GW’s Office of Advocacy and Support Is a Resource for Student Survivors of Sexual Violence

The George Washington University’s Office of Advocacy and Support (OAS) has a new director, Elisa Davoodi, who wants students to know resources are available for survivors of sexual assault, intimate-partner violence and intimate-partner stalking. At OAS, students will find nonjudgmental, confidential support and experts who can steer them to the services they need.

“If there is one office where survivors start out on campus before they know where else they need to go, that office would be OAS,” Davoodi said. “We are a no-barrier resource for our students. Just show up, and we can help.”

Davoodi is no stranger to serving people in crisis. She has previously worked with survivors of sexual assault and other trauma-impacted groups in a range of settings, across the lifespan. Most recently, she managed the advocacy program at Network for Victim Recovery of D.C., where she supervised a staff of 17 advocates providing crisis response for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, trafficking and other forms of interpersonal and community violence.

Depending on the kind of assistance an individual survivor needs, OAS can provide crisis intervention and student accompaniments, help refer students to other on and off campus resources, arrange medical care or help with housing and a wide variety of other needs. Advocacy is multifaceted, and staff at OAS can help students navigate many different situations. Generally, advocates are focused on assessing for safety and for survivor needs and helping to navigate what services, such as physical or mental health resources, the survivor may want to consider.

“An advocate is an expert who can listen and say, ‘OK, here’s all the information about all the potential resources that exist, and here are some options for support.’ As a trauma informed and survivor-centered resource on campus, OAS advocates provide survivors with the information necessary for them to make informed decisions while maintaining safety,” Davoodi said. “Advocates are also expert systems-navigators. Since OAS advocates have extensive knowledge about the D.C. service provider community and how best to access services, they can help significantly reduce the logistical burdens that many survivors face in the aftermath of trauma as they try to access essential services.”

In addition to individualized support, the office also offers training programs to groups on campus. Training sessions can be provided on topics such as the neurobiology of trauma; fundamentals of dating violence; bystander intervention; and how to support survivors. Training can be virtual or in person, and OAS staff can come to classrooms or meeting spaces. OAS is also happy to develop customized curricula and training programs as needed and requested by members of the campus community.

“We want students to know we are here to have open conversations around relationships, sex and sexuality,” Davoodi said. “We’re going to have programming around how to have healthy and loving relationships, how to support survivors, and how to respond to unhealthy relationships.”

With the help of OAS, students receiving support or participating in a training can focus on their health and well-being in a safe space, added Kathleen Fox, assistant vice president for university resilience.

In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, OAS also has new programming and announcements:

• As of April 4, a Survivor Suite is open to student survivors who need a safe, private space to study, work on assignments, attend virtual medical and therapeutic appointments, attend virtual court hearings, or who are looking to spend some quiet time in a restricted-access building. Students can reserve this space here.

• As of April 5, OAS will host weekly walk-in hours on Wednesdays from noon to 4 p.m. Students interested in accessing OAS services can walk into the OAS townhouse to meet with a team member, or they can "walk in" to the designated virtual meeting room. The virtual meeting room can be accessed here.

• OAS also is hosting a series of conversations with community care leaders who serve survivors of sexual violence, intimate partner violence and stalking in the GW community and beyond. These conversations will take place in-person at the OAS townhouse every Thursday during April from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Students can register for these conversations in person or virtually here.

To receive support or inquire about resources, contact OAS at 202-994-0443 or oasgwu [dot] edu (oas[at]gwu[dot]edu).

All members of the university community also received more information by email about other events and resources available for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, including through the GW Title IX Office, OAS, Health Promotion and Education, and Capital Peers.