Office of Inclusive Excellence Education & Development and COVID-19

The Office of Inclusive Excellence Education & Development (OIEED) recognizes the critical impact that COVID-19 has had on our campus community. As a result of the pandemic, many students, staff, and faculty have experienced shifts in their roles and relationships within their academic, home, and work lives. Furthermore, for some members of our community, changes resulting from the pandemic might lead to increased experiences with violence, abuse, or other safety concerns. If you are experiencing any of this, you are not alone and there are resources available to you at the university, local, and national level.

If you are experiencing sexual violence, relationship abuse, stalking and/ or concerns related those experiences

If you are in immediate danger, please call 911. While experts across the country have recommended that we each stay home, for many individuals, home may not feel like the safest option due to difficult or unsafe relationships with family members or partners. We also know that repercussions of COVID-19 (such as strains on emotional, physical, and financial health) may also have an increased impact on individuals who have a history with violence and on those who are currently experiencing it. You are not alone and an experience with violence is never your fault. The following resources are available to you:

Elon Resources

Whether on campus or in a remote working/ learning environment, students, staff, and faculty are still able to receive support for experiences with harassment, violence, or abuse.

Safeline (Confidential, 24/7 Hotline) 336-278-3333

Confidential advocates who cover Safeline are available to members of the Elon community who have experienced interpersonal violence or identity-based bias/ harassment and those who may be concerned about someone with these experiences. Safeline responders are trained to create personalized safety plans, provide information regarding all an individual’s options for support, and connect individuals to the proper resources. Due to COVID-19, confidential advocates will only be providing advocacy via the phone and through virtual platforms such as Webex.

Campus Advocate (Confidential, 8 AM- 5 PM, Monday-Friday) 336-278-5009 or jmetz2@elon.edu

The campus advocate, Julia Metz, can be reached by phone or through email during business hours. The campus advocate works with students to discuss support options at the university and local level, can provide in person accompaniment to the hospital or police, and provide virtual accompaniment to meetings with Title IX staff. Due to COVID-19, the campus advocate is currently working remotely and is conducting meetings through phone or using private and trusted virtual meeting spaces, such as Teams and Webex.

 

Local Resources

For students, staff, and faculty who are working/ learning outside of Alamance County and Guilford County, please contact the Campus Advocate at jmetz2@elon.edu to help identify local resources in your area.

CrossRoads Sexual Assault Response and Resource Center (Confidential, 24/7 Hotline) 336-228-0360

During the pandemic CrossRoads is providing remote advocacy. Their hotline hours have not been affected by COVD-19 and is available 24/7. Hospital on-call will be via phone only.

Family Abuse Services (Confidential, 24/7 Hotline) 336-226-5985 for English speaking line and 336-264-2935 for Spanish Speaking line

Family Abuse Services of Alamance County is open under normal operating hours, however they have suspended all Supervised Visitation, and Support Groups at this time. Hospital on-call will be via phone only. Family Abuse Service’s 24/7 Crisis Line provides safety planning, advocacy, parenting support, and shelter referrals for people in imminent danger as well the latest information on court and protective order availability. They are located at 1950 Martin Street, Burlington, NC.

Guilford Family Justice Center (Confidential, 24/7 Hotline) 336-273-7273

The Guilford Family Justice Center is still available to provide in-person legal consultations, in person-advocacy, and open for individuals to file protective orders. They also are providing in person and tele-counseling. Pandemic walk-in hours are from 8 AM- 1:30 PM.

Cone Health System and Alamance Regional Medical Center (Confidential, 24/7) 336-538-7000

Because of COVID-19, all survivors seeking immediate medical attention or a forensic examination should go to Alamance Regional Medical Center(AMRC), regardless of whether that is your closest Cone Health provider. AMRC is located at 1240 Huffman Mill Rd, Burlington, NC, 27215. If seeking a forensic examination, please try not to shower, eat, drink, or use the restroom before going to the hospital and bring a change of clothes with you or bring the clothes worn at the time of the incident in a paper bag. If you would like an advocate to provide over the phone or virtual advocacy, please call Safeline at 336-278-3333.

National Resources

The National Domestic Violence Hotline (Confidential, 24/7 Hotline) 800-799-7233 or chat with them on their website virtually. 

The National Sexual Assault Hotline (Confidential, 24/7 Hotline)  800-656-HOPE (4673) or chat here. 

For any questions about resources or advocacy related to sexual violence, relationship abuse, or stalking, please contact akrauss3@elon.edu or call Safeline at 336-278-5009.

If you have experienced/are experiencing bias, harassment or any other form of identity-based bigotry

Implicit bias and common internal biases are known to be exaggerated or exacerbated in times of crisis. The OIEED is committed to continued response and increased prevention efforts as we navigate these COVID-19 times. All Elon resources are available to you in a number of virtual formats. There are multiple ways to report incidents of bias and reach our advocacy staff and bias education team:

Online: Click here for the form

Through a confidential advocate: Safeline at 336-278-5009