Categories
Child Abuse Sexual Assault

Healthcare Needs of Trafficking Victims

An FHO reader asked if I would do a review of the literature on the healthcare needs of trafficking victims and the answer is no, because it’s already out there. Allow me to point your attention to the library over at HEAL Trafficking. No need to reinvent that wheel–they’ve got you covered, plus they make it super easy to stay current with their RSS feeds. Aside from the peer-reviewed literature, they also have a variety of reports and assorted media, making it a pretty decent place to start your lit reviews. See also: their toolkit for developing a protocol for responding to victims of human trafficking in healthcare settings.

 

Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Categories
Child Abuse Sexual Assault

A National Training Standard for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examiners 2nd Edition: A Training Blueprint

SAFEta has a webinar coming up on the new edition of the National Training Standards for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examiners. The session will be held October 3rd at 3:30pm ET (and it will be archived). Obviously, it is in support of this. From the site:

Since 2006, there has been an update to the National SAFE Protocol in 2013 (SAFE Protocol 2nd Ed), which reflected changes in science and practice that had occurred over the 7 years since the original document had been written. In 2016, OVW spearheaded the development of a National Protocol for Sexual Abuse Medical Forensic Examinations: Pediatric (Pediatric SAFE Protocol) to meet the unique healthcare and response needs of the prepubertal pediatric population. In addition to these 2 sentinel document updates, there were also new releases and updates of documents reflecting changes in healthcare response to violence from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), laws and evidence collection. As a result of these developments OVW sponsored efforts to revise and update the Training Standards and on August 29, 2018 the Training Standards 2nd Ed. were released. Presented by: Marnie Shiels, Attorney Advisor, Office on Violence Against Women & Kim Day, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P, Forensic Nursing Director at the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN).

Keep in mind, this educational offering counts toward renewal of both SANE-A and SANE-P (not to mention many of your state SANE requirements), so if you’re looking at renewal, this is an obvious one.

Register for the session here.

 

Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Categories
Child Abuse DV/IPV Sexual Assault

Childhood Trauma And Its Lifelong Health Effects More Prevalent Among Minorities

As I was waiting for my flight Monday I happened to catch this story about the fact that (not a surprise) childhood trauma and its health effects were more prevalent among minorities. And I received the research alert in my email from JAMA, upon which this NPR story was based (FULL-TEXT). And also this excellent blog post on the topic from PreventConnect. So suffice it to say, I present all three here for you, because it’s important, and these are our patients, now, and in the future. And because yes, we’ve pretty much suspected all of this, but here is the data.

A healthcare response to violence has to be more than just a medical-forensic response on our end. It has to be partnering with, and participating in prevention programs early on, and following up after the fact, and integrating into other community services that speak to the wide range of needs and experiences of the people for whom we care. But it also has to be the integration of our services into the greater healthcare communities in which we are situated, so it is not a handful of clinicians who understand the connection between the work we do and the health and well being of our patients over a lifetime. There should be a flow of patients between our programs and the clinics and departments of the healthcare agencies with which we are affiliated. And as much as people bristle at the idea, we should be talking about how we can bill for the healthcare services we provide–where plausible and where patient safety isn’t compromised by doing so. It’s the only way we can realistically expand and integrate our services fully, like the consultative healthcare service that we are. Without a steady funding source for the totality of the care we provide, our future is not a sustainable one.

 

Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Categories
Sexual Assault

Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Toolkit: 2018 Edition

NSVRC has just published the 2018 edition of the SART Toolkit, and while I haven’t had a chance to peruse it in its entirety, what I have seen looks great. There’s a lot of content for your healthcare team and your community. The Sexual Assault Response section is a great example of just how much new content is in here (e.g. body-worn cameras), but my nerdy heart beats loudest (so far) for the Meeting Logistics section that has so many good resources for the managers among you. Definitely worth spending some time here. Kudos to everyone involved in this project.

 

Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Categories
Testimony

Experts

Something to consider when it comes to evaluating experts:

One can be an expert in treating the injuries caused by a mechanism of injury…

…and not necessarily be an expert in the mechanism of injury itself.

We probably don’t talk about that nearly enough.

 

Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Categories
Articles of Note Child Abuse DV/IPV Elder Abuse/Neglect Sexual Assault

Articles of Note: September 2018 Edition

I had planned to post this yesterday, but I seem to have a gremlin in my Adobe Pro software right now, so apologies for the delay. I’m finally back in DC for a couple days before I head cross country to Fort Huachuca, and I desperately wanted to get this up, if for no other reason than it replenishes my reading stocks for these long flights and days that can often entail lots of sitting and waiting. As always, it’s not an exhaustive list, just what’s caught my attention in the new crop of peer-reviewed research. Several free full-text articles indicated on the list this month, so look out for those. Otherwise, all links lead to PubMed abstracts. Happy reading–lots of good stuff to occupy your time.

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Categories
Child Abuse Sexual Assault

Working Effectively with Muslim Youth and Their Families

Midwest Regional Children’s Advocacy Center has a two-part webinar series coming up next month, Working Effectively with Muslim Youth and Their Families. Part one will be held October 11th at 1pm CT; part two will be held October 25th at at 1pm CT. From the site:

This presentation will discuss how to effectively work with Muslim youth and their families by bringing attention to potential bias, as well as providing a foundational overview of Muslim customs and practices, emphasizing the continuum of diversity of practice within the religion. Participants will leave this session with a greater understanding of Muslim demographics, globally and locally, as well as information regarding how best to engage with Muslim youth and Muslim families.

Register for the sessions here and here.

Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Categories
Uncategorized

Since Last We Spoke, Rosh Hashanah Edition

Heading to Orlando tomorrow to teach with the Army, and like many of you, I’ll be keeping an eye on Florence (because like many of you we are in her projected path at this point–re-upped on a few hurricane supplies yesterday just in case). Being an Ohio girl I really didn’t have a full appreciation of this nonsense until I started living down here. Stay safe, y’all.

Last night began Rosh Hashanah and the start of the holiest time of the year for us. I thought my wife said it best, so I am going to simply repeat for you here what she posted on social media because it really captures where we are personally and culturally at this time and place in the US: Shana Tova to my friends and family who celebrate. I wish you a sweet new year. I wish you time, peace, and solitude for the hard work of self-reflection in these coming days, as we all consider how we will live differently in the new year. I hope your intention includes loving more, including more, and fighting more. Let MORE be our kavanah (intention) this year.

Amen to that. Here’s what caught my eye since last we spoke:

Just in time for the holiday: Repentance is hard, take note abusers

Aspire to live a life of enough integrity that Ronan Farrow never feels compelled to write about you

Last week’s Kavanaugh hearings sadly required this reminder about contraception from ACOG (PDF)

50 States of Queer: a midterm voter’s guide

Delores Huerta! (this is a great, brief, monologue, but if you have time, check out the extended audio below it)

I was sexually assaulted by another Marine. The Corps didn’t believe me.

#MeToo at the ballet 

One of the better takes on the US Open women’s finals

This video of Elizabeth Gilbert talking about hobbies vs jobs vs careers vs vocations was so spot on. Even though it’s geared towards artists, it felt incredibly relevant for many of us in our work, as well.

“And understanding that this ideal of rugged individualism and self-reliance — rugged individualism didn’t map the human genome. Rugged individualism didn’t get us to the moon, and you can’t love your country without loving your countrymen and women. When we manifest that kind of patriotism, that kind of civic love, that’s when we do things that light up the world, that light up the planet Earth.” This whole interview with Cory Booker on civic spiritual evolution is a delight. Actually, all of Krista Tippet’s interviews are a delight, but I really enjoyed this one. Read the transcript or listen to the audio.

Finally, here’s a video that feels like something many of us can relate to:

 

 

Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Categories
DV/IPV

The Economic Cost of Intimate Partner Violence: Implications for Prevention

I’m heading out to the National Advocacy Center down in South Carolina for a couple days, but before I go, an excellent educational opportunity. PreventConnect has a webinar coming up, the Economic Cost of Intimate Partner Violence: Implications for Prevention. The session will be held on September 13th at 2pm ET. I’m particularly interested in the economics of the work we do. And so are many of your institutions and organizations, so perhaps that’s the thing that hooks you here (for those of you who may still be holding on to the belief that prevention is not the work of forensic clinicians).  Traditionally their webinars fill, so it’s possible by the time this posts it’s closed–however, it will be archived, so if you cannot attend live, consider listening to it at a later date. From the announcement:

The American Journal of Preventive Medicine has released new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the lifetime economic burden of intimate partner violence among adults in the United States. Following CDC’s “Lifetime Economic Burden of Rape Among U.S. Adults,” this new study takes into account medical costs, lost productivity, criminal justice activities, and other costs such as victim property loss or damage. Understanding the costs of violence can help build the case for prevention. Join PreventConnect, the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV), and CDC researchers to learn more about the long-term economic cost of intimate partner violence and implications for prevention policy and practice.

Register for the session here. And seriously, if you do nothing else, download the articles linked in the description above. Both are excellent resources. Particularly for those of you doing policy work, making a case for new and/or expanded clinical programming, etc.

 

Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Categories
Child Abuse Sexual Assault

New Edition of SANE Education Guidelines Now Available

Not to be confused with the new SAMFE National Training Standards published by the Department of Justice, IAFN has just released the new edition of the SANE Education Guidelines. Keep in mind, these are two completely separate and distinct documents. If you hope to be SANE-A/P certified, your education must be in line with the IAFN guidelines (although when we were working on the National Training Standards we worked hard to make sure it reflected recommendations consistent with IAFN’s education guidelines so the documents wouldn’t be at odds with one another). According to the announcement, there aren’t a host of substantive changes in the update to the education guidelines. IAFN has provided an overview on the website of the major differences between the old and new edition; they include:

  • Updated reference section
  • Evidence-based resource section
  • Competency Checklists for SANE Clinical Preceptorships
  • Links to updated Educational Planning Tables for SANE didactic courses (reflecting the 2018 Education Guidelines)
  • Addition of clearly stated Gap Analyses and Learning Outcomes (reflecting the most recent continuing nursing education standards of the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation)
  • Addition of concise Learning Objectives per section as stepping stones for reaching Learning Outcomes
  • Addition of Trauma-Informed Care and the Duffy Model of Caring® as foundational concepts

Congratulations to the workgroup on getting this updated. Job well done. Download the complete education guidelines here.

 

Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Categories
Sexual Assault

Policies and Procedures for Non-Occupational Post-Exposure Prophylaxis

Kim Day posted this on the IAFN community site last week, so some of you may have already seen it, but in case you didn’t, the national nPEP toolkit project continues to add resources to their site (I posted about the project when it 1st published here). Their newest tool is a policies and procedure template for nPEP (PDF), which I think is extraordinarily useful. IAFN is a partner on this project, so it’s worth checking out the webinar archived over on the SAFEta site if you haven’t already–it complements the toolkit and is a great update for your veteran clinicians or adjunct for new team members.

 

Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.