Screening for Domestic Violence

As many as 75% of battered women say they would have told a nurse or physician about the domestic violence if they had been asked the question.

The goal of the New Hampshire Initiative on Domestic Violence is to train health care professionals to recognize and appropriately respond to patients experiencing domestic violence.

 A Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) is a Registered Nurse who has been specially trained to provide comprehensive, uninterrupted care to sexual assault survivors, including conducting the forensic collection of evidence.

The goal of the SANE Program is to minimize the physical and psychological trauma to the victim and to maximize the probability of collecting and preserving the physical evidence of an assault for potential use in the legal system.

Trainings for Health Care Professionals:

• Routine Confidential Screening for Intimate Partner Abuse
• Long Term Health Implications of Trauma Across the Lifespan
• Cultural Competence
• Documentation of Intimate Partner Abuse
• Legal Issues Regarding Health Care Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
• Effective Response for Patients Experiencing Intimate Partner Abuse

Mission of the SANE Program

• To avoid further trauma to all sexual assault survivors in the health care environment.
• To provide a compassionate and sensitive approach to sexual assault victims.
• To provide timely medical/forensic examination with more complete evidence collection.
•  To provide referral for follow-up care and counseling.
• To provide testimony as needed.
  

Resources:

• Domestic Violence Protocol for Health Care Professionals: Identification and Treatment of Adult Victims
• History of the New Hampshire Initiative on Domestic Violence
• Screening Tools for Healthcare Providers 
  

Resources:

• SANE Resource Page- Includes information on certification requirements, upcoming trainings and events, and important forms and resources.
• What to expect during a hospital exam?