D'Youville University First in U.S. to Launch New Confidential Reporting Tool for Students

BUFFALO, NEW YORK – D'Youville University is the first university in the United States to launch a new reporting option through Buffalo-based, REES (Respect, Educate, Empower Survivors) that connects students directly with a Confidential Advocate, expanding the ways students can safely seek support following sexual and gender-based violence.

The online platform, which launched this week, is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is designed to reduce barriers that may prevent students from reaching out for help. REES provides multiple options for disclosure while connecting students with confidential resources and information about support available both on campus and in the community.

"Creating a safe and supportive campus means making sure students know they have somewhere to turn when they need help," said Dr. Lorrie Clemo, president of D'Youville University. "By becoming the first university in the country to offer this new option through REES, we're giving students greater choice and control over how they seek support. This is another important step in our commitment to creating a campus community where every student feels supported, respected, and empowered."

A trauma-informed approach recognizes that individuals experience and process trauma differently. Rather than requiring someone to immediately navigate a formal reporting process, REES is designed to give students greater control over when and how they share their experience and connect with support.

For D'Youville, the platform will provide students with another direct avenue to reach a Confidential Advocate through the university's Wellness Lodge, where students can receive confidential support and learn about the resources and options available to them.

"We are proud to support the campus community at D'Youville University and work in collaboration with the Wellness Lodge," said Mary Lobson, founder and CEO of REES Technologies Inc. "We commend them on their leadership to foster a whole-of-campus approach to wellness and prevention that includes REES as an integral resource."

D'Youville began introducing the new resource to students during freshman orientation and will conduct a broader campus-wide informational rollout over the next two weeks. REES will also be incorporated into the university's ongoing Green Dot training throughout the academic year.

Green Dot at D'Youville is a campus-wide bystander intervention and violence prevention initiative operated through the Wellness Lodge. By incorporating REES into Green Dot and other campus education efforts, D'Youville aims to connect prevention, education, reporting, and support rather than treating them as separate initiatives.

D'Youville's ongoing commitment to fostering a safe, supportive, and violence-free campus is strengthened through support provided in part by the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), which helps advance prevention, education, reporting, advocacy, and survivor-centered support initiatives across the university.

REES works with higher education institutions to provide trauma-informed technology designed to reduce barriers to disclosure and improve access to support. Its platform provides centralized information and multiple reporting options intended to give individuals greater control over the disclosure process.

For more information about wellness, prevention, and support resources available at D'Youville University, visit dyu.edu.

About D’Youville University

D’Youville University is a nationally ranked private university founded in 1908 and headquartered in Buffalo, New York, which offers degrees in the health sciences, business and marketing. D’Youville University promotes a healthy mind, body, and spirit. Through transformational educational experiences, students are prepared for growth, career success, and upward mobility. For more information, visit dyu.edu.