More on the Issue of Victim Advocacy & HIPAA

I confess that I am surprised that there remain questions regarding the issue of victim advocacy access for all sexual assault patients. The best possible forensic clinicians simply cannot meet all of the needs of the sexual assault patient, and the role of the clinician is distinct from that of the victim advocate. HIPAA is not a reason to limit access, and where this issue continues to be a struggle, please read the latest EVAW bulletin (PDF), which is a follow-up to the original training bulletin. Even if you have fantastic collaboration and access, the bulletin is a good reminder of how we can frame the issue, how are respective roles differ, and what the research says about the impact of victim advocacy on patient outcomes.