New Director of CARE Megan Gallagher Keeps an Educated Eye Out for Safety

New SMC Director of the CARE (Campus Assault Response and Education) Center Megan Gallagher may be just the person to talk to in times of need. Complementing her warm and approachable manner, she brings a wealth of knowledge and extensive experience providing confidential support, crisis response, and advocacy for students affected by sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and stalking. She will also collaborate with staff, faculty, and community-based organizations to provide education and outreach to the campus community.

“My role really has two pieces to it. One is the education piece, and one is survivors’ support.  My number one priority is to meet and exceed both of those expectations. At Saint Mary’s, I've focused on what you can do to reduce sexual violence in terms of shifting the culture of folks—[to have] everyone doing something. Shifting that culture takes a little bit of energy from everyone. 

“And then, the other piece of my job is supporting survivors, making sure that they are aware of the many resources available and, if desired, that it’s a seamless experience for survivors to access these resources in a nonjudgmental, compassionate way,” Gallagher said

Gallagher spoke to this cultural shift, which originated in the Department of Justice, the American College Health Association, and other research groups in this area. “In the past, there’s been a lot of focus on prevention tips, what you may be able to do to prevent sexual assault. Things that were on the individual,” she said. “There is a shift in college health to focus more on what the community can do to help eliminate [sexual assault], more of a community cultural shift.”

One aspect of this shift is paying special attention to a period of time known as the “Red Zone.” “The Department of Justice identified a Red Zone, which is the time between students arriving on campus and Thanksgiving, when there is an increase in vulnerability and an increase in sexual assaults on campuses across the nation,” Gallagher said.

Risk factors during this time include an increase in back-to-school parties and living in new surroundings. “New students may not have experience with alcohol, so that may be an increased risk factor. And new students may not have a strong peer group, and they’re just adjusting to campus. They may have fewer friends who are watching out for one another,” Gallagher added.

“We want to shift the culture to where we’re all looking out for each other and the community,” Gallagher continued. “It’s not just your roommate’s job or a friend’s job [to help watch out for you]—anyone in our community can help.”

Saint Mary’s has incorporated these topics into orientation sessions that focus on what consent means along with a required online course focused on alcohol education and sexual assault prevention.  

Gallagher commended Saint Mary’s resources. “The easiest resource for students and the community to use is the 24/7 CARE line at (925) 878-9207. You can call or text for anonymous information and support for survivors, kind of an ‘I’m not sure what to do, my friend has this situation’ resource.”

Crucial to students’—and the community’s—understanding about what to do when you see something is The Green Dot Bystander Program. “We subscribe to this program used across college campuses and really encourage the campus community to embrace the Three D’s: In a concerning situation, you can directly intervene, delegate to someone, or distract. 

“If you're involved in a concerning situation, one of the three D’s is direct, meaning directly confront the person who is potentially in a harming situation or who’s potentially harming someone else,” Gallagher began.

“The second option would be to delegate: Call Campus Safety, ask an RA for help. That’s a less confrontational method when direct involvement may not be appropriate. The third D is to distract: You pretend to spill a drink to alleviate some of the concerning behaviors going on; you set off your car alarm; you pretend to ask somebody to borrow their phone to help distract the situation. This can be really helpful and change things in a proactive way.”

“We really encourage the campus community to embrace those three D’s and think about what they as one person can do to shift the culture,” Gallagher said.

Gallagher currently participates in training university staff, Campus Safety officers, and resident advisors on trauma-informed responses to sexual assault and dating violence. Additionally, she coordinates the 24-hour CARE hotline and mentors the Student Coalition Against Abuse and Rape (SCAAR) group, and coordinates the Green Dot campus bystander intervention program.

Gallagher earned her master’s degree in mental health counseling from the University of Massachusetts and earned her undergraduate degree in Communication from Villanova University. She comes to Saint Mary’s with extensive experience in student wellness services and a deep appreciation and understanding of the Lasallian, Catholic, liberal arts tradition and commitment to academic excellence, and social responsibility. 

Gallagher’s experience includes over 10 years of demonstrated leadership at the University of San Francisco (USF), where she led a coalition of faculty, staff, and students in implementing a sexual assault prevention grant focused primarily on first-year students and assisted in the development of an innovative online sexual assault and high-risk drinking prevention program.

You can contact Megan Gallagher by email at mag7@stmarys-ca.edu or by calling (925) 631-4193.