THE VICTIM EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM (VEP) The Victim Empowerment Program provides free and confidential services to assist students, faculty, staff and University visitors who have experienced actual or threatened violence. Specially trained counselors provide victim advocacy and comprehensive supportive services to help overcome the effects of trauma from violence, including (but not limited to): assault; battery; relationship abuse (physical, verbal and/or emotional); sexual and/or attempted sexual battery (acquaintance rape, date rape, stranger rape and molestation); stalking (repeated following or harassment); and hate and/or property crimes. Victim advocates support and inform victims of their right to report all offenses to police. However, police reports are not required to receive services. The Victim Empowerment Program’s role is to provide emotional support and resources to help overcome the effect of the incident(s) and help students be successful in their academic pursuits. VEP provides the following services… •
24-hour crisis support, information, referrals and advocacy
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Supportive crisis counseling to individuals who have been recently victimized
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Assistance with exploration of options and accessing community resources
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Accompaniment to court, meetings, hearings and depositions involving the criminal justice system or FIU student conduct process
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Help facilitating academic accommodations, if needed
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Annual Security and Fire Safety Report 2021