The WGRC provides services to The University of Alabama faculty, staff and students, and Shelton State Community College students who are victims/survivors of interpersonal violence, as well as family and friends who have been impacted by the abuse. Services are also provided to anyone who is victimized on The University of Alabama campus. Services may include crisis intervention, advocacy, individual counseling and group therapy. All services are free, confidential, and voluntary. Information you share with the counselor or advocate is considered confidential and will not be released without your written consent except in specific circumstances such as:
An advocate is someone who offers victims information, emotional support and help finding resources. We help victims with the following:
If you are in need of advocacy services, you will be assisted by the victim advocate. This may involve one or more sessions. If you would like counseling services, we will schedule an appointment with a staff therapist or a qualified graduate level counseling intern. Client and counselor assignments are made based on scheduling and counselor caseload. There is no limit on the number of sessions provided. Counseling sessions are 50 minutes and will be scheduled by you and your therapist. You may also elect to attend one of the support groups offered by the WGRC in addition to individual counseling.
You may use WGRC services as long as you are affiliated with The University of Alabama. You may continue to use advocacy services after graduation if there are on-going circumstances – for instance, if you are pursuing criminal charges.
To schedule an appointment, call 205-348-5040. Your first appointment, referred to as an intake, will be a session to gather information, determine what services are needed, and make appropriate referrals.
There is a victim advocate on call 24 hours a day, including weekends and holidays, for crisis intervention. You can reach the advocate at our office during regular business hours or by calling the University Police Department at 205-348-5454 and asking to speak to the WGRC advocate outside of regular business hours. The dispatcher may ask for your name and contact information as part of their regular response, but you are not required to give any identifying information to the police.
