Please feel free to contact CAPE with any questions by calling us at 541-737-2030, emailing us or making an appointment with us.

CAPE FAQ

Confidentiality means information disclosed to an advocate will not be shared without explicit written permission from the survivor. This is meant to be protective of the survivor and to enhance safety. You are in control of your information and if/how it will be shared. Privilege means that there are certain relationships and communications that are protected so that a person can seek help without fear that any disclosed information will be used against them. It is a protection between the client and the professional. Advocate-survivor privilege protects the confidentiality and privacy of survivors. Survivors also have the privilege to refuse to disclose information. Please keep in mind OSU faculty and staff are mandatory reporters for child abuse. For additional details and information on this topic, please see this document

An appointment will look different depending on the individual person’s needs. In a typical intake appointment, you will meet with an advocate, discuss confidentiality and your rights, review an informed consent for services, and discuss where your information goes. You will also talk about what CAPE does and how we can help you. You are free to share as much or as little as you want. Together, we will come up with a plan on how we can help you with any goals you have.  

We are NOT required to report to OSU’s Title IX Office or to law enforcement. The exception is that, as a public university employee, we are required to report child abuse. Appointments are confidential, meaning we do not report or share anybody’s information without a written, informed and time-sensitive release of information. 

Advocacy is crisis intervention and provides emotional support to help you reach your goals. It is a task-oriented approach that is available as needed. It can help you explore options and resources for support, then access those services as needed. Advocates can discuss different questions and concerns so that the survivor can make an informed decision about what resource is best for them. Counseling helps process trauma and meets regularly to help build coping skills. Counselors help explore feelings and develop tools and techniques for self-care as needed.  

We serve students, staff and anyone affiliated with OSU, regardless of where they are geographically located. This means we support survivors and allies in Corvallis, at the OSU-Cascades campus or the Hatfield Marine Science Center, as well as those affiliated with Ecampus and all OSU extension offices. In addition, we support survivors whose perpetrators are students, faculty and staff at OSU even if they themselves are not. You can read more about who we serve here.

CAPE and CAPS co-facilitate the Circle of Support group, which is an open, drop-in peer support group for survivors, regardless of their gender identity or experience. It’s a way for survivors to come together and support each other with their experiences. The support group schedule is subject to change. If you are interested in attending, please contact CAPE for the most up-to-date information. CAPS also has a variety of support and counseling groups.

You are not required to report in order to connect with a CAPE advocate, and disclosing to a confidential CAPE advocate is not the same as reporting. We understand that there are many barriers that survivors face in reporting and that in some circumstances, reporting may cause more harm to the survivor. If you’re interested, an advocate can speak more with you about options for reporting, and if you choose to report, we are here to support you through that process. 

A forensic exam is an opportunity for survivors to have their medical health assessed, to make sure they are medically well, and to receive any necessary treatment. It is also an opportunity to collect and document evidence from a sexual assault or dating/domestic violence incident that has occurred in the last five days. This exam is free and can be anonymous. Survivors can opt in or out of any portion of this process. If you have questions or want to talk to a sexual assault nurse examiner, an advocate can connect you. 

We provide short- and long-term advocacy, crisis intervention, and emotional support. We are not licensed psychologists and do not provide ongoing mental health counseling. We can refer out to a counselor either at CAPS or in the community as needed.  

Yes, appointments are free, confidential and unlimited. They are not tied to medical records, and we do not bill insurance. 

No, appointments are not tied to student fees. CAPE services are accessible whether you pay student fees or not.