Survivor Support Allies

What is the Survivor Support Ally Program?
The Survivor Support Allies program creates a culture of support for survivors of gender-based harassment & violence by serving as a visible resource for student disclosures and relaying new information to their colleagues and classrooms.

What are the learning outcomes?
Survivor Support Allies are trained to respond positively to disclosures, provide compassionate support, and share knowledge about campus options and resources for survivors.

What is the purpose of the Ally program?
Our purpose is to create a cohort of faculty and staff across campus who will receive in-depth and ongoing education on how to support survivors of gender-based harassment & violence. The creation of this program is in response to the need faculty and staff have expressed for increased training on how to respond to disclosures, appropriately report, and engage campus & community resources.

How do I become an Survivor Support Ally?
Those interested in becoming a Survivor Support Ally must attend three 90 minute trainings within the academic year. The two initial trainings include:

  • Title IX Reporting and Resources – Focuses on roles within the university as it relates to Title IX.
  • Supporting Survivors 101 – Focuses on patterns of gender-based violence, how to respond to disclosures of violence, and an overview of Elon’s prevention efforts.

After completing the initial training, participants will be asked to attend one ongoing training opportunity each semester which will be deeper dives into gender-based violence response and prevention. Topics could include, but are not limited to:

  • Intimate partner violence
  • Cyberstalking
  • Supporting survivors with minoritized identities (African American, disabilities, LGBTQ)
  • Ways to interrupt sexist and homophobic language, etc.

At least two opportunities will be offered each semester in either in-person training and online/webinar formats. Ongoing training requirements must be completed each year to keep the SSA certification up to date. Each ongoing training will range between 1.5–2 hours.

For more information on how to become a Survivor Support Ally please e-mail Becca Bishopric Patterson at bbishopric@elon.edu.