SAFEta

Across-Stateline Challenges in Medical Forensic Exam Payment and Reimbursement: Solutions for Clinicians and Survivors
2024-07-29 12:00 - 13:30 UTC
Payment and reimbursement for medical forensic examinations (MFEs) can be challenging. However, navigating payment for MFEs when the assault occurred across state lines presents a unique challenge for healthcare professionals and survivors. This webinar will highlight multifaceted scenarios where the survivor may undergo a MFE in a state different from their resident state or the state where the assault occurred. Through a detailed exploration of core scenarios, this webinar aims to equip clinicians with the necessary steps and tools to navigate the complexities of payment and reimbursement for MFEs that are conducted and state lines becomes an issue. Ensuring not only that survivors continue their journey to healing without the re-traumatization of receiving a bill, but also offering solutions to reimbursement to assist in maintaining clinician sustainability.

Presenter:
Koren Grzelak, RN
International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN)

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This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-22-GK-04021-STOP awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are these of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Diving Into the Reality of Safety Planning for Survivors
2024-07-24 14:00 - 15:30
In this webinar the subject matter experts will discuss safety planning for individuals experiencing Intimate Partner Violence. Award winning speaker, Mildred D. Muhammad, will give her personal account of experiencing violence at the hands of her former husband and the barriers she faced when safety planning for herself and her children. Drawing from these real-life experiences, the presenters will identify solutions, provide resources, and discuss strategies for more effective safety planning.

Presenters:
Tonia Moultry-Pace, Mildred Muhammad, Angelita Olowu, Laci Smith

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This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-23-GK-05172-MUMU awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are these of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Quiet Suffering: Recognizing the Impact of Strangulation Across the Lifespan in Tribal Communities
2024-07-11 14:00 - 15:30
Strangulation is a prevalent occurrence in child maltreatment, IPV, and sexual violence across the lifespan. The impact of strangulation can lead to harmful, life-long health consequences, and even death. Yet, only a fraction of the victims of non-fatal strangulation will seek help on their own. When help is sought, healthcare professionals may not give full consideration to the occurrence of strangulation and overlook appropriate interventions that are needed. This webinar will provide an overview of the important aspects of strangulation, such as the mechanics, as well as the impact of those victimized by it. The content offered will provide a foundation for assessment, appropriate interventions, and responses to Non-fatal Strangulation while highlighting the IAFN Strangulation Toolkit as an essential resource. The presenters will address potential challenges faced by those responding to this particular form of violence and opportunities to help those impacted by strangulation within American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

Presenters:
Chenel Vanden Berk, BSFS, JD, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P
International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN)
Angelita Olowu, BSN, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P
International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN)

REGISTER HERE.

This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-23-GK-03969-INDI awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are these of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Navigating Billing Barriers: Strategies for Resolving Medical Forensic Exam Payments with Survivors
2024-04-30 14:00 - 15:30
It is known that patients at times receive bills related to their medical forensic exam (MFE), and this is brought to the attention of various clinicians and service providers – advocates, nurses, billers. MFEs are crucial for survivor health, healing, and sometimes criminal legal engagement. Join this interactive presentation that will discuss the potential pitfalls and challenges survivors may encounter and explore strategies to assist them in resolving these issues. Attendees will actively engage in exploring support options for survivors and learn how to build effective resolution strategies.
Presenters:
Koren Grzelak, RN | Forensic Nurse Specialist
International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN)
Farah Gold
Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)

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Autism Spectrum Disorder and Sexual Violence and Abuse Part 2: Recognizing and Adapting the Response to Individuals with Autism
2023-09-18 14:00 - 15:30
In the second part of this webinar series, we are joined again by content experts, Travis Haycook, Staci Whitney, and Sandra Harrell, as they address the response to individuals with autism that have experienced sexual violence and abuse. The presenters will highlight strategies to adapt a response to survivors with autism to fit the needs of the survivor. They will discuss how to ensure that the services provided are meaningful and diminish the potential of the response inflicting additional trauma.

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Autism Spectrum Disorder and Sexual Violence and Abuse Part 1: Understanding Autism From the Clinical Perspective
2023-09-07 14:00 - 15:30
For those providing a response to Individuals living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) that have experienced sexual violence, it is Important to understand the many differences in ways those individuals may interact, communicate, and learn. In Part 1 of this webinar series, the content experts will share their knowledge on ASD and how it shows up in individuals across the lifespan. They will highlight some of the behaviors that may be misinterpreted as well as some of the more common methods of therapies associated with treatment of ASD.
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Guiding the Care of Patients Experiencing IPV Through a National Protocol
2023-08-24 14:00 - 15:30
Presenters: IAFN & OVW staff

Research has provided data informing that often there is inadequate training provided to clinicians on who, when, and how to screen for and respond to intimate partner violence. This potentially leads to inconsistencies in the care provided to this patient population. The Office on Violence Against Women has funded the International Association of Forensic Nurses to collaborate with a variety of subject matter experts and develop a national protocol that provides healthcare clinicians with guidance that enhances care for patients that experience intimate partner violence. This session will provide an extensive overview of the national protocol and include strategies for integration into your clinical practice.

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Responding to Immigrant Sexual and Domestic Violence Survivors Part 2: Tips and Tools to Assist in Achieving Access to Health Care and Public Benefits
2023-08-22 14:00 - 15:30
Presenters:
Leslye Orloff, Adjunct Professor and Director, National Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project (NIWAP), American University, Washington College of Law
Rafaela Rodrigues, Immigrant Women Law and Policy Fellow, NIWAP
Immigrant survivors of sexual and domestic and sexual violence who receive medical forensic exams and heath care have multiple intersecting advocacy needs. Best practices are employed when forensic nurses, healthcare professionals, victim advocates, and attorneys know how to quickly access legally correct information on which federal and state funded public benefits and services immigrant survivors are eligible to receive. This second webinar in this 2-part series will provide attendees with detailed information on the full range of publicly funded benefits and services immigrant domestic and sexual violence survivors can access. Topics to be discussed include housing, health care, income support, the supplemental nutrition assistance program, driver’s licenses, education, child care, unemployment insurance and other benefits. Eligibility varies by state, by form of immigration case, and the type of benefit the victim is seeking. The webinar will demonstrate how participants can use NIWAP’s online benefits map and state by state charts. The webinar will also highlight the best practices for accompanying and assisting immigrant survivors applying for benefits.

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Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) and the Patient Who Experienced Sexual Assault
2023-08-10 14:00 - 15:30
Presenter: Susan Chasson MSN, JD, SANE-A, SANE-P
This webinar will provide an overview of the history and purpose of EMTALA. It will include information on how EMTALA impacts the medical forensic exam and will review legal cases involving EMTALA and patients that have experienced sexual violence.

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Individualizing Care: Providing Medical Forensic Exams Across All Skin Tones
2023-08-04 14:00 - 15:30
Presenters:
Chantel Hammond, MSN, RN, AFN-C, SANE-A, SANE-P
Angelita Olowu, BSN, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P
In this webinar the presenters will discuss considerations for individualizing care when providing a comprehensive medical forensic exam. As forensic nurses, it is a prioritization to ensure that a patient-centered approach is taken when providing care. In order for this to happen the entire patient has to be acknowledged, this includes culturally specific needs the patient may have as well as variations in skin tones across patients seeking care. This interactive webinar will guide participants on acknowledging and addressing these needs during the exam in a trauma-informed, culturally specific manner.

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Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: How Advocacy Benefits the Patient and the Forensic Nurse
2023-07-28 14:00 - 15:30
Presenters:
Karla Vierthaler, National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)
Sara Walters, National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)
Andrea Wilson, National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV)
This presentation will review the role of the community based medical advocate for survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence before, during and after a forensic exam, as well as the benefits of their presence to the clinician and patients. Presenters will discuss the different types of advocacy programs and the confidentiality associated with each type. They will also talk about the Sexual assault and recently updated IPV Adult Protocols.

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Responding to Immigrant Sexual and Domestic Violence Survivors Part I: Legal Rights to Access Health Care, Public Benefits, and Family Law Protections
2023-07-20 14:00 - 15:30
This webinar will provide forensic nurses, health care providers, and victim advocate attendees with detailed information on the full range of publicly funded benefits and services immigrant sexual and domestic violence survivors can access in their states. Some publicly funded benefits and services are open to all immigrants without regard to immigration status. Since public benefits and subsidized health care access expands for immigrant survivors who apply for victim-based immigration relief, participants will learn how to identify immigration relief eligible survivors. Public benefits eligibility varies by state, by form of immigration case, whether the victim is an adult or a child, and the type of benefit the victim is seeking. To support participants’ work with immigrant survivors the webinar will demonstrate how participants can use NIWAP’s new online benefits map and state-by-state charts. The webinar will conclude a brief overview addressing key facts participants need to know about immigrant survivors’ legal rights to obtain civil protection orders, custody of children, and child support. Webinar participants will receive links to tools and resources in the NIWAP on-line library on each of the topics discussed in this webinar.

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DNA in Sexual Assault Cases Part 2: Implications for Current and Future Practice
2023-06-29 14:00 - 15:30
Current best practice recommendations and research findings on evidence collection and DNA analysis results will be reviewed. Case studies will be presented to solidify understanding. Implications from research findings on forensic nursing practice and multidisciplinary policy will be discussed. The webinar will conclude with information on emerging trends in DNA collection, analysis, and interpretation.
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