Models, Trainings, and Best and Promising Practices
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND FORENSIC HEALTH CARE
The following models, trainings, and best and promising practices are examples of options that potential Domestic Violence Prevention (DVP) program grant applicants may consider when completing a grant application for the 2022 funding cycle. Please note that the following models and trainings are examples only. Potential applicants are not required to only use these options and may decide to use another model, training, or best or promising practice that fits their Tribal community needs.
NOTE: IHS does not endorse any one model or training listed here, nor is this an endorsement by IHS. The models and trainings on this page are for informational purposes only for the grant application process.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND RESOURCES
Model: Safe Dates Curriculum
Organization: Hazeldon
Description/Purpose:
Safe Dates is a school-based prevention program for middle and high school students designed to stop or prevent the initiation of dating violence victimization and perpetration, including the psychological, physical, and sexual abuse that may occur between youths involved in a dating relationship. The program goals are to change adolescent norms on dating violence and gender-roles, improve conflict resolution skills for dating relationships, promote victims’ and perpetrators' beliefs in the need for help and awareness of community resources for dating violence, encourage help-seeking by victims and perpetrators, and develop peer help-giving skills.
Population: Adolescents, 6th-12th grade.
For general information, visit the safe dates prevention program page.
For more details about the curriculum, please visit the Safe Dates Curriculum page.
Model: STOP SV: A Technical Package to Prevent Sexual Violence
Organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Description/Purpose:
Model created by the CDC to help communities take advantage of the best available evidence to prevent sexual violence. Strategies outlined can impact individual behaviors and the relationship, family, school, community, and societal factors that influence the risk and protective factors for violence. Many of the strategies focus on reducing the likelihood that a person will engage in sexual violence.
Population: All ages
Download the CDC Technical Package to Prevent Sexual Violence [PDF - 2.9 MB] for more information.
Model: Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect: A Technical Package for Policy, Norm, and Programmatic Activities
Organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Description/Purpose:
This document provides CDC’s framework for preventing child abuse and neglect and other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). This document proposes strategies that communities can consider to promote the types of relationships and environments that help children grow up to be healthy and productive citizens.
Population: Infant through Adolescent, Adult Parents, Community Systems
Download the CDC Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect Technical Package. [PDF - 3.9 MB]
Model: Trauma-Informed Care
Organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Description/Purpose:
Use of a trauma-informed approach when interacting with individuals, families, and communities consists of prioritizing: safety; trustworthiness and transparency; peer support; collaboration and mutuality; empowerment, voice, and choice; and cultural, historical and gender issues. Trauma-informed models of patient care promote access to services and effective support for vulnerable populations.
Population: All ages
Read about the SAMHSA Center for Health Care Strategies on the Trauma-Informed Care Implementation Resource Center website.
Training: SOAR for Health and Wellness (SOAR for Native Communities – Human Trafficking Screening and Response)
Organization: Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
Description/Purpose:
By applying a public health approach, SOAR seeks to build the capacity of communities to identify and respond to the complex needs of individuals who have experienced trafficking and understand the root causes that make individuals, families, and communities vulnerable to trafficking.
Population: All ages
Visit the ACF Soar Online website.
Training: Forensic Medical Examiner (and allied fields continuing education and training)
Organization: Tribal Forensic Health Care Program
Description/Purpose:
Trainings available: sexual assault, intimate partner violence, child maltreatment, elder abuse, and human trafficking integrated with culturally appropriate perspectives.
This education platform houses foundational theory courses for medical forensic examination as well as a variety of continuing education webinars focused on skill building and maintaining up-to-date education for those that respond to sexual and domestic violence. Training related to screening for intimate partner violence, recognizing child maltreatment, using the Danger Assessment, and implementing evidenced-based care for victims of domestic and sexual violence are just some of the courses offered.
Population: All ages
Visit the Tribal Forensic Healthcare website.
Training: IHS Tele-education Domestic Sexual Violence (DSV) Training Series and Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) Series
Organization: Indian Health Service
Description/Purpose:
Series of webinars with an aim of informing and providing professional approaches, resources, tools, and support for staff that may encounter and respond to domestic sexual violence.
- Topics in the DSV series include: Forensic Health Care 101, Safety Planning, Elder Abuse, Problematic sexual behavior in children, IPV during pregnancy, IPV and substance use, and vicarious trauma.
- Trauma Informed Care Series topics include: Overview of trauma-informed care and historical trauma-informed care, trauma-informed care for non-providers, and trauma-informed care for supervisors, among others.
Population: Providers
Visit the IHS Tele-Education website.
Technical Support and Training Resource: Indigenous Sexual Assault and Abuse Clearinghouse (ISAAC)
Organization: International Association of Forensic Nurses
Description/Purpose:
A comprehensive technical assistance services for programs responding to intimate partner violence, human trafficking, sexual assault, child abuse, and elder abuse.
- Services include: Professional support help line, training resources, library of research and promising practices, and knowledgeable staff related to issues within Indian Country.
Population: Technical support for providers and programs specific to forensic health and community advocates.
Visit the IAFN ISAAC site website.
FORENSIC HEALTH CARE
Model: National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examination - Adult/Adolescent (2nd Ed.) (April 2013)
Organization: US Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women
Description/Purpose:
A timely, high-quality medical forensic examination can potentially validate and address sexual assault patients’ concerns, minimize the trauma they may experience, and promote their healing. At the same time, it can increase the likelihood that evidence collected will aid in criminal case investigation, resulting in perpetrators being held accountable and further sexual violence prevented.
The examination and the related responsibilities of health care personnel are the focus of this protocol. Recognizing that multidisciplinary coordination is vital to the success of the exam, the protocol also discusses the responses of other professionals, as they relate to the exam process.
Population: Adult and Adolescent (post-puberty)
Download the OJC National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic ExaminationsAdults/Adolescents document. [PDF - 893 KB]
Model: National Protocol for Sexual Abuse Medical Examination - Pediatric (April 2016)
Organization: US Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women
Description/Purpose:
The National Protocol for Sexual Abuse Medical Forensic Examinations—Pediatric is a guide for: (1) health care providers who conduct sexual abuse medical forensic examinations of prepubescent children; and (2) other professionals and agencies/facilities involved in an initial community response to child sexual abuse, in coordinating with health care providers to facilitate medical forensic care.
Population: Children (pre-pubescent)
Download the US Department of Justice protocol document .
Model: National Training Standards for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examiners (2nd Ed.) (August 2018)
Organization: US Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women
Description/Purpose:
The standards recommend minimum guidelines for didactic and clinical preparation of pediatric and adolescent/adult Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner’s (SAFEs). The use of these standards across all U.S. jurisdictions will improve uniformity of SAFEs’ knowledge and skills. The goal is that every person who reports or discloses sexual assault, or in the case of children where sexual abuse is suspected, will have access to a specially educated and clinically prepared SAFE. The SAFE can validate and address the patient’s health concerns; minimize their trauma; promote their healing, agency and autonomy; and maximize the detection, collection, preservation and documentation of evidence for potential use by the legal system. Uniformity in SAFE education can improve consistency of service provision and aid in evaluating the effectiveness of examiner response.
Population: Adult/Adolescent and Pediatric Forensic Examiners
Download the US Department of Justice protocol document .
Model: National Best Practices for Sexual Assault Kits: A Multidisciplinary Approach
Organization: US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice
Description/Purpose:
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) – the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice – convened several working group meetings representing victims, victim advocates, sexual assault nurse examiners, medical examiners, forensic laboratories, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and the judiciary. The NIJ working group was directed to address issues relating to evidence collection; prioritization of evidence and time periods for collection; evidence inventory, tracking, and auditing technology solutions; communication strategies; and victim engagement and notification.
Population: Forensic Health Programs and Multidisciplinary Sexual Assault Response Teams
Download the Office of Justice Programs National Best Practices for Sexual Assault Kits document. [PDF - 903 KB]
