Q&A: Violence Prevention and Advocacy Services
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Violence Prevention and Advocacy Services (VPAS) oversees University prevention and education initiatives related to gender-based violence and harassment and provides confidential support for members of our Carolina community who have been impacted. October is relationship violence awareness month.
UNC-Chapel Hill employees Shelley Gist Kennedy and Holly Lovern answered a few questions about VPAS and its GVSCs.
About Violence Prevention and Advocacy Services (VPAS)
What is VPAS?
Kennedy: VPAS is a department that brings together campus wide work on gender-based violence prevention and support. Our Violence Prevention Coordinators (VPCs) work to create a safer UNC-Chapel Hill through education and awareness on topics such as consent, healthy relationships, and bystander intervention. Our Gender Violence Services Coordinators (GVSCs) provide confidential support and resources to those who have been impacted by gender-based violence and harassment.
What are you proud of from the last academic year?
Kennedy: During the 2022-2023 academic year, VPAS trained over 2,300 students, staff, faculty, and community members. We could not have achieved that reach on our own; I am proud of the relationships we have cultivated with our campus and community partners, and I am especially proud of the robust team of student leaders we have developed.
About Gender Violence Services Coordinators (GVSCs)
VPAS’s Gender Violence Services Coordinators — known as GVSCs — provide free, confidential support for all University students and employees who have been impacted by sexual violence, interpersonal/relationship violence, stalking, and sexual and gender-based harassment. They help members of our community identify options and resources, connect with support, and assist in navigating their experiences while at Carolina.
When and how do I contact a GVSC? What happens next?
Lovern: There’s no “right” time to reach out to us. Sometimes, people reach out immediately after experiencing violence or harassment, or they may connect weeks, months, or years later. If someone’s interested in connecting with a GVSC, they can email [email protected] or call 919-962-1343 to schedule a time to meet. We also host drop-in hours twice a month in the LGBTQ Center.
Once we receive outreach from someone wanting to connect, we respond and share more information about our confidentiality, services, and coordinate schedules to find a time to meet. We meet with people via phone, Zoom, or in-person and are available to meet Monday through Friday during business hours when the University is open. When we connect with someone for the first time, we share more about our role on campus, ways we can support, review our confidentiality, and then turn it over to them to see what feels helpful to discuss. After that, we’ll determine any next steps or follow up and go from there.
How can a GVSC help me in the short term and in the long term?
Lovern: The GVSCs support people who have been directly and indirectly affected by gender-based violence and harassment, which means we can connect with people who have their own experiences, and individuals who may be impacted in a secondary capacity including friends, loved ones, partners, or colleagues supporting another person. People don’t need to know exactly what they need or have a particular next step in mind to meet with us – if they’re interested in learning more about support and options available, we can figure out together what may be helpful.
Sometimes we meet with people once and other times we work with students and employees throughout their time at Carolina – both are okay, and it’s really about what’s helpful for each person. We offer emotional support in navigating experiences and their impact, help in understanding reporting options, referrals to campus and community resources, safety planning, accompaniment through reporting processes and court proceedings, and assistance in requesting support as it may relate to classes, workplaces, and on-campus housing.
How do I navigate stigma that may be associated with reaching out for services?
Lovern: Confidentiality of the GVSCs plays an important role in hopefully creating greater access for people to learn about options and support that exist for you at UNC-Chapel Hill. I often remind people that the GVSC resource exists for a reason – we know these experiences affect members of our campus community and recognize it can impact so many areas of your life. We meet with students and employees from diverse identities, backgrounds, and from all parts of campus. If someone is interested in meeting with us and has concerns about accessing our services, we encourage them to share those concerns with us so we can work through them together.
Given that October is Relationship Violence Awareness Month, how can members of our community support individuals who may be impacted by interpersonal or relationship violence?
Lovern: We know that people are more likely to disclose their experiences to people whom they know and trust. That’s why it’s so important for students and employees to be aware of resources, like the GVSCs, as they can often serve as a bridge and help someone get connected to support. If you’re interested in learning more about how to support others and help prevent relationship violence in our community, check out the trainings we offer at VPAS or join us for a RVAM event this month.