SafeCampus

About SafeCampus

SafeCampus’ mission is to foster a safe and supportive UW community. We strive to help faculty, staff, and students prevent violence and be prepared to respond when it occurs.

With SafeCampus, you have support. Call SafeCampus — no matter where you work or study — to anonymously discuss safety and well-being concerns for yourself or others. We serve all of the UW.

We’ll listen to your concerns and provide individualized care, support, and safety plans tailored to your situation. Our caring, trained professionals will talk you through your options and connect you with additional resources when requested.

All calls are private. You can call us anonymously and choose to share as much or as little information as you want.

Our approach and philosophy

SafeCampus values each individual’s identity when we offer support, safety planning and resource options. SafeCampus considers how a person’s self-identified culture, sexual orientation, gender, race, immigration status or ability may impact their experience with violence or threats of violence. We know there’s no one-size-fits-all model for violence prevention, so we adapt our response to the needs of the individuals involved in any situation.

What is threat assessment?

SafeCampus uses threat assessment to determine how best to respond to a situation. Threat assessment is a way to evaluate and reduce the potential threat toward an individual or an institution. Threat assessment uses strategic tools to interrupt a person who’s on the path to committing extreme violence. It’s a collaborative process: We work with key partners in prevention to create safer communities for all.

What types of calls do you get?

We support people who have concerns about relationship violence, stalking, cyberstalking, harassment, threats, escalating conflicts at school or work, and suicidal indicators. People also call us when there isn’t a specific safety concern yet, but the witnessed behavior is concerning, erratic or just doesn’t feel right. If you have a gut feeling that something is “off,” a situation is escalating, someone may be in danger, or you just want to consult with someone, call us.

Who do you get calls from?

We receive calls from students, faculty, staff and community members who have noticed or are aware of concerning behavior. We can work with individuals no matter where they are located. The concern can be about another member of the UW community or a member of the public, a patient, an intimate partner or a family member.

Where do I start if I have a concern?

SafeCampus is the place to start! Our Violence Prevention and Response Specialists are trained to take your call, connect you with resources, and put safety measures in place to reduce the chances of violence occurring. If we’re not the right resource for you, we can connect you to additional UW and community resources that might be a better fit.

How do I consult about a concerning situation?

Call 206-685-7233 to talk with one of our specialists. You can also email us at safecampus@uw.edu. (Our email is monitored 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; you will reach someone faster by phone.)

What hours can I call?

SafeCampus answers calls and emails Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. PT. You will reach a SafeCampus employee directly. If we do not answer we are on another call, please leave a message, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. 

Between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m., UW holidays, & weekends,  you will be routed to our voicemail and a SafeCampus employee will reach out the next business day. Please leave your contact information. If you are in immediate need, please see our after-hours resource guide for support.

What is your relationship with the police?

For information about how SafeCampus relates with the police, see our FAQ.