TRAUMA RESPONSE: Office of Victim Assistance Presentations

The Office of Victim Assistance (OVA) staff offer educational programming to all members of the campus community. In addition to counseling and advocacy services, OVA offers presentations on all of our topic areas and how to support people who may be impacted by difficult life events.  OVA topic areas included, but are not limited to: physical assault, hazing, bias motivated incidents, grief and loss, discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, intimate partner abuse, sexual assault and stalking.

Specific presentations* offered by the office of Victim Assistance (OVA) include:

 What does OVA offer: Overview of OVA services

  • How can we support you and how to refer people to OVA
  • Approximate time: 20 minutes

 How to help a friend facing a difficult life event

  • Tips on responding to someone after a traumatic or life disrupting event
  • Approximate time: 30 minutes

 Impact of Trauma and the Healing Process

  • Information on what people may experience physically, emotionally and cognitively in the aftermath of a traumatic event
  • Presentation geared towards people already involved in a helping role or for a class discussing trauma
  • Approximate time: 75 minutes

 Grief and Loss

  • An overview of grief and loss, including how to support people who have had recent loss
  • We do not recommend this training for groups of people who have immediately lost someone in their affiliated group.  Please see below for resources on response  immediately after a loss within a group, department, residence hall etc.
  • Approximate time: 45 minutes

 Reporting Options

  • What to expect when reporting to the police and/or Office of Student Conduct (OSC)
  • Session can be co-presented with staff in OSC
  • Approximate time: 30-40 minutes

Other types of presentations* by OVA:

There are times when groups of people may be impacted by the loss of a member of the CU community.  These circumstances can be very painful and we all have our ways of navigating grief and loss.  If anyone affiliated with the University would like to have a time for people to gather and hear about campus and community resources, OVA staff, in partnership with CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services), can facilitate or be present for these group sessions.

*These presentations will be tailored to meet the needs of specific audiences. We can attend a class, staff meetings, student group meetings, community events or any format that meets needs.  Please contact the Office of Victim Assistance at 303-492-8855 or assist@colorado.edu to discuss your needs and schedule a presentation.

GENDER VIOLENCE PREVENTION: Community Health Programs

Community Health is the public health division of Wardenburg Health Center.  Their program aims to foster a community that promotes students’ health and well-being. Community Health staff offer programs on gender violence prevention, and in partnership with OVA, offer gender violence education.

Presentations offered by Community Health Staff on gender violence prevention include:

 What is Gender Violence Anyway?

  • In this interactive, discussion based session, participants learn and discuss what gender violence includes, prevalence, characteristics of perpetrators, and risk factors associated with the college environment. Students also discuss different situations and practice addressing typical situations that they may encounter.
  • Who: Suitable for smaller groups (up to 40 students); adaptable for large groups.
  • Length: 1 hour – 1.5 hours

 Sex You Want, Sex You Don’t Want: 

  • In this interactive, discussion based session, participants explore the internal and external factors that both support and hinder sexual decision-making. Sexual agency and coercion are examined, and skills for improving communication and self-advocacy are introduced.
  • Who: Suitable for smaller groups (up to 40 students); adaptable for large groups.
  • Length: 1 hour

With Pleasure: A Conversation about Sex and Relationships

  • A workshop for students that explores issues related to healthy relationships and sexuality.  It includes basic information on sexual health, contraception, and sexually transmitted infections (STI’s). This session includes information on stigma related to sexuality and STI’s along with the roles of negotiation, coercion, and consent as they relate to relationships and sexual behavior. This session can be modified to emphasize specific content areas as desired by the group.
  • Who: Suitable for smaller groups (up to 40 students); adaptable for large groups.
  • Length: 1 – 1.5 hours

If you would like more information about any of these presentations, other programs offered by Community Health and how they can be adjusted to meet your needs, feel free to call (303) 492-2937 or stop by UMC 411.