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SAEPP hires new employee to coordinate with YWCA

Morgan Kovacs, News Editor

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During a time when one in four college women are sexually assaulted, the University of Toledo’s Sexual Assault Education and Prevention Program continues to expand to help battle this problem This past June SAEPP added a new campus sexual assault support advocate, Jamie Wlosowicz, to their team.
“The mission of SAEPP is to create a campus community free of abuse, harassment, and other forms of sexual and intimate partner violence,” said the SAEPP page on the UToledo website.
Wlosowicz began her campus advocacy at other schools in March and had an internship at the Toledo YWCA in the Domestic Violence Shelter and HOPE Center, which is represented by the teal ribbon for domestic violence.
“Wlosowicz is actually an employee of the YWCA Hope Center, a local rape crisis center,” said Stanley Edwards, director of the University Counseling center. “Jamie is working with us through a grant through the HOPE Center.”
Wlosowicz said she has been trained since her sophomore year of undergrad in rape crisis counseling and has practiced campus advocacy throughout the rest of her college years.
“In my undergrad, I saw a posting that the Wood County Rape Crisis (SAAFE Center) was doing training, and this was something I never thought of doing before, but immediately became interested in,” Wlosowicz said.
Edwards said that her main role at UT will be campus advocacy. She plans to touch base with as many campus groups and organizations as possible. Wlosowicz said her goals are to be a friendly face in instances where sexual assault has occurred as well as spread awareness on campus..
“I plan to attend the First Year Experience courses and other classrooms that I am invited in to, to shed some light on this significant issue.” Wlosowicz said. “SAEPP does a lot of great educational and awareness events, I would like to bring this to the classroom to ensure students are hearing me.”
Along with spreading awareness, Wlosowicz said she will guide students in the event of sexual assault.
“I will work with students after an assault to assist them when they want to file through Title IX for accommodations and will also assist them through the criminal route if that is what they would like to pursue,” Wlosowicz said. “I support them in court, through protection orders.”
Wlosowicz’s grant is renewed yearly and has already been renewed for the next year. Wlosowicz said that because she is technically employed and financially supported by the YWCA, she brings a unique angle to SAEPP.
“One thing I can bring to SAEPP that has not been there, is a confidential resource,” Wlosowicz said. “I provide victims and secondary victims with the support and resources that they need in a safe and confidential manor. Since I am not an employee of UT, and I am here from the Rape Crisis center, I am completely confidential.”
Along with working at UT, she also works closely with other local colleges such as Lourdes, Owens, Davis and Mercy. However, Wlosowicz will be spending majority of her time on UT’s campus and plans to be there Monday through Thursday this upcoming year.
She said she plans to continue assisting the community as a whole as well as UT.
“I also still serve community members.” Wlosowicz said. “Meaning I am not only working to spread awareness and advocate for survivors on campus, but I still meet victims in the hospital when they are going through a rape kit, talking to doctors, police and detective interviews.”
The SAEPP program is housed in the UT Counseling Center which is located in Rocket Hall room 1810. Wlosowicz will post upcoming events and other information on her Instagram and Twitter at HOPEatUT.

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Serving the University of Toledo community since 1919.
SAEPP hires new employee to coordinate with YWCA