Learn About AU’s Health Promotion and Advocacy Center

The Health Promotion and Advocacy Center (HPAC) may sound familiar to some people, but not to others, it may be a campus resource that you haven’t heard of, let’s change that! First off, what makes me qualified enough to write about HPAC? I’m currently doing my second year as a Peer Health Educator (PHE) at HPAC and I’m also one of two interns with the Office of Advocacy Services for Interpersonal and Sexual Violence (OASIS) – we’ll talk more about OASIS later as well. As PHEs our roles are to be advocates for the wellness services and education to my peers on campus. We engage in on-campus events, tabling, lead Empower AU sessions (AU’s mandatory consent and sexual violence prevention training), attend weekly classes, hear from staff and faculty from various AU departments and services, and complete 15 hours a month of AU community engagement hours.  

​But what role does HPAC have at American?

The official mission statement of HPAC is, “to provide students with wellness resources, to promote healthy lifestyles, reduce high-risk behaviors, and offer a safe, non-discriminatory environment.” But in simpler terms, HPAC’s staff members each play a particular role. Pritma “Mickey” Irizarry is the Director of HPAC. Students can go to Mickey for general information about HPAC, media inquiries, to create collaborations with HPAC or PHEs, and 1-on-1 consultations for sexual health, reproductive health, contraceptive options, or sleep health. Yoo-Jin Kang is the Coordinator for Alcohol and Other Drugs Initiative. Students can consult with Yoo-Jin on topics such as seeking information and/or resources about alcohol and drug use, post-transport meetings, learning about recovery resources, interest in bringing a program about alcohol or drugs to your classroom or organization, interest in self-care resources, or a self-care appointment. Val Tovar is the Sexual Assault Prevention Coordinator for OASIS. Appointments with Val can be made to discuss sexual assault awareness and prevention programming or collaboration, dating violence awareness and prevention programming, info about Empower AU or Step UP, self-care appointments, or secondary victim advocacy (for survivors or friends). Lastly, Michelle Dagne is the Coordinator for Victim Advocacy Services and the Primary OASIS Advocate. Michelle provides services for confidential victim advocacy (for survivors or friends), questions about Title IX, criminal justice reporting, or protection/protective orders, Title IX accompaniment, referrals to community and specialized resources, and self-care appointments. You can look here for more information and to book virtual appointments with any staff member. 

Overall, HPAC is a service meant to provide a wide variety of wellness services to students ranging from sexual assault prevention, trauma-informed advocacy services, alcohol and drug recovery, sexual wellness, and mental health wellness. In addition, in the physical office, located in Hughes 105, HPAC offers free condoms, internal condoms, flavored condoms, lube, menstruation products, and many informational pamphlets. HPAC also houses OASIS. OASIS provides free and confidential services to all students who are affected by sexual violence, interpersonal violence (dating or domestic violence), and stalking. The goal of advocacy is intended to “help survivors navigate their options and make informed decisions about their security, health, academic well-being, and the adjudication process.” Furthermore, just because you turn to OASIS does not mean you have to report an incident to the administration or to the police. It’s important to note here that HPAC and OASIS are not Title IX, HPAC and OASIS are survivor-focused and are meant to provide advocacy and support services while Title IX takes a more legal and investigative approach. However, OASIS advocates can attend Title IX meetings with students. 

I hope this may clarify any question you might have had about the services provided by HPAC or OASIS, what the role of each staff member is, how to book an appointment and the role of PHE’s in the AU community. I hope you all reach out to HPAC to book an appointment when/if you need and to learn more! 

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Photos: Her Campus Media

• health
• health and wellness
• mental health
• physical health