Our Victim Services Specialists and Director are confidential through UNC-Chapel Hill’s Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment and Related Misconduct.
Sharing information with our staff is not the same as making a report to the University Compliance Office or UNC Police. Learn more about reporting options.
We want to work closely with you to maintain privacy and confidentiality. The information you share with our staff will remain confidential, with the following exceptions listed below:
Exceptions to Confidentiality
- You express a high risk for suicide
- You express a high risk for violence toward others
- You share information regarding suspected child abuse and/or neglect by a parent, guardian, custodian, or caretaker
- You share information regarding suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of a disabled or elder adult by the caretaker
- You disclose that someone under the age of 18 experienced a violent offense, sexual offense, or misdemeanor child abuse and that incident occurred after December 1, 2019
- The University receives a lawfully issued subpoena or court order and is required to share information that you have disclosed; in this circumstance, and unless prohibited, the University will provide you with advance notice of this required disclosure
If we are required to share any information in the exceptions above, we will maintain the privacy of your information and share the minimum information necessary with individuals who need to know. Unless prohibited, we will let you know what information was shared, to whom it was shared, when it was shared, and any information known about possible next steps.
Release(s) of Information
If you would like our staff to speak with another individual, office, or agency at any point, we will ask you to sign a release of information. If we speak with another entity, we will share only the information included in the release to the designated individual, office, or agency. You may modify or rescind a release of information at any point by contacting the Victim Services Specialist(s) or the Director.
Bringing a Support Person
You are welcome to bring a trusted friend, loved one, or family member with you for support when we meet. If you do, we will ask you to sign a release of information to confirm their consent with the individual joining our meeting and confirm their involvement, if any, in future communications.
Questions?
We are happy to talk further about any of these exceptions or answer questions you might have about our reporting obligations before you choose to share any information. You may also choose to limit sharing personally identifying information, but it may limit the scope of services VPAS can provide.