Office of Advocacy & Support

If you are seeking OAS resources, please contact [email protected] for more information about support.

The Office of Advocacy and Support (OAS) provides trauma-informed and healing-centered confidential support to GW students impacted by sexual violence, relationship violence, and/or stalking. OAS plays a crucial role in fostering a community that values and promotes healthy relationships through support and prevention programming. OAS is committed to cultivating and strengthening a culture of care that empathetically supports and empowers GW community members. In service of this mission, OAS is proud to work with campus partners to create a safer, healthier, and more informed campus community.

We are located at 520 22nd St NW Washington DC 20052.

Advocates provide:

Emotional and administrative support, including coordinating interim measures, accommodations, and other supports.
Psychoeducation on the impact of trauma and cycle of violence.
Space to discuss and process feelings and reactions in confidence.
Referrals and resources both on and off campus.

Advocacy Is:

Trauma-informed: meaning we are experts on the impact of trauma on student functioning.
Survivor-centered: our goal is to reduce the burden on survivors as they navigate their recovery. We recognize that the survivor is the expert in their experience.
Empowerment-based: We do not believe in telling anyone what to do; rather, we provide information to help survivors make fully-informed decisions.

Advocacy Isn't:

A substitute for counseling: Advocacy might feel therapeutic, but it is not therapy.
Medical Advice: While we encourage survivors to access medical care, we do not provide medical advice.
Legal advice: We cannot provide legal advice however we work closely with local organizations that provide free legal services for survivors.