About CST

The Confidential Support Team (CST) offers free and confidential support to Stanford students impacted by sexual assault and relationship violence, including domestic abuse, intimate partner abuse, stalking, and sexual or gender-based harassment and discrimination. CST can provide information about rights and reporting options, information about and help connecting with other resources on and off campus, brief emotional support, and ongoing individual counseling or therapy.

Return to the CST landing page here

Does this describe you or someone you know?

Time Sensitive Actions After an Assault

Are you unsure if your experience is sexual assault, harassment, or gender-based discrimination? Feeling distressed about a relationship but don’t know who to talk to? Do you need help with the reporting process or guidance on supporting someone else? CST can assist you. We offer information on time-sensitive actions you can take after an assault.

Learn about time sensitive actions after an assault here

CST's staff at the Sushi Solace program.

Meet the CST Team

You are not alone. Meet the members of the Confidential Support Team (CST) whom you can connect with during your personal journey through campus.

Connect With CST's Team Here

More Information About CST

The Confidential Support Team (CST) is a free resource and a centralized point of contact for guidance through university structures and processes. We offer a variety of supportive services to meet the diverse needs of impacted students. Additionally, we provide brief support and consultation for friends, family, faculty, staff, and other allies within the Stanford community who wish to assist impacted students.

Note: If you are concerned that someone involved in your situation may also be seen at CST, please let us know so that we can consider this in scheduling your appointment.

Schedule an initial consultation here

CST Initial Consult Visits are 30-60 minutes in length, depending on your needs. During the initial visit, your CST counselor will provide confidential emotional support and discuss your rights, as well as options, and resources related to reporting and available, including further counseling. Most importantly, your CST counselor will take a collaborative approach and will support you in making decisions about what next steps are best for you. This could include a plan for ensuring safety if needed or desired. You can end an initial visit at any point you choose.

Information about rights and reporting options
Brief emotional support (2-10 sessions that can include evaluating options, connecting with other resources, addressing safety, learning coping skills)
Assistance connecting to other on-and off-campus resources
Support and guidance in navigating systems and processes involved in sexual assault response:
- Forensic exams (i.e., SART or rape kit)
- Obtaining medical care
- Making reports to Title IX Office
- Reporting to police/SUDPS
- Seeking academic or residential accommodations
Evidence-based treatment for problems developing directly as a result of sexual or relationship violence, such as PTSD or Depression

Most commonly, CST supports students seeking information or help with distress related to sexual, intimate partner, gender-based violence, harassment, or discrimination:

That occurred during time as a Stanford student or as a participant in a Stanford summer program or other affiliated program; or
That occurred while in another student or similar role (e.g., graduate student who was assaulted during undergrad); or
That is exacerbated by campus-based factors (e.g., coursework, climate, media related to sexual assault).

Students named as respondents in a Title IX or police investigation, accused of perpetrating violence by peers where there is no Title IX involvement, or self-identifying non-consensual sexual acts;
Students or other community members seeking information or support related to secondary trauma or supporting another survivor;
Non-students who experience sexual or relationship violence on Stanford campus;
Faculty and staff with questions about reporting obligations or other aspects of supporting impacted students.

Students seeking support with other forms of traumatic experience or similar concerns are welcome to schedule an initial consultation to determine whether CST is the best fit and/or receive help in connecting with other trauma-informed resources and providers.

Appointments are intended to provide confidential support for students who have experienced violence as well as those who wish to help another survivor. CST also works with students who have been accused of these actions to help them understand their rights and options and provide emotional support and connection to appropriate resources. The CST is staffed by licensed psychologists and a licensed clinical social worker. There is no charge for Stanford students.

Same day appointments are available for urgent needs. Our latest appointment slots are generally at 4:00 p.m. to ensure that a student’s needs are met before the end of CST office hours.
For life-threatening emergencies call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. For non-emergency assistance call Stanford’s Confidential Support Team 24/7 Hotline at 650.725.9955.

December 2014: First confidential counselor hired
February 2015: Second confidential counselor hired
March 2015: The Psychiatry Department began providing support for confidential counselors
September 2015: Confidential Sexual Assault Counselors (CSAC) re-named Confidential Support Team (CST) and administrative associate hired
February 2016: Director started
December 2016: The third confidential counselor hired
September 2017: Moved to Kingscote Gardens

CST is here for you. On this page, you can find relevant location and contact details for us, as well as the various units that make up the suite of services and Vaden Health Services offers, support options, and hours of service. Learn More About Our Hours & Contact Details Here

What Does Confidential Mean?

CST prioritizes privacy and confidentiality. In other words, what’s said at CST stays at CST. This means that we do not share information with the SHARE Title IX Office or other campus authorities. Generally, we do not share information with law enforcement.

However, as licensed mental health professionals, we do have some legal limits to confidentiality:

We are obligated by law to report to law enforcement or child protective services if we suspect that a minor (someone under age 18) has been harmed or is at risk of being harmed. This generally occurs if a student who is under age 18 tells us they have experienced harm, such as a sexual assault. If a student who is 18 years or older tells us about harm they experienced as a child, we are only required to report it if there is currently a child or children being harmed or at risk of being harmed. See here for more information about child abuse reporting in California.
We are legally required to report to Adult Protective Services any concerns that an older adult (60 years and older) or dependent adult (18-59 who is disabled) is being harmed or is at imminent risk of harm.
We are legally required to protect the intended victim if a client or someone close to the client tells us that the client is planning to kill or seriously hurt another person. In that situation, we must report it to law enforcement and attempt to warn the person. This obligation is referred to as the Tarasoff Statute.

Your counselor will talk with you about these limits to confidentiality at your initial session, and we encourage you to ask questions about any concerns you have.

One of the biggest concerns we hear from students is that they are afraid they will be hospitalized if they mention thoughts about suicide or self-harm. These are very common experiences during times of stress, and we know that most individuals will not act on these thoughts. However, we always take them seriously. The first step is to talk about a plan for safety and to work collaboratively with the student to ensure they can remain safe. In very rare cases, the plan for staying safety could include reaching out to others on campus and/or a hospital evaluation. We do our best to involve the student in this process and always take other steps and try other options before reaching this last resort.