Community Resources

On campus

The Alma Mater Society (AMS) Sexual Assault Support Centre (SASC) is located in the Nest. Like SVPRO, SASC is another confidential and safe space for survivors of sexualized violence. SASC offers support groups and is also able to make third-party reports to police.

What is the difference between SASC and SVPRO?

The primary difference is that SVPRO was established by the University. The University created SVPRO in recognition that individuals who experience sexual or gender-based violence, harassment, or harm may want or need direct support and the University is responsible for providing this service to care for its community members. SVPRO is a UBC office and our purpose is clear: to prioritize and support the survivors with whom we work.

SVPRO, in accordance with section 5.4 of the Sexual Misconduct Policy acts as liaison between University programs and services, and third-party agencies including the SASC.

Section 5.4: “Whether or not they wish to Disclose under the Policy, Members of the UBC Community who are affected by Sexual Misconduct may choose to seek assistance from third-party agencies such as the Sexual Assault Support Centre of the AMS. At the request of the Member of the UBC Community, the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office will liaise with third-party agencies to provide support, information, options, and assistance described in section 8.3. Third-party agencies may make representations to UBC on behalf of the Member of the UBC Community in support of a request for academic concessions.”

The SASC is independent from the University, located on campus, and is operated by the Alma Mater Society. The two offices operate independently and often work collaboratively. People who are impacted by sexualized violence are encouraged to seek support wherever they feel most comfortable and that may be one or both services. We firmly believe the more options for survivor support, the better.

Our offices may collaborate both in supporting survivors and in our education and outreach work. Any collaboration for support is done only with the express consent of the person or people involved. Their needs and choices guide all service provision and information sharing. Any SASC client is able to access all SVPRO services, both by independently connecting with SVPRO, or through collaboration and/or referral (with consent) from SASC and vice versa.

If a person working with the SASC needs assistance coordinating University resources including but not limited to, Emergency Housing, Residence Life, Enrolment Services, and the Center for Accessibility, the SASC can connect with SVPRO on the person’s behalf and SVPRO will coordinate arrangements with the appropriate University service.

Off campus support

While we do our best to provide referrals that are in line with our values, we encourage you to look into each resource to ensure it will be a safe and comfortable option for you. Our Support Specialists are happy to explore options, share information, and help you get connected with these resources.

  • Salal Sexual Violence Support Centre The feminist, anti-oppressive, decolonizing rape crisis centre offers support to survivors of sexualized violence who have shared experiences of gender marginalization including cis and trans women, Two-Spirit, trans and/or non-binary people. Salal offers a 24-Hour Crisis and Information Line that you can call at 604 255 6344. For the toll-free number, call 1 877 392 7583.
    Hospital Accompaniment can also be accessed by calling the Crisis Line and selecting the option for “Hospital Accompaniment Staff.” Transportation to the hospital can also be arranged.
  • Battered Women’s Support Service (BWSS)
    Battered Women’s Support Services provides education, advocacy, and support services to assist all women in its aim to work towards the elimination of violence.The BWSS offers a crisis and intake line you can call at 604 687 1867. For the toll-Free number, call 1 855 687 1868.
    For Indigenous women, there is no waitlist for counselling.
  • British Columbia Society for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse
    The society provides therapeutic services for males who have faced sexual abuse or domestic violence. You can contact the society at 604 682 6482 from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday to Saturday.
  • VictimLinkBC
    VictimLinkBC is a toll-free, confidential, multilingual service accessible across B.C and the Yukon. The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can be accessed by calling or texting 1 800 563 0808 or sending an email to VictimLinkBC@bc211.ca. It provides information and referral services to all victims of crime and immediate crisis support to victims of family and sexual violence.

For community resources that are specific to people’s identities and affiliations, please visit Identity-Specific resources.