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
  • 12-5 p.m. drop-in Monday-Friday, Usdan G-108
• Students Talking About Relationships (STAR)
  • 1-7 p.m. Sunday-Friday when school is in session, 781-736-4745, SCC Room 324
• Student Sexuality Information Services (SSIS)
  • 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 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. Explore the current listing of group counseling and workshops. BARCC offers services in its Waltham office. The 24/7 hotline is 800-841-8371.
• REACH Beyond Domestic Violence is the local domestic violence shelter in the Waltham area. It provides shelter, therapy, support groups, advocacy and more. Visit its Direct Services page to learn more about what it offers. Its 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 or 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. The 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. It offer services in Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Shanghainese, Taiwanese, Khmer, Korean, Japanese, Nepali, Hindi, Bangla, Tagalog, Urdu, Thai, Manipuri, Lao and Mien. The 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

• PARC 24/7 hotline: (781) 736-3370 (runs during the semester only)
• The Brandeis Counseling Center (BCC) between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday at (781) 736-3730 or strong>(781) 736-3785 after hours
• 6TALK, the peer support hotline between 10 p.m.-2 a.m. during the school year at (781) 736-TALK (8255)

Off-Campus Resources

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

During peer Advocate drop-in hours, 12-5 p.m. Monday-Friday when ay 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 9 a.m.-11 p.m. 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 the Spiritual Life website for a list of 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 for smell or ice cubes for 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!