1. Sexual Assault Disclosures: What Happens Next?
Shandra Witherspoon
SART Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator
Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence
2018 Celebrate Kids Conference
September 27, 2018

2. Our Goal
To foster strong, lasting relationships between first responders in each county to create comprehensive, compassionate responses to sexual assault survivors.
Over to you:
Your name
Your role
What you hope to get from today?

3. Objectives
Have a better understanding about the different systems survivors have to navigate after disclosure.
Understand the importance of establishing a SART in your county to help minimize trauma to survivors.
Possess the ability to educate survivors about the multidisciplinary process that follows after they disclose.

4. Group Agreements Confidentiality Participation Use “I” Statements
Add something
Anything else?

5. Principles of Support
On your own: think of a situation where you talked about something important to you with somebody. In pairs: What made you feel listened or NOT listened to?

6. First Steps
Where do you think people go when they need to disclose an experience of sexual violence?

7. Let’s Imagine… Walking the Walk Activity: Count off, 1 to 3.
Pair up with your group.
Wait for instructions.

8. Why the hospital?
Treatment, Evidence, Advocacy

9. How Advocates Get There?
Hospital protocol to contact advocate even if survivor does not initially request one. Advocates should enter ED following guidelines they have established with hospital.

10. The Hospital Setting The ER (or ED) SANEs Medical staff
Law enforcement
Loved ones

11. Benefits of Advocacy in the Hospital
Support
Accessibility
Resources
Long-term follow
up care

12. Advocate’s Role Support the survivor Allow SANE to do their job
Advocate for survivor’s needs & rights
Help determine follow-up resources
Support any loved ones present
Know when to say when

13. After the Exam
Medication
Law enforcement
Recovery resources
Education

14. The Stuff Nobody Prepares You For
What challenges and surprises have you encountered? What happens if…?

15. Whoa…. We never talked about THAT in training!
5 things no one told me…
Um… can you repeat that?
Whoa…. We never talked about THAT in training!

16. What to do with what you experience?
Yes No

17. Shandra Witherspoon SART Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator Phone: