Services
Connecting You with the Services and Support You Need
People affected by sexual violence deserve a welcoming, safe, and confidential space where they can talk to caring professionals and learn about their options.
The Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre provides:
- Emotional support & connection to counselling
- Coordination of academic, workplace, and financial accommodations
- Support & assistance connecting with resources, including medical, legal, and housing services
- Advocacy for and connection with supports within and outside the University
- Safety planning (with the support of the Community Safety Office)
- Assistance with navigating institutional, judicial, and medical systems
- Information about reporting options and assistance making a report, if survivors choose to make one
- Educational initiatives, workshops and training, awareness campaigns, and programming for survivors
- Consultation for members of the University who receive a disclosure or have a concern related to sexual violence
This short video provides a quick overview of what we do. It describes how we support the University of Toronto community, what to expect when you reach out, and how to contact us.
Who does the Centre support?
Our Centre is available to current students, staff, faculty, and librarians at the University of Toronto. People from all gender identities, expressions, and sexualities have access to our services, and will be welcomed by our highly skilled and compassionate team.
We are here to support you if you have experienced, heard about, witnessed, or are supporting someone affected by sexual assault, sexual harassment, or other forms of sexualized violence. We also provide education and training for individuals interested in learning how to support survivors of sexualized violence and build a culture of consent.
We know that healing from sexual violence is not linear, and that its impacts can be felt years later and activated at any time. We are available to provide guidance, healing resources, and support whenever someone may want it. Our support is available regardless of when or where sexual violence occurred and regardless of whether it involved a member of the University community.
Alumni who would like to disclose or report an experience of sexual violence related to their time at the University can also contact us to share their experience, learn about their options, and be provided with information on community resources. Under the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment the University can provide a Respondent with a support person and supportive resources. However, this support person is not a staff member of the Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre.
How can I speak with someone at the Centre?
You can reach out to us any time by email (svpscentre@utoronto.ca) or phone (1-416-978-2266).
Our team is available to respond from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday. If you call during a time when we are away from the phone, busy on another call, or after hours, you will be asked to leave a voicemail.
When leaving us a voicemail, you do not need to provide many details. We need your first name, a number where we can reach you, and a preferred time for us to call you. We also need to know whether we can leave you a voicemail if you do not answer our call. We recognize that not all voicemails are private. If we do not have your explicit permission to leave a voicemail, we will not leave one. We will call you back at another time.