LiveWell would love to connect with you. The easiest way to schedule appointments is on our website on the individual service page, or on our one-on-one appointments page. Additional contact information may be found below.
All media inquiries and general questions can be sent to livewell@uw.edu
Each year, as we approach the end of spring quarter and recognize Mental Health Awareness Month, LiveWell and our university partners present the “Stick with It, Stick Together” campaign.
This campaign is designed to cultivate a sense of connection, support, and resilience. Through interactive sticky note stations placed across campus, all UW community members are invited to leave messages of encouragement, positivity, and hope. These messages serve as powerful reminders that we are not alone, it’s okay to ask for help, and that every one of us matters.
Why “Stick with It, Stick Together”?
Stick with It: A reminder to practice resilience, foster hope, and seek support when need for mental health, especially when facing life’s challenges.
Stick Together: Highlights the strength found in community and the importance of mutual support in maintaining mental wellness.
Goals
Cultivate connection: Strengthen community ties by encouraging open dialogue and visible support.
Support community: Offer information about accessible mental health resources and build an environment of care.
Foster hope: Remind each other of our collective strength and the importance of supporting one another, especially during challenging times.
How it works
Sticky note stations: Share and read uplifting messages at interactive stations located around campus. Informational brochures, cards, and handouts about mental health resources will also be available at the stations.
Tabling and resources: Visit our informational tables to access information about mental health resources, learn more about mental health, and strategies to build community.
Online engagement: Follow LiveWell on Instagram for helpful facts, inspiring messages, and ways to cultivate mental wellness.
Join us in spreading kindness, resilience, and hope. Connection builds community, and community keeps us going. Share a note, foster hope.
If you are interested in hosting a sticky note station or materials, please email lwevents@uw.edu.
Sexual Assault Exam
Sexual assault exam
How do I get an exam to collect evidence after a sexual assault?
There are licensed medical professionals who undergo specific training to perform forensic evidence collection after sexual abuse or sexual assault; they are usually called Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE), or in other states they may be known as Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners (SAFE) or Sexual Assault Examiners (SAE).
SANE exams are conducted in hospitals to collect and preserve evidence after a sexual assault. You do not need to decide if you want to press charges before having a SANE exam; a SANE exam is separate from making a police report. The evidence can be collected and saved, whether you decide to make a report or not.
Where can I receive a Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Collection Exam (also called a SANE exam or a Rape Kit)?
If you or someone you know needs a SANE exam after a sexual assault, they are provided for free at any of these locations:
If you have been sexually assaulted, try to avoid doing any of the following before seeking help:
Taking a bath or shower
Using the toilet
Changing clothes
Combing your hair
Cleaning up the area where you were assaulted
It is normal to want to wash away the experience. However, it’s important to recognize that doing so may reduce the likelihood that evidence will be usable, if it can still be collected. Having done any of these things does not mean a SANE exam can’t be performed, it may just collect less evidence.
If you have to change your clothes before seeking care, put them and any other items you had on you in a paper bag in order to protect any evidence on them. You can, and should, bring a change of clothes to the hospital for after the exam if that will make you feel better.
Ideally, a SANE exam would be performed within 72 hours of the assault. This increases the likelihood that any DNA evidence will be preserved. However, if it is been longer than that, you can still request an exam. There are types of evidence that can still be useful even after 72 hours.
If you have an exam, it will likely take at least a few hours. The exam itself takes a significant amount of time. In addition, they may need to call an examiner and/or an advocate who is not on site.
At-home sexual assault exam kits
In the past several years there has been a surge of companies across the nation advertising the sale of “DIY evidence kits” or “at-home sexual assault exams” to universities and students. Advocates, sexual health professionals, and even State Attorney General’s across the country have worked diligently to try and prevent the sale of these kits. Many states were able to provide cease and desist actions against the advertising of these kits to their respective universities and some successfully banned their sale. These at home kits are not able to guarantee the admissibility or reliability of evidence collected from their kits.
It is every student’s right to be informed about and to receive professional medical services after an incident of sexual assault. Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners are specifically trained, licensed medical professionals who can provide a variety of medical services after a sexual assault, including the forensic collection of evidence. SANE exams are subject to HIPAA laws to protect a survivor’s privacy.
Talk to a Confidential Advocate
Students, faculty, and staff who have experienced a sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking or relationship violence can meet with a UW LiveWell Confidential Advocate to understand options for reporting, safety planning, SANE exams, and to get connected to other resources for healing and safety.
The Huskies Don’t Cancel educational campaign aims to:
Educate and encourage the principles that support democracy
Challenge cancel culture and encourage values that create a healthier community culture about conflict and difference
Teach vital communication and interpersonal effectiveness skills that help us navigate difficult conversations effectively
A FIRE 2024 survey shows that 56% of students surveyed were concerned about facing scrutiny or damage to their reputation because of someone misinterpreting their words or actions. In an ever changing political climate, students have the power to develop skills to engage in civil discourse, recognize their personal biases, approach difference of opinion with intellectual curiosity, and navigate media as informed citizens. Having the skills to navigate conflict is crucial to health, fulfilling social relationships, building intimacy, and strengthening our interpersonal intelligence.
LiveWell launched the Huskies Don’t Cancel campaign in autumn 2024, centered on:
Huskies Don’t Cancel posters (electronic and print)
Huskies Don’t Cancel Pledge Challenge
Difficult Conversations workshop
In ongoing commitment to supporting our UW community in participating in democracy and engaging effectively in difficult conversations, LiveWell offers the following services and resources.
Peer Health Education workshops
LiveWell offers educational workshops, facilitated by Peer Health Educators, on topics including:
Difficult Conversations
Media Literacy
Healthy Relationships
Peer Wellness Coaching
Peer Wellness Coaches are always here to support students in a free 1-1 setting with any social-emotional skills students want to develop such as managing conflict, building relationships, and navigating political discourse.
Posters
Download Huskies Don’t Cancel digital posters via the button below. For physical copies of these posters or Huskies Don’t Cancel stickers for pick-up in our office, please email lwphe@uw.edu.
These images and content belong to UW LiveWell and should not be altered or changed without written permission. Any inquiries can be directed to LiveWell’s Assistant Director at lwphe@uw.edu.
The Huskies Don’t Cancel campaign was created by UW LiveWell’s Peer Health Educators and the Assistant Director of LiveWell. Karen Mulholland is the brilliant designer and creator of the poster campaign for Huskies Don’t Cancel.
Huskies Vote! (CELE Center): multiple resources on voting and voter education for all students, regardless of residency
2024 College Free Speech Rankings: FIRE, or the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, is a bipartisan organization that advocates for free speech and its importance to democracy. Their 2024 report is on the state of free speech on college campuses and what students can do to contribute to a campus culture that values diversity of ideas and productive disagreement.
EmBARK on a movement challenge this spring with your fellow Huskies!
The Third Annual Great Husky Race (est. 2021) is upon us! This year we make an expedition through the Pacific Northwest (race route below). Individuals or teams of up to four can combine their daily miles to “travel” from Spokane to La Push.During this race, foster a sense of community at the UW with your team and other participating Huskies and learn some tips and tricks for nurturing your health and well-being.
LiveWell is happy to collaborate with the Residential Community Student Association (RCSA) to offer The Great Husky Race this year. RCSA offers a whole month of wellness activities and events from April 21-May 17, open to Housing & Food Services residents.
What is The Great Husky Race?
The Great Husky Race is a team movement challenge from April 21 to May 15.
You can walk, jog, run, wheelchair, or skip to get your movement tracked by the device of your choice (watch, phone app, etc.).
Each week, you will submit how many miles you walked, ran, or wheel-chaired. Then our Peer Health Educator team will add up the miles your Great Husky Race team traveled, so that weekly totals and progress of your team can be announced.
Celebrate all your hard work with us at the Award Ceremony on May 17 (time TBA) after the Purple & Gold Rush 5K led by RCSA.
To finish the whole route (558 miles) by the end of the race, each member of a team of four will have to move at least 5 miles/day. For a team of three, each member will have to move at least 6.5 miles/day.
Marker 1: Leavenworth: 193 miles
Marker 2: Seattle: 327 miles
Marker 3: Tacoma: 361 miles
Marker 4: Olympia: 391 miles
Marker 5: Forks: 543 miles
Marker 6: La Push: 558 miles
Bonus Challenge: Finish in Seattle! +231 miles after La Push = 764 miles total
How do I participate?
If you are interested in participating but do not have a team:
We will assign you to a team with other people who also register individually.
If you are interested in registering as a team (of up to four members):
Please have one team member fill out the form and mention each other’s names.
There are a variety of apps you can use to track your movement. For starters, the Health app on iPhones automatically logs all your movement throughout the day, so for a low-stress way of tracking your mileage, this is your best bet.
Instructions of how to set up iPhone mileage tracking:
Open the health app and go to the summary page.
Click “edit” in the top right hand corner.
Click the star next to “Walking + Running Distance”, under the activity category.
That’s it! Keep track of your daily/weekly miles and let your designated Peer Health Educator know your weekly total at the end of the week!
Alternatively, you could install an app to record your physical activity manually, including:
the leading cause of death in the United States is heart disease and is directly correlated with increased rates of physical inactivity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity
movement and belonging have been shown to be two of the most effective ways to manage anxiety, depression, stress, and loneliness
By moving our bodies and engaging with others in our pack, we can take care of our bodies and minds. Let’s put on our hiking boots, crocs, or slippers, tie our shoes, and get ready to race!
Our inspiration for The Great Husky Race
“In January 1925 an outbreak of diphtheria threatened to wipeout the town of Nome, Alaska, sparking fears that an epidemic would spread and kill thousands if antitoxin medicine was not supplied. The antitoxin could only be delivered by dogsled across a portion of the Iditarod Trail, the only route accessible for transporting goods during the harsh winters. A heroic relay of Husky dog teams transported the antitoxin across the 674 mile trail from Nenana to Nome braving gale force winds, -85 degree temperatures, and whiteout conditions across the remote Alaskan Interior. The life-saving serum was delivered to Nome in a record-breaking 127.5 hours, without a single broken vial. This came to be known as the 1925 Serum Run. Many aspects of this journey are commemorated annually in the Iditarod dog sled race.”
It is in the spirit of the 1925 Serum Run that Peer Health Educators first built The Great Husky Race and offered it as a movement challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about the history of the 1925 Serum Run (The Great Race of Mercy) run by Togo and Balto.
Togo, one of the heroic huskies from The Great Race of Mercy.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)
About SAAM
Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) is recognized nationally every April to raise awareness about sexual and gender-based violence through education, prevention, and survivor support. Sexual and gender-based violence includes a range of harmful behaviors, including, but not limited to sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, and sexual harassment.
Join us throughout April for a series of events, activities, and programs designed to empower individuals and strengthen our community in our mission to end sexual and gender-based violence.
Events
Special Event: Take Back the Night
LiveWell and SARVA Wednesday, April 23rd, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Husky Union Building (HUB) North Ballroom, 4001 E Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA 98195 Take Back the Night Event RSVP Join us in supporting survivors and helping to end sexual and gender-based violence with our empowering keynote and student speakers, an inspiring student-created art exhibit, and a beautiful candlelight vigil honoring survivors. Learn about resources available for survivors and how you can make a difference. For fraternity and sorority members, this event counts towards your IPV recognition requirement. FREE dinner and refreshments are provided.
Please RSVP by Friday, April 18th so we can have accurate count for food, refreshments, and seating.
Keynote Speaker: Lori Bednarchik, PhD, MPH Dr. Lori Bednarchik is an award-winning college professor and program developer; a professional speaker, and sex[ual communication] enthusiast. For the past 10 years, she has worked closely with athletes, fraternity men, and college students across the country, challenging the norms surrounding relationships, consent, and sex. In the age of #MeToo and #TimesUp, and an increasingly divided discussion of sexual misconduct, she is a refreshing, uncensored, uninhibited, and positive voice.
Lori holds a PhD in Human Communication from Arizona State University, an MPH in Health Education and Health Promotion, and BA in English and Gender Studies from The University of Maryland. She lectures at Arizona State University, San Diego State University, California State University at San Marcos…among other universities. Previously, she worked as a Health Educator at San Diego State University where she created several award-winning programs on bystander intervention education, and alcohol risk-reduction. She also re-designed and facilitated a Peer Health Education Program specifically for fraternity men called FratMANers (Fraternity Men Against Negative Environments and Rape Situations). She trained over 150 fraternity men to be advocates on campus, educating their brothers and peers about sexual violence against women and how they can be part of the solution.
History of Take Back the Night
Take Back the Night (TBTN) is a global movement to end sexual violence. It began in 1975 when women in Philadelphia held a demonstration after the murder of Susan Alexander Speeth. Similar protests emerged in Germany and England, and in 1976, a nighttime march at the International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women in Brussels helped internationalize the movement.
Founded in 2001, the Take Back the Night Foundation (TBTNF) provides survivors with resources, event support, and legal aid. Today, TBTN events worldwide—including marches, vigils, and educational workshops—continue to drive legislative change, support survivors, and work toward ending sexual violence.
We are thrilled to bring back this empowering event to the University of Washington since it was lasted hosted in 2011!
SARVA and LiveWell Survivor Love Letters
SARVA and LiveWell Visit one of our tabling events throughout the month to receive information about SARVA, LiveWell, and ways you can prevent sexual and gender-based violence and support survivors. Also, you will have the opportunity to write anonymous letters of support for survivors visiting local survivor support centers.
SARVA and the ASUW Black Student Commission Monday, April 14th, 5:00 – 7:30 PM Husky Union Building (HUB) 337, 4001 E Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA 98195 Candle Making Event RSVP Join SARVA and your fellow huskies to build community and practice self-care while creating candles together. RSVP required!
Self-Defense Classes
SARVA Monday, April 28th, 1:00 – 2:00 PM Tuesday, April 29th, 1:00 – 2:00 PM University of Washington Intramural Activities Building (IMA) Mat Room A, 3924 Montlake Blvd NE, Seattle, WA 98195 Self-Defense Classes RSVP Join one of two SARVA’s Self-Defense Classes at the IMA. RSVP required!
Denim Day Fashion Show
SARVA and MESH Wednesday, April 30th, 12:20 – 12:30 PM Red Square, 4063 Spokane Ln, Seattle, WA 98105 Dress in denim in solidarity with survivors and come see SARVA and MESH’s Denim Day Fashion Show! This annual day of action and awareness is an event in which people are encouraged to wear denim to combat victim blaming and educate others about sexual violence.
Denim Day was originally created in response to a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court where a conviction was overturned because the justices felt that since the survivor was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped her perpetrator remove her jeans, thereby implying consent. Women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans the following day in solidarity with the survivor. More info at https://denimday.org/ and https://www.peaceoverviolence.org/denim-day.
University of Washington Resources
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual or gender-based violence, you may wish to seek our resources or support. The resources below provide guidance on how to navigate these situations and provide support while respecting a survivor’s privacy.
The LiveWell Center for Advocacy and Health Promotion is a dedicated unit of professionals who believe in the impact of health promotion, advocacy, and education. The team works collaboratively to deliver effective educational programming and intervention services to students at the University of Washington. Their goal is to foster a community where individual agency is powered to positively impact health and well-being in our communities and in our own lives. LiveWell is committed to raising awareness, promoting community and accountability, and teaching lifelong practices for health and well-being.
Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence Activists (SARVA) is a student-led entity of the Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW) dedicated to combating sexual assault and relationship violence in the UW community. We serve as liaisons between the student body and institutional resources, providing advocacy, education, and programming for survivors and allies. SARVA works to raise awareness, dispel myths, and foster open discussions about sexual assault and relationship violence. Through activism and education, we aim to create a sex-positive culture while advocating for survivors and providing vital support to the UW community.
Questions?
If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please email lwevents@uw.edu.
Check-in with yourself
Check-in with yourself
Check-in with yourself is a FREE web-based tool that can be accessed 24/7. The tool was developed by behavioral health experts at the UW and was designed to be a private, personal, self-check in for young adults ages 18-29 in Washington state.
Cannabis eCHECKUP TO GO (eCHECKUP) is a confidential, online self-assessment tool that allows you to enter information about your cannabis use patterns and receive personalized feedback about your use. It enables you to compare your use to other college students, gives you accurate information about cannabis use norms, and discusses individual behaviors and helpful strategies to minimize unwanted effects of use.
Alcohol eCHECKUP TO GO (eCHECKUP) is a confidential, online self-assessment tool that allows you to enter information about your drinking patterns and receive personalized feedback about your alcohol use. It enables you to compare your drinking patterns to other college students, gives you accurate information about drinking norms, and discusses individual behaviors and helpful strategies whether you choose to drink or not.
If completing eCHECKUP as a new UW student going through Advising & Orientation:
Complete eCHECKUP in one sitting; go through all INPUT and FEEDBACK pages. On the final FEEDBACK page, click “Verify Completion,” and follow the on-screen instructions. Nothing you enter into the program is tied to your verification; it remains separated from any personal identifiers.
If you do not complete the program and the verification at the end, you may be required to re-complete.
The Alcohol eCHECKUP is an evidence-based, personalized online alcohol intervention. This NASPA-recognized program has demonstrated significant reductions in destructive alcohol use among college students. The program is individually tailored to each campus & community and can be used with students at both the individual and population-levels.
Why do all incoming new students take it?
eCHECKUP meets the Federal compliance guidelines for Drug Free Schools and Community Act and is required at the UW for all incoming UW students through First Year Programs Orientation in partnership with LiveWell.
The Body Project
The Body Project
What is it?
The Body Project is a 4-week evidence-based program designed to increase body acceptance and decrease body dissatisfaction. It is run as a group where we confront, discuss, and fight against appearance ideals pressed upon us by society and social media.
The Body Project is FREE and offered in collaboration from UW LiveWell and the UW Counseling Center. This group is facilitated by trained Peer Health Educators from UW LiveWell. This is NOT a therapy group; it is a prevention based educational group.
All groups are open to all eligible students, regardless of race, sex, or other identity.
What is my commitment?
Participants engage in dialogue with each other in small groups of 6-8 people and are expected to attend all four sessions. Groups will have weekly 1-hour sessions for four weeks. There are “at-home exercises” participants are expected to complete on their own between sessions, that we then share and discuss in group. We ask that all members speak in group and take up space, as our shared reflections and engagement build the strength of the group.
Who is this for?
Anyone experiencing body dissatisfaction (which we know is the majority of adults). If you feel that your relationship with your body could be better, then this group is for you!
83% of women and 74% of men report being dissatisfied with how their bodies look, and for younger adults it’s 86% of those aged 18-34 that report dissatisfaction. Additionally, the Trevor Project shared high rates of body dissatisfaction for non-binary and transgender folks with 90% of those surveyed expressing dissatisfaction with their bodies.
How do I sign-up?
Sign-up by April 18 for Spring 2025 groups at the link below. If none of the group times work for you, please add your name to The Body Project future interest list and we’ll send you an email when we open groups for Autumn 2025.
“Thank you for facilitating a beautiful environment that feels safe enough to explore damaging costs of pursuing the thin ideal and expressing body image issues. This experience has been invaluable.”
Anonymous Student
“Thank you so much for initiating this group and crating a safe space for those important conversations! The facilitators did an excellent job fostering an open, non-judgmental environment that allowed for honest discussion. Their approach was both supportive and insightful, making it easier to share and learn from one another.”
Leo L.
“I loved it. I wished it was longer, but all good things must come to an end. It helped so much to focus on myself (truly and shamelessly) rather than on what is on trend or considered pretty right now.”
