When Jason Kim attended the Senate Task Force to address sexual violence and survivor support in November, he wasn’t focused on the concept of halting Fraternity and Sorority Life.
“The real thing that got me was all the survivors that stood up and said ‘I’m a survivor of sexual trauma’,” Kim said.
Kim was focused on creating an event where sexual and combat trauma survivors could come together to tell their stories.
“I know sexual trauma is a big issue on campus and for the Veterans and Family Student Association (VFSA) our mission is to serve the campus community by bringing awareness about resources for survivors of sexual assault trauma,” Kim said.
Marina Gross, public relations officer for the VFSA, says on our campus it seems there’s always been a divide between military and sexual trauma. The purpose of this event is to unite the two, because some veterans have experienced sexual trauma.
The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder & Trauma Panel was held in the Gumwood Room at the EMU on April 20. The event began with four sexual assault and combat survivor stories; three were student veterans and one from the ASUO Women’s Center.
Michele Prism, a survivor of sexual assault and living with P.T.S.D, spoke from a personal perspective.
“It’s a life journey,” she said.
Prism said she attended group therapy and learned coping skills, which she gained through Sexual Assault Support Services in Lane County.
Veteran survivors told their stories about how it was hard to feel connected on campus, especially transitioning back into civilian life.
Kevin Wiles with Veteran Affairs (VA) works as a vocational rehabilitation specialist and is a 10-year Navy veteran. He helps returning veterans reintegrate into the community by providing counseling.
The second panel of speakers discussed the resources that were available to students on campus, the University Counseling and Testing Center (UCTC) and the Accessible Education Center.
Eric Garcia spoke about the services the UCTC offers students, such as free counseling. The UCTC provides individual and group therapy as well as referrals to other counseling services in the community.
The UCTC also gives consultations to students who may have a friend with trauma and wants a better understanding of how to help them.
Jeff Larson, an advisor in the Accessible Education Center discussed how the center helps students navigate the barriers on campus. They provide general academic advising, note-taking support, textbook to audio formats and general check-ins with students. Testing accommodations are given to students who need a private setting to take an exam or more time than allotted by the professor.
The goal of the event was to give people a better understanding of what it’s like to live with P.T.S.D. both as a veteran and a survivor of sexual assault and how to best support these survivors.
“There’s a lot of people who have P.T.S.D symptoms that go untreated,” Prism said. “It’s just nice to see people who have it and learn what they did to treat or deal with it.”