Category: Sexual Assault

This week over at the sustainability site, a few things for you to peruse:

• A great handwashing poster that made me smile, particularly timely since my house is currently germ-central
• A look at the challenges of asking for help and some of the opinions out there on how best to do it
• And of course, a reminder about our current giveaway here at FHO.

Speaking of which, please don’t forget to add your comment to the giveaway post to be eligible for the Sexual Assault Quick Reference, courtesy of G.W. Medical Publishing. It’s a perfect size for use in the clinical arena (did I mention it has photos?), or a fantastic gift to giveaway to a member of your team (say, the person who did the most cases in ’09 or took the most call). And please keep in mind, eligibility is not limited to US and Canadian readers, so for all of my international readers (I see you in my stats, so I know you’re out there), please include your comments, too. Deadline to enter is November 25th at 12pm ET.

Bonne chance and have a great weekend!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

There are a lot of changes coming down the pike here at FHO. Last week we began working on a brand new website that will update our look and offer more content and more options for readers (I’m hoping for a smooth launch by end of the month–more on that soon). And this week I’m happy to announce a new partnership with G.W. Medical Publishing.

New partnerships are a cause for celebration. Given the nascent collaboration between Forensic Healthcare Online and G.W. Medical Publishing (soon to be STM Learning, Inc.), we are making merry by offering a free giveaway of a very useful resource. The only thing you have to do is offer your insight by answering this simple question:

Medscape has a couple new offerings of interest. The 1st is a CME article on the connection between psychiatric disorders, sexual trauma and urinary tract symptoms. Physicians can receive 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 credit for reading the article and completing the posttest.

NCVC is hosting a webinar November 18th at 1pm ET: Maximizing the Potential for DNA Technology. “The goals of this webinar are to expose participants to the “big picture” of how forensic DNA came to be the potent crime-fighting tool that it is today, and for participants to learn about today’s most extensive and innovative applications of forensic DNA in the United States and abroad. The speaker will highlight the importance of DNA databasing for identifying offenders and solving and preventing crimes and will present intriguing cases and innovative techniques using forensic DNA.”

Over the past week there have been several new offerings related to human trafficking:

Phil Borges has an interview on his blog with Rachel Lloyd, founder of GEMS (Girls Educational and Mentoring Services). “Rachel told me that historically law enforcement in our country has punished the victims of the sex industry—the vulnerable and exploited adolescent girls that are coerced and trafficked into the trade.  She said that labeling and jailing them as ‘teen prostitutes’ instead of what they are–exploited and trafficked children– while ignoring the 30 to 40 year old men that sell and buy these girls has been a crime in itself.”

Listen to the 8+ minute audio file here.

I’m taking a couple much needed days off, so it’s going to be a short week here. But before I shut down the computer, I just wanted to alert you to what’s happening over at the Sustainability site. We have just released two new publications from the project in our Sustainability 101 series (some of you received them in hard copy in ATL): Creating a Business Plan for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners and Fostering Collaboration Between SANE Program Coordinators and Medical Directors.

Late getting to this post today–I’ve been wandering the state engaging in some pretty interesting conversations, which means a long night trying to catch up (I confess I took time out for homemade Chinese dumplings, made with great love, if not great skill by my husband). What does this have to do with the sustainability site? Not a thing–so I suppose I should get to it:

• A reminder about some of the great online courses offered by the Foundation Center–this one on finding funders [Pam B.: this may be a good resource in response to your question]
• More conversation about rehiring former employees
• Info about using Facebook Causes to potentially support your program

A word about next week–Tuesday I will be heading to the ATL for the IAFN Annual Assembly. While my good intentions are to keep regular posts going throughout the week, there’s an excellent chance I may miss a day or two. Posts that go up (with the exception of Monday’s) will be special posts from the conference–I hope to recap the best of what I see and hear. For those of you who will be there, please come by and say hello–you’ll find me at the NSVRC booth in the exhibit hall or at a couple of the sessions (including one I’m doing on using technology for education). Looking forward to seeing people there, chaotic as it will be.

To those heading to the Assembly, safe travels. And to all our readers–have a great (warm and dry) weekend!

I am thrilled to announce that AEquitas is offering our first webinar October 21st, 11:30-1pm ET: Prosecutorial Response to Violence Against Prostituted Women. This webinar will help prosecutors and allied professionals understand, identify, and respond to violence against sexually exploited women, i.e., women used in prostitution.  It will discuss the dynamics of sexual exploitation, including the frequency and type of violence sexually exploited women experience.  It will also explore issues, strategies, and defenses relevant to the prosecution of violence against sexually exploited women.

Sorry for the lack of wrap-up last week–things were fairly hectic and the Sustainability site got a bit neglected. We’re back this week, though, and you’ll find some good stuff there:

• A reminder to check up on the continuing conversation over at the OVC web forum. While I still have yet to hear back from colleagues on a couple questions I put out there for more nuanced feedback, I have been able to get to the majority of posted questions.
• A great piece on leadership and being an energizer for your team
• A webcast of Dr. Rebecca Campbell speaking about the impact of SANE programs on the criminal justice system. There are 4 videos altogether.

Today’s a call day for me, and I’m stuck in my windowless office at the DOVE Program. But that may be okay, because it is a cold and rainy day here in the CLE. Hope it’s a bit more hospitable wherever you are…

With all of the news focusing on Roman Polanski, it seems like a good time to post this:

GEMS, the organization featured in the documentary Very Young Girls (previous post here), has a new initiative: The Council of Daughters. It’s a campaign “to strengthen laws that protect victims, encourage Americans to support girls empowerment initiatives at the local level, increase support for recovery services, and bring this urgent issue into schools, offices, dorms, places of worship and other community spaces.”

VAWNet has a new resource available focusing on culturally competent care of LGBT survivors of sexual violence. Aside from the comprehensive article by Sabrina Gentlewarrior (printable version here), you can also access a variety of linked resources over on the summary page. This is a topic that is sorely underrepresented in the literature, so we may have to do a full clinical guide sometime soon, if you think it would be of interest…

I don’t normally post personal issues here at FHO, but I am pretty worried about our friends and colleagues in American Samoa and the affected region. If you have news, could you please pass it along? And if you are so inclined, please consider donating to the Relief Fund for Sexual Assault Victims, established to collect donations that will aid affected sexual assault victims and advocacy programs in areas coping with disasters. You can read more about the Relief Fund and efforts to prevent sexual violence in disasters here.

Thanks.

For those of you out there struggling with issues around VAWA 2005 forensic compliance, technical assistance is now available through EVAW International. Additionally, they have a variety of materials available on the topic, as well as a couple webinars coming up. The first webinar will be October 15th at 2pm ET: Medical Forensic Exams Conducted without a Report Being Made to Law Enforcement.