Prevention, Advocacy & Resource Center

Professional staff:

• Contact Us
• Brandeis Counseling Center
  • 781-736-3730, Mailman Building
  • Available for individual or group support
• Center for Spiritual Life (Chaplains)
  • 781-736-3570, Usdan G-051
• University Ombuds
  • 781-736-2265, ombuds@brandeis.edu, located in the Library-- appointment required

Peer Support

• PARC Peer Advocates
  • Drop in Monday-Friday, noon to 5pm, Usdan G-108
• Students Talking About Relationships (STAR)
  • Open 1 PM-7 PM, Sunday-Friday when school is in session, 781-736-4745, SCC Room 324
• Student Sexuality Information Services (SSIS)
  • Open 11 AM-5 PM, Monday-Friday when school is in session, 781-736-3695, SCC Room 338

The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) is highly regarded among survivors and professionals and offers individual counseling, group counseling, and educational workshops. To see the current listing of group counseling and workshops, visit this link. As of December 2019, BARCC offers services in their Waltham office. Their 24/7 hotline is: 800-841-8371.

REACH Beyond Domestic Violence is the local domestic violence shelter in the Waltham area. They provide shelter, therapy, support groups, advocacy, and more. Visit their Direct Services page to learn more about what they offer. Their 24/7 hotline is: 800-899-4000. 

The Violence Recovery Program (VRP) at Fenway Health has several locations across Massachusetts-- the closest location is in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston. VRP provides counseling, support groups, advocacy, and referral services for anyone who has experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, and anti-LGBTQ hate violence. 

The Network/La Red provides individual support, support groups, housing support, and more. Services are available in both English and Spanish. The Network is also located in Boston. Their 24/7 hotline is: 617-742-4911.

The Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence, in Boston, offers counseling, legal advocacy, immigration support, and much more to those who have experienced domestic violence. They are able to offer services in Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Shanghainese, Taiwanese, Khmer, Korean, Japanese, Nepali, Hindi, Bangla, Tagalog, Urdu, Thai, Manipuri, Lao, and Mien. Their 24/7 hotline is: 617-338-2355.

PARC has also put together a Therapy Resources Handout with tips for finding an off-campus therapist, including both in-person and online options.

On Campus Resources:

• The Prevention Advocacy Resource Center (PARC) 24/7 Hotline at (781) 736-3370 (runs during the semester only)
• The Brandeis Counseling Center (BCC) between 9:00am and 5:00pm on Monday-Friday at (781) 736-3730, or at (781) 736-3785 after hours
• 6TALK, the peer support hotline between 10:00pm and 2:00am during the school year, at (781) 736-TALK (8255)

Off Campus Resources:

• Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) at (800) 841-8371
• The Network/La Red at (617) 742-4911 (voice) or (800) 832-1901 (toll-free)
• REACH Beyond Domestic Violence at (800) 899-4000

During Peer Advocate drop-in hours, Monday-Friday, 12pm-5pm any day classes are in session, you can visit the Chat page of our website to speak to an advocate through a chatbox.

The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) also offers an online chat between 9am - 11pm every day.

PARC has also put together a Therapy Resources Handout with tips for finding an off-campus therapist, including both in-person and online options including both Zoom and chat.

Brandeis chaplains offer counseling, support and community to students of all faiths. They are also a confidential resource. Visit their website for a list of the various chaplains, and their contact information.

There are so many different ways we can ground and support ourselves. Here are some ideas:

• Books
• Making or looking at art
• Breathing exercises
• Grounding tools to activate your senses such as essential oils and smell or ice cubes and touch
• Meditation
• Physical activities
• Eating
• Sleeping
• Watching a familiar tv show
• Surrounding yourself with loved ones
• Praying
• Safe and comfortable spaces on campus, such as PARC, the Gender and Sexuality Center, Meditation Rooms and more
• Online communities for those with similar experiences 

Check out PARC's Grounding Techniques Handout for more ideas of how to support yourself emotionally in the moment. 

Safety planning is a way to think ahead of time about strategies to stay safe-- which can reduce risk-- and get through difficult situations you might encounter. For emotional safety, you can think about calling someone who cares about you, grounding skills, self-care techniques, or going to a safe(r) space. 

A safety plan is meant to be tailored to your own experience and will look different for everyone depending on what their immediate and future safety concerns are. Think about what works for you and what makes you feel empowered in reclaiming your sense of safety and security. Your plan may shift over time, but overall, the goal of a safety plan is to make you feel as safe as possible, whatever your current circumstances may be. This can be an overwhelming process, so remember to take care of yourself and that it is okay not to have an answer for everything!  

If you would like help with safety planning, PARC can help guide you through the process. Our hotline and anonymous chat function can also be used to talk to an advocate about safety planning or might even be part of your emotional safety plan!