court order
  • An additional exception would be information requested by a government agency for health oversight activities or to prevent terrorism under the U.S. Patriot Act

For more information on confidentiality please see section C.R.S. 12-245-220 (formerly 12-43-218) of the Colorado Revised Statutes.  The Mental Health Practice Act is available at: https://dpo.colorado.gov/ 

Please contact our office at 303-492-8855 with questions regarding confidentiality. Your clinical advocate counselor will identify to you any of these situations if they arise during a session, if feasible. 

A detailed Notice of Privacy Practices and Disclosure Statement document is reviewed with people when they begin services with a clinical advocate counselor.

Note: The Embedded CU Police Dept. Victim Advocate, co-responds with CU police for in the moment support and advocacy with law enforcment.  This embedded police advocate is NOT a confidential resource and will refer victims/survivors to the OVA Advocate Counselors where the confidential support, on-going advocacy, and/or counseling would start.

Email Policy Statement

While OVA’s services are confidential, due to the nature of electronic communication, we cannot assure you that e-mail is as secure as face-to-face or phone conversation. Please bear this in mind when communicating via email. Email is also NOT APPROPRIATE for urgent or emergency messages. In case of emergency, please either CALL 911, Campus Police (303-492-6666), OVA (303-492-8855), or go to your nearest hospital emergency room. 

Get Involved

OVA does not have any volunteer or intern opportunities. Click here for a list of ways to get involved on and off campus. Make a difference in your community!

The Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations at CU Boulder

OVA is part of the Health and Wellness Services in the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations (SVCO). OVA reports to the Associate Vice Chancellor of Health and Wellness, Jessica Doty. The SVCO Division taps into its collective leadership and broad campus view to manage resources that serve the entire university. Through close alignment and support for the division’s collective work, the team works to implement improvements quickly and efficiently for the entire campus. SVCO also optimizes resources in mission-critical areas by ensuring collaborative, holistic solutions to complex challenges.