Resources Library: Healthcare Professionals
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Virginia Center on Aging: Abuse in Later Life Program
Virginia Center on Aging Abuse in Later Life Program provides professional development to those working in the fields of law enforcement, aging services, adult protective services, domestic and sexual violence, health care and more. By working collaboratively, we can put the pieces together to see and address the whole story--the whole person--the whole system and to improve the lives of victims of abuse in later life.
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Virginia LGBTQ Community Resource and Referral Guide
This guide was created to serve as a resource for people working with LGBTQ Virginians who might not be aware of the extent of community based resources in their areas. Includes medical, legal, community, and religious/faith resources by region (central, eastern, southern/southwest, norther, northwest, and state). Published by the Virginia Anti-Violence Project.
Virginia’s Healthcare Response to Sexual Assault:
Guidelines for the Acute Care of Adult and Post-Pubertal Adolescent Sexual Assault Patients
The document incorporates recommendations from professionals across Virginia, as well as information from current guidelines from relevant state and national resources on the management of sexual assault patients and the collection of forensic evidence. The guidelines provide a framework for the critical role of the healthcare sector in meeting the needs of sexual assault patients and the criminal justice system. They are organized around four fundamental criteria and were developed to address the healthcare response at the community, facility, and individual levels.
While these guidelines were developed specifically for healthcare professionals and facilities, the healthcare sector is just one component of a comprehensive response to sexual violence. These guidelines will also be a valuable component of statewide efforts to establish coordinated, collaborative, and compassionate responses to sexual violence in every community in Virginia. Published by Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance and Virginia Chapter of the International Association of Forensic Nurses December 2009. 127 pages.
On July 1, 2013, Virginia enacted legislation that provides a procedure health care providers may use to evaluate incapacitated patients who may have been sexually assaulted (see § 54.1-2970.1 below). The legislation is intended to be used when a sexual assault examination and physical evidence recovery is prudent, but the adult patient is unable to consent and timeliness of evidence collection is crucial prior to destruction by medical interventions or bodily functions. The law outlines specific procedures and criteria that must be met in order to allow the examination and evidence recovery without the patient’s consent. In November, an addendum to the Healthcare Guidelines was released to provide guidance to healthcare professionals on the use of this new process. It is expected that the new consent process will be infrequently used, as consent for the sexual assault examination and physical evidence recovery may be obtained from next of kin, guardians, or from the patient after the patient regains the capacity to consent following temporary incapacity.
What Psychology Professional Should Know About Polyamory
The booklet is the result of collaboration among a small but dedicated group of activists and professionals – some polyamorous, some not – who believe that polyamory represents a serious relationship option deserving of respect and understanding among helping professionals and the broader public alike. The independent work of Dr. Geri Weitzman, Dr. Robert Phillips and [Dr. Joy Davidson], woven here into a single integrated text, provides a great introduction for the helping professional to begin educating her/himself on this form of relationship configuration.
Working with Older Survivors of Abuse: A Framework for Advocates
The National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life (NCALL), a project of End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin, has been the sole technical assistance provider on the intersection of domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse for the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) since 1999. Through advocacy and education, NCALL strives to challenge and change the beliefs, policies, practices, and systems
that allow abuse to occur and continue. NCALL aims to improve victim safety by increasing the quality and availability of victim services and support.
As part of the shared mission to enhance the safety and quality of life of victims across the lifespan, NCALL and OVW created this toolkit in partnership with local advocates and others who serve older victims. To gather data for this toolkit, NCALL and OVW conducted a literature review, held national roundtables in 2015 and 2016 with subject matter experts to frame major issues, interviewed key stakeholders, and conducted an external review process. In addition, NCALL conducted videotaped interviews with numerous subject matter experts on key issues and topics covered in this toolkit. Hyperlinks to the video segments created from those interviews are interspersed throughout this summary report document.
