Student Support and Services
UHV Counseling Center, Health & Wellness
UHV Counseling Center (UCC) offers a broad range of student-focused, short-term, episodic services, including counseling, assessment, consultation, and outreach. UCC also houses the VIP Program and Jags for Life, which are focused on reducing interpersonal violence on campus and preventing suicide, respectively. Our mission is to work to empower college students to be capable adults responsible for their own wellbeing, to maturely choose how, when, and even if to address behaviors that may negatively impact their academic performance and quality of life. Our services are designed to support students as they adjust to challenges and transitions as well as to help faculty, administration, and staff function more effectively in their work with all UHV students. Through our endeavors, we support the educational mission of UHV and facilitate mutual respect and understanding among people of diverse backgrounds.
Currently enrolled UHV students in the Victoria-area can access counseling services on the Victoria campus. UHV students located in the Houston-area can access counseling center services through UT Health Science Center. Please see the Counseling Center to make an appointment and learn more.
Victim Intervention and Prevention (VIP)
The VIP Program is housed within UHV Counseling Center with the distinct purpose of providing prevention and intervention services for any student who has been affected by interpersonal violence, specifically dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Any student may contact the Confidential Advisor (361-570-4135) to discuss issues related to interpersonal violence, whether they occurred in the past or have occurred recently.
The following are definitions and descriptions of different forms of interpersonal violence:
-
Dating violence is a pattern of destructive behaviors used to exert power and control over a dating partner. It usually involves a series of abusive behaviors over the course of time.
These are warning signs of dating violence:
- Checking your cell phone or e-mail without permission
- Constantly putting you down
- Extreme jealousy or insecurity
- Explosive temper
- Isolating you from family or friends
- Making false accusations
- Physically hurting you in any way
- Possessiveness
- Telling you want to do
- Domestic violence, also called spouse abuse, family violence, domestic abuse, or intimate partner violence is a pattern of behaviors used by one partner to maintain power and control over another partner in an intimate relationship. Domestic violence includes behaviors that physically harm, arouse fear, prevent a partner from doing what they wish or force them to behave in ways they do not want. It includes the use of physical and sexual violence, threats and intimidation, emotional abuse and economic deprivation (Domestic Abuse Hotline). The warning signs are similar to those stated above for dating violence, but may also include:
- Insulting, demeaning or shaming you with put-downs
- Controlling all the money spent in the household
- Telling you that you are a bad parent, or threatening to take the kids away
- Controlling where you go, who you see, or what you do
- Telling you that you can never do anything right
- Destroying property or threatening to hurt or kill your pets
- Intimidating you with guns, knives or other weapons
- Sexual assault is any unwanted sexual contact against any individual by another using manipulation, pressure, coercion or physical force, without the person's consent (http://taasa.org/). On college campuses, the majority of rape and sexual assault victims are victimized by someone they know. Ninety-five (95%) of rapes occur when the rapist, victim or both are under th einfluence of alcohol. Sexual assault is also taking advantage of someone who is unable to give consent due to:
- Age - less than 17 years old
- Mental impairment
- Being under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Being unconscious
- Stalking can be defined as a pattern of repeated and unwanted attention, harassment, contact, or any other course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear. Additional information can be found at The United States Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).