Confidential RSVP counselors are available 24/7

24/7 Emergency Support

If you need immediate medical care or are in danger, please call:

  • On Campus:  314-935-5555
  • Off-Campus:  911

In the moment emotional support, please call:

  • Provident WashU:  314-935-6666
  • SARAH Peer Counseling during the academic year: 314-935-8080

If you have experienced sexual violence, sexual misconduct, dating violence, domestic violence or stalking, you are not alone. The RSVP Center staff is committed to providing inclusive, affirming and trauma informed care and support. We offer options so that you can choose what feels right to you.

If you are not sure what steps you wish to take, consider speaking with a RSVP Center counselor for confidential assistance and help understanding your options. More about your options can be found below. 

Contact the RSVP Center
Talk to someone

If you need immediate medical care or are in danger, please call 314-935-5555 if you are on campus or 911 if you are off-campus.

Options
  • The Sexual Assault and Rape Anonymous Helpline (SARAH) at 314-935-8080. Peer counselors at SARAH provide crisis counseling 24/7 during the academic year (Fall-Spring semesters)
  • Email the RSVP Center or call 314-935-3445.
    • A counselor is available 24/7 to go with you to the hospital or police if you choose. 
    • After business hours the RSVP Center can be accessed through SARAH at 314-935-8080 (during the academic year), or through WUPD at 314-935-5555.
  • You may also access TimelyCare, an online resource available to most students.
  • A friend
Confidential

Confidential resources are people you can talk to who will not report your situation to the university or anyone else without your consent except in cases of imminent harm.

Non-confidential

These contacts are trained to know resources and can provide assistance but must report sexual assault, rape, relationship violence and stalking incidents to the Gender Equity and Title IX Compliance Office.

Get medical attention
Importance of medical attention

Even if you feel anxious or uncomfortable, and if you do not intend to make a report, it is very important to receive medical assistance. Members of hospital staff are accustomed to dealing with sexual assault injuries, for all victims, regardless of gender or type of injury. Even if you don’t seem seriously hurt, you may have hidden internal injuries or be at risk for sexually transmitted infections that need medical attention.

If the sexual assault has occurred in the last five days

We encourage you to seek treatment at a comprehensive care facility, such as Barnes/Jewish Hospital (Barnes/Jewish MAP) or St. Mary’s Health Center (St. Mary’s MAP), that has a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE), trained to give specialized medical care for a victim of sexual assault and to gather forensic evidence if desired, who can provide the best possible care and options to you. 

RSVP Center staff can help 

Staff can arrange this medical visit and provide support. 

Non-sexual assault

For victims of dating or domestic violence that did not involve sexual assault, Saint Louis University Hospital (SLU Hospital MAP) offers forensic exams specific to these injuries.

Forensic Exams

A forensic exam involves a collection of important evidence including fluid samples, clothing, nail clippings, hair, pictures of injured areas etc. Learn what to expect from a SANE/forensic exam.

If you want a forensic examination, do not shower, drink, eat, brush your teeth or change your clothes. These activities can destroy physical evidence that could be useful if you decide to prosecute. However, if you have already done so (which is a perfectly normal response), you should still seek medical care. These activities do not necessarily prevent the collection of evidence, and your physical well-being is most important.

Care at Health Services
Each Health Services Staff member
  • Is a confidential resource and will not report the assault to the university without your consent
  • Has received early training in delivering trauma informed, culturally humble health care and can offer professional and compassionate care, as well as access to free medications to prevent STI’s and pregnancy if appropriate. 

Habif is not equipped to perform forensic exams and we encourage you to seek this type of exam at a hospital. Health Services or RSVP staff can help arrange this.

Physical evaluation at Habif
  • Call the triage nurse, 314-935-4959 for a same-day appointment
  • Not billed to insurance and medications will be free of charge

Health Services can offer free medications for certain STIs and pregnancy, but not offer free STI testing and would refer you to a community resource for that service.

Health Services urgent/same day medical and mental health assessments 
  • 314-935-4959
  • OR call RSVP Center, 314-935-3445 to access and coordinate care.
Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (CCPS)
  • For urgent concerns, call the triage line, 314-935-6695.
  • For non-urgent CCPS appointments, use the Student Health Portal. 
  • All CCPS providers incorporate the principles of Trauma-Informed Care, a treatment framework that involves understanding, recognizing, and responding to the effects of all types of trauma.
Get other assistance
No Contact order
  • To request a no contact order, reach out to the RSVP Center or the Gender Equity and Title IX Compliance Office.
  • Can be issued by the university to a student, which outlines the expectation that they would have no contact with a specified student(s). 
  • Additional parameters can include arranged hours for shared spaces
  • Obtaining a no contact order does not require formal report through the university or the criminal system
  • Requires a reasonable request by a student to the Gender Equity and Title IX Compliance Office
  • Can be facilitated by a counselor at the RSVP Center
  • Violation of a no contact order can result in further consequences by the university. To request a no contact order, reach out to the RSVP Center or the staff at the Gender Equity and Title IX Compliance Office.
Order of Protection or Restraining Order, court ordered
  • Available 24/7
  • Requires an application which must be reviewed and approved by a judge on 24/7 call
  • WUPD or RSVP staff can help facilitate through the court system.

For further Order of Protection information, contact the WUPD police department at 314-935-5555 the RSVP Center at 314-935-3445 (after hours through WUPD or SARAH at 314-935-8080 during the academic year).

Housing Accommodations
Academic Accommodations
  • Request from the RSVP Center or the Gender Equity and Title IX Compliance Office: no report is required
  • Reasonable academic accommodations for anyone who has experienced sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence or stalking
  • Any party, witness or person supporting someone involved in a USHIB investigation or other Title IX investigation can request assistance with reasonable academic accommodations from the Gender Equity and Title IX Compliance Office.
  • Temporary course/classroom assignment changes also available
Other accommodations
Community resources
Hospitals
Hotlines
  • YWCA Rape Crisis Hotline
    • 314-531-7273
  • YWCA Women’s Resource Center: questions or concerns about sexual assault in nonemergency circumstances
    • 314-726-6665
  • Safe Connections: 24-hour crisis helpline, free one-on-one counseling and support services for survivors of sexual assault and relationship violence
    • 314-531-2003
    • Located near the Washington University campus, on a Metro bus line
  • TransLifeLine: staffed by transgender volunteers for transgender people, ready to respond to whatever support needs members of our community might have
    • 877-565-8860 ​
  • Metro Trans Umbrella Group: support groups for trans people and their loved ones, referrals to trans-friendly service providers and training on trans issues
    • 314-270-2155
  • Crime Victim Center: 24-hour resources, counseling, advocacy and referral for victims of crime and their families
    • 314-652-3623
  • Kansas City Anti-Violence Project: LGBT support and resources
    • 816-561-0550
  • Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence: Educational and crisis resources
    • 573-634-4161
Shelters for Domestic Violence Survivors in St. Louis
  • Alive (Alternatives to Living in a Violent Environment): temporary emergency sanctuary and transportation to victims of domestic violence, 24/7/365 plus counseling, safety planning, referrals, and legal advocacy.
    • 24-hour Crisis Hotline: 314-993-2777
    • 314-993-7080
    • The Night of Safety program provides short-term emergency accommodation for victims of domestic violence who need to immediately leave their living situations
  • Kathy Weinman Center: temporary and emergency shelter for women, court advocacy, professional therapy for women and children services available.
    • 314-423-1117
    • Support groups plus follow-up supportive services 
  • St. Martha’s Hall: confidential shelter for abused women and their children only, up to four months
    • 314-533-1313 available 24/7, P.O. Box 4950, St. Louis 63108
    • Services include individual and group counseling, legal advocacy, information, referral, and follow up
    • Clients must be female victims of domestic violence, 18 years old and up, no males older than 13 years of age. Stays can be up to four months.
  • Women’s Safe House: shelter for battered women and their children
    • 314-772-4535, available 24/7
    • Services include legal advocacy, housing referrals, support groups, children’s programs, and limited transportation
    • Utilizes restorative justice practices.

Find a more comprehensive list of advocacy organizations and services through the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence Resources List​.

Online and national resources