Disclaimer: Information on this form is presented as our consent form and is required to be discussed at the beginning of every support hour session. This document is subject to be updated and changed and is intended to be a living document from year to year. This document has been approved by PZ Advocates (SP 2024) and by Pitzer College staff representatives.
What does “support” look like in Peer Support Hours?
PZ Advocates student volunteers, trained twice a year totaling 50 hours of training, who are able to provide emotional support, reporting options, and referrals to students at Pitzer College. We define emotional support as the following:
Active listening. Our main responsibility is to give you space to be listened to. Feel free to share your story however you prefer (via talking, writing, or something else); we're here to listen.
Compassionate Witness. As compassionate witnesses to you and your experiences, our goal is to offer verbal and non-verbal validation within a judgment-free space filled with empathy, compassion, and patience for you.
We believe you. Advocates intend to utilize a strengths-based survivor-focused approach. Through this, we will never question your experiences and how you tell your story.
Empower you to make choices. We do not provide advice or tell a survivor what to do. Instead, we are there to guide you in accessing information and understand your resource options. Overall, we give you the time and space to make your own decisions.
Be supportive. We follow your lead in how you need to be supported and work with you to show that support. Whether it is just listening or giving you options for next steps, we are invested in giving you autonomy and control to create a space that is supportive to your current needs.
Respect the survivor's privacy. We do not disclose a survivor's assault or experiences to others, nor do we share any names or details without the survivor's explicit permission. There are limits to our privacy, which is why we are not considered “confidential” (please see the “What does privacy mean for us” section on the back of this page). In addition, general experiences may be used for Advocates to share for training purposes or for them to be able to receive support of their own either with fellow Advocates or mental health providers.
Creative safe spaces. We work to make the Advocate's space safe and accessible for all students. We have PZ Advocates with varying identities and backgrounds, so you can connect with someone you feel comfortable with.
Note on conflict of interest: We request that you do not seek support from a PZ Advocate with whom you have a close interpersonal relationship, as this may pose a conflict of interest. If you are unsure about this, please come speak to us, and we can ensure that you and the PZ Advocates feel comfortable and consent to this working relationship.
What qualifies as outside of a PZ Advocates’ scope?
Urgent concerns (as an organization, we are required to notify additional mental health staff immediately)
If an individual expresses danger to themselves (this includes disclosing suicidal ideation, specifically a plan and means for a future suicide attempt, self-harm, previous suicide attempts within the past 12 months, eating disorders or disordered eating patterns)
*Note: previous suicide attempts and disordered eating patterns does not qualify for Pitzer Mental Health providers to mandate report, BUT PZ Advocates will refer you to discuss with someone on the staff team further but you are able to decline if desired. If follow up happens with staff, students are still able to access support from PZ Advocates as it relates within our scope.
Individual poses danger to others (such as plan to abuse, hurt, or kill another person)
Substance Misuse (when substance misuse transcends a threshold and becomes lethal, it signifies a critical point where the misuse of drugs or alcohol poses a severe threat to an individual's health and well-being. The risk of overdose, organ damage, and other life-threatening consequences escalates, highlighting the urgent need for intervention and professional assistance)
Non-urgent concerns (a PZ Advocate will urge the student to follow up with mental health staff, if it becomes a reoccurring issue, we will let you know that this is outside our scope and do a “soft-hand off” via email or in person, connecting you with with professional mental health staff for further resources)
Seeking help for any diagnosed or suspected mental health issue that would require more extensive professional care. PZ Advocates’ role is to provide support around sexual assault related topics, and repeated discussion of topics that relate to mental health issues are outside our scope and expertise.
You are using the PZ Advocates’ on a consistent basis and it seems that the frequency that you are requiring support would be better suited with a long term therapist, rather than a PZ Advocate.
Boundaries in PZ Advocates’ role during breaks
During holidays and breaks, Advocates will not be able to hold support hours. However, the MCAPS crisis line and Project Sister warmline will be accessible and promoted on social media with the most up to date information.
If something is shared that is outside of an advocate's scope, what does this reporting process look like?
During business hours, Strive2Thrive’s staff coordinator, Kristin Williams, will be contacted to provide immediate assistance to you and your needs.
If outside of business hours, Campus Safety will be contacted and directed to the Dean on Call will be contacted to provide immediate assistance to you and your needs.
As a back up or alternative, Monsour Counseling Center hotline can be called at 909-621-8202 and press “1” to connect to the on-call therapist.
Advocates can help connect you and take you to these resources if it is during their support hour
What does privacy mean and how does that differ to confidentiality?
In support hours, everything that is said will be kept private between you and the PZ Advocate. When necessary, for training or for an Advocate to receive support of their own, Advocates may speak about the issues raised (to other advocates or mental health support professionals) but do not disclose information that would identify the individual.
There are limits to our confidentiality. If information is shared meeting the criteria above (in the section on “what qualifies as outside of PZ Advocates’ scope”), we must make a report to a MH provider listed at the bottom of this document in order to protect you and our campus at large.
Because there are limits to our privacy, we will ask for your full name at the beginning of the session. If you are receiving support via text or by phone call, we will additionally ask for a good contact number in case we get disconnected and in the case that mental health support staff is needed to contact you if a topic comes up that is outside your scope.
All messages that are on Google voice which allows us to receive text messages and call while not giving out Advocate’s personal phone number. All messages will be promptly deleted after you leave the support hour.
How does privacy extend to Advocates receiving support for themselves?
To promote wellness of our PZ Advocates, we encourage them to ask for support when needed. Advocates are allowed to share thoughts and feelings, prioritizing “I” statements to licensed clinical professionals who remain confidential. In these spaces, no identifying details of the individual who came to PZ Advocates will be shared.
