The SHARPP Center @ Law

A crisis is a time in which someone may feel overwhelmed as a result of the circumstances they are in or a challenging emotional experience. This can be common for individuals who have experienced interpersonal violence. Crises may happen in the moments, hours, and days after violence occurs, and can happen repeatedly throughout someone's life due to various factors, such as memories of their experience being reactivated.

The SHARPP Center's advocates can support survivors in times of crisis by aiming to help them regain a sense of control and balance. In these moments an advocate can provide space to sort through feelings, thoughts, and emotions, as well as helping to identify or strengthen coping skills and discuss options.

Through the 24-hour support line, office and virtual visits, and text/online chat services, The SHARPP Center strives to provide support whenever a survivor needs it (see below for contact details).

Experiencing interpersonal violence can impact someone's feelings of emotional and physical safety. The SHARPP Center's advocates can help survivors identify what would help them feel safer, and to connect to resources to help make these happen. Advocates approach safety planning as an individualized conversation to address the unique safety needs of each individual. Safety planning is a process of exploring possible choices and outcomes and supporting the survivor to develop the plan that feels safest for them. Safety planning may look like exploring current housing arrangements, class or work schedules, support available from family, friends or partners, and resources available in the community. The SHARPP Center views safety planning as an integral part of all of the services we offer rather than a distinct service, which means that as advocates provide advocacy and support in other areas, they will often talk about how those options may impact an individual survivor's feelings of safety.

Additional Safety Planning Resources:

• SPARC (Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center) Stalking Safety Strategies 
• Safety Planning around Technology
• SPARC Documentation Logs
• Stalking and Harassment Self-Assessment Tool
• Interactive Safety Planning Tool
• Safety & Prevention as a Bystander

If you would like to explore these options, discuss your self-assessment results, or review any safety planning questions with an advocate from The SHARPP Center, book a confidential appointment with Caroline Young, Expanded Services Coordinator.

For UNH Law students, faculty, and staff who have experienced violence perpetrated by another UNH community member, The SHARPP Center's advocates can help make sense of and pursue options through the University. This may include connecting them with the Civil Rights and Equity Office (CREO) to request supportive measures such as academic accommodations or to pursue a formal university process. The SHARPP Center's advocates can provide information about what these processes may look like and can accompany a survivor to meetings, interviews, and hearings.

Additionally, surviving a traumatic event like sexual or relationship violence can impact many aspects of our lives, including academic success.

The SHARPP Center may be able to provide assistance if a survivor finds they are having trouble keeping up with coursework, studying for tests, or completing assignments on time. The SHARPP Center can coordinate with CREO to request a Dean’s Letter. This is a general letter that communicates a student is experiencing challenging circumstances, without identifying what happened. Through the letters, professors will be asked to give consideration to students in their coursework, though it is important to know that this does not serve to excuse absences or late/missing assignments. The purpose of the letter is to facilitate recovery of the student survivor with minimal impact on their academic achievement. After the letters have been sent, students are encouraged to work directly with their professors to address their individual needs.

While every survivor’s story is different, there are many resources throughout the UNH Law and local communities that can aid in an individual's healing process. The SHARPP Center’s focus on interpersonal violence provides the community with advocates who are aware of the many resources available to survivors that someone may want to utilize. Advocates can help connect someone to the resources they need, but may not already be aware of, including Crisis Center of Central New Hampshire, or CCCNH, (Merrimack County) or other crisis centers and resources that are local to where survivors live, work, etc.

To find other resources in your state or area:

• NHCADSV (New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence) - to find your NH county's crisis center
• SPARC (Stalking Prevention, Awareness, & Resource Center)
• National Domestic Violence Hotline
• NSVRC (National Sexual Violence Resource Center)
• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)
  • Use this tool to find your local crisis center outside of NH