I don’t often give mainstream media articles their own post (we wait for Mondays to do that), but 1.) this one is worth it, and 2.) I will be stepping away from FHO until next Thursday, as I take the girlchild on her 1st round of college visits (!). Huffington Post has a terrific article on police-perpetrated intimate partner violence that, while a long read, is definitely worth your time. I encourage you to spend some time with it and consider how your own programs handle patients who present after being assaulted by law enforcement. I’m proud to say in my former program, we had a very specific process for working with this particular patient group that included a unique law enforcement reporting pathway and 2 person team completing the exam (as these cases were always complex and the extra set of eyes and hands was welcomed). The whole piece is a great jumping off point for a team discussion. Even if you only provide sexual assault care, there’s still a conversation to be had about the unique needs and concerns of patients who present after police-perpetrated violence.
2 replies on “When the Man Who Abuses You Is Also a Cop”
Would you be willing to share your former program’s contact information or if you have the policy related to this patient group from that program, share it?
The program is no longer around. However, if you want to contact me offline I would be happy to discuss it with you.