Brief Sustaining Community-Based Approaches for Survivors of Sexual Assault
Lauren Farrell, Janine M. Zweig, Nicole Stahlmann, Kelly Walsh
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Using information from the Urban Institute and the International Association of Forensic Nurses evaluation of the SAFE Protocol, this brief addresses the key components of sustaining a community-based response to survivors of sexual assault and the necessity of improving services to be inclusive of all survivors. Released in 2013, the second edition of the National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations, or SAFE Protocol, is a voluntary guide developed by the Department of Justice that local and state jurisdictions can use to inform their responses to sexual assault. It institutionalizes best practices around survivor care and evidence collection, particularly for sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) completing medical forensic examinations. In 2018, the Urban Institute and the International Association of Forensic Nurses were funded by the Office on Violence Against Women to evaluate the SAFE Protocol with the aim of understanding the extent to which its provisions had been implemented across the United States. Our mixed-methods study incorporated the perspectives of multiple stakeholders in the sexual assault response system at the state and local levels.

Research Areas Crime, justice, and safety Health and health care Nonprofits and philanthropy
Tags Victims of crime Health care delivery and payment Hospitals and physicians