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How to Make a Report of Sexual Harassment and Notice of Nondiscrimination

Nondiscrimination and Filing a Grievance

UC Merced Student Health Services is committed to treating each community member with respect and dignity.

Section 1557 Notice of Nondiscrimination

UC Merced complies with all applicable federal civil rights laws, including Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (Section 1557).  UC Merced cannot discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin (including limited English proficiency and primary language), age, disability, or sex.

In compliance with Section 1557 and other federal civil rights laws, UC Merced provides individuals the following in a timely manner and free of charge:

  • Language assistance services: UC Merced will provide language assistance services for individuals with limited English proficiency (including individuals’ companions with limited English proficiency) to ensure meaningful access to our programs, activities, services, and other benefits.  Language assistance services may include:
    • Electronic and written translated documents
    • Qualified interpreters
  • Appropriate auxiliary aids and services: UC Merced will provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services for individuals with disabilities (including individuals’ companions with disabilities) to ensure effective communication.  Appropriate auxiliary aids and services may include:
    • Qualified interpreters, including American Sign Language interpreters
    • Video remote interpreting
    • Information in alternate formats (including but not limited to large print, recorded audio, and accessible electronic formats)
  • Reasonable modifications: UC Merced will provide reasonable modifications for qualified individuals with disabilities, when necessary to ensure accessibility and equal opportunity to participate in our programs, activities, services, or other benefits. 

If you need to request language assistance services, auxiliary aids and services, or a reasonable modification to access the services of Student Health Services (SHS) and/or Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), please contact:

  • Student Health Services
    • Phone: (209) 228-2273
  • Counseling & Psychological Services

To request disability-related accommodations for other areas of campus, contact:

For additional assistance, you may also contact the Section 1557 Coordinator:

Kim Overdyck

Director of the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination

ophd@ucmerced.edu   

Grievance Options for Complaints of Discrimination and Harassment

If you believe UC Merced has failed to provide these services or has discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability, you can:

  1. File a grievance with the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination

 

Electronically: Online reporting form

In Person: Kolligian Library, 3rd floor, Room 323.

Phone: 209-413-4652

Email: ophd@ucmerced.edu

  1. File a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights:

 

Electronically: https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/smartscreen/main.jsf

Complaint forms: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/file/index.html

Via mail:               U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

200 Independence Avenue, SW

Room 509F, HHH Building

Washington, D.C. 20201

Phone: 1-800-368-1019, 800-537-7697 (TDD)

 

This notice is also available on OPHD’s website: Nondiscrimination Policy Statement

Patients also have the right to file a complaint/grievance through:

Reporting Obligations of UC Personnel

All University employees are responsible for creating and maintaining a safe, supportive, and respectful environment for our patients and colleagues.  All UC Merced employees, except Confidential Resources, are Responsible Employees and must promptly notify OPHD of possible discrimination and harassment.

Student Health and Counseling Services employees, such as licensed counselors and other individuals with a professional license requiring confidentiality (including those supervised by such individuals), are considered Confidential Resources.  As Confidential Resources, they are not obligated to report information they receive while acting in their confidential capacity.  However, they may have other mandatory reporting obligations under CANRA (Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act) as a mandatory reporter, Clery as a Campus Security Authority (CSA), and other policies or laws that require reporting to campus or local law enforcement or Child Protective Services. 

They must report to OPHD when, at the time they receive the report, they are not acting in their official capacity, such as at the bookstore or a coffee shop.

For more information about your reporting obligations, please refer to OPHD’s website.