in this issue

Member Benefit of the Month

The Assessing Safety Initiative

Silentinjury Questionnaire

Medical Examiners and Coroners' Offices

Attorney General Announces Proposed Guidelines for Implementing the Adam Walsh Act

Diffusing Disaccords

Making Sense of the CSI Effect: A National Symposium on the Interaction of Forensic Science and Popular Culture

Post your Event on IAFN's Event Page!

2007 IAFN Regional Symposiums

Submit your Forms on the SAFE TA Website to Share!

Training Schedule for Victim Service Providers Available

UPCOMING WEB CONFERENCE

Resource Materials and Articles

Find grant opportunities

More Funding Resources!

HHS Office of Minority Health - Think Cultural Health Website

Study: Relatively new STD eclipses gonorrhea

Scientific Assembly Registration now Open

The 15th Annual Scientific Assembly to be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, October 17-20, 2007 has opened its registration!

Click here to Register

Greetings!

·  Member Benefit of the Month

Did you know that members can place FREE job postings on IAFN's website? This is an offer not to pass up! With over 500 page views a week, this is a great way to advertise any forensic nursing positions you may have open!

To view or post a job, click here!

·  The Assessing Safety Initiative

An OVW funded website, dedicated to assisting organizations and communities meet the needs of women with disabilities & Deaf women who are victims or survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, & stalking.

To learn more about this project, click here...

·  Silentinjury Questionnaire

The Silentinjury Questionnaire (SQ) is a teaching aid to develop curriculum for child sexual abuse professionals attending Forensic Interview Training seminars sponsored by the Arizona Governor's Office for Children.

The SQ evolved from an earlier trauma inventory (Sexual Trauma Inventory - STI) developed to measure trauma symptomatology among primary child sexual abuse survivors (Emerick, 1993). The SQ was developed to investigate the relationship between a child sexual abuse professional's work related experiences and potential cognitive, emotional, social, and sexual injuries (Silent Injuries).

A questionnaire is currently posted at Silentinjuries.com and hundreds of professionals have anonymously contributed to the data pool. The SQ observations were presented at the International Association of Forensic Nurses' 14th Annual Scientific Assembly in Vancouver, British Columbia on September 29, 2006. Following the seminar, participants expressed an interest in collecting IAFN members' responses to the SQ. Subsequently, the questionnaire referral source question (224-b) was amended to enable IAFN members to identify their organization. Since October 1, 2006 the total number respondents identifying IAFN or an IAFN state chapter, as their SQ referral source is seventy.

The 2007 IAFN Scientific Assembly program planning committee reviewed and accepted the abstract titled, Silentinjuries Among SANEs. The seminar is scheduled for a four-hour workshop.

To learn more or to take the questionnaire, click here

·  Medical Examiners and Coroners' Offices

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics recently presented key findings from the 2004 Census of Medical Examiners and Coroners' (ME/C) Offices.

This special report describes the medicolegal investigation of death in the United States. It provides an overview of the personnel, budgets, and workload of these offices by type of office and size of jurisdiction. It also includes information on the number of unidentified human decedents handled by ME/C offices. The report examines record keeping practices and use of national databases for unidentified remains. Detailed data tables on topics covered in this report are available on the BJS website.

Highlights include the following:

• About 2,000 medical examiners and coroners' (ME/C) offices provided death investigation services across the United States in 2004.
• In a typical year ME/C offices reported that they handled about 4,400 unidentified human decedents of which about 1,000 remained unidentified after one year.
• Nearly 1 million human death cases were referred in 2004; about 500,000 accepted

To view more, click here

·  Attorney General Announces Proposed Guidelines for Implementing the Adam Walsh Act

In her June message, Regina B. Schofield, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), writes:

"On May 17, 2007, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales announced proposed National Guidelines for Sex Offender Registration and Notification as required by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. He also announced $25 million in assistance for communities to implement the Adam Walsh Act and to take other steps to guard against sex offenders. Both the Guidelines and the funding are being administered by a new component of OJP, the Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) Office. The SMART Office was authorized by the Adam Walsh Act and is being led by Laura Roger.

"Improving coordination and information sharing between jurisdictions will make it more difficult for sex offenders to successfully abscond and avoid fulfilling their registration obligations. Under the new law, sex offenders who abscond now face mandatory state penalties and may face federal penalties.

"In addition, new registry standards will allow citizens to search online for sex offenders who live, work or attend school in their jurisdiction and allow for more useful ways to search for these registered sex offenders. With access to comprehensive registries, parents, caregivers and children are empowered to identify potential dangers in their communities. Schools, daycare centers, and other child serving organizations will automatically be notified of sex offenders registered in the areas they serve. These new standards also ensure that local law enforcement agencies can monitor sex offenders by requiring that sex offenders register when they move into, become employed or attend school in the communities they protect.

"We at OJP are proud to partner with states, territories, the District of Columbia, Indian tribes and local communities as they continue to develop and strengthen their sex offender registration and notification programs."

For additional information about the proposed guidelines and sex offender registries, visit the SMART Office Web site

·  Diffusing Disaccords

Conflict management and resolution are important aspects of a nurse manager's job.

Today's nurse manager has to manage many nursing staff, unlicensed assistive personnel and clerical associates, and deal with conflicts among people of diverse cultural, spiritual and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Before a manager can help others deal with their conflicts, she needs to examine her own beliefs and practices regarding conflict.

An effective manager recognizes conflict is a normal part of life. A successful manager acknowledges conflict can surface within the nursing unit and makes appropriate changes to prevent future occurrences.

Written by: By Christine M. Gonzalez, MSN, RN & Stacey Nash, MSN, RN

To read the entire article from ADVANCE newsmagazines, click here

·  Making Sense of the CSI Effect: A National Symposium on the Interaction of Forensic Science and Popular Culture

The 8th Annual Forensic Science and Law Conference

In keeping with an annual tradition of convening the nation's premier forensic scientific, legal and other experts to educate a broad-based professional and lay audience about a timely societal theme, the Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law and its host institution, the Duquesne University School of Law, will present a symposium exploring the complex relationship between the worlds of forensic science and popular culture.

Featuring presentations and panel discussions by prominent authors, screenwriters, producers and actors - along with practitioners of forensic science, criminal law and public policy - the three-day program is intended to help participants arrive at a greater understanding of the significant ways in which forensic professionals and the creators of popular culture can and do learn from and contribute to one another's work. Special screenings, signings and other activities are also being planned.

Continuing education accreditation is anticipated for attorneys, teachers and other professional groups. WHERE:
Forbes Avenue Ballroom
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, PA

WHEN: Thursday, April 3 - Saturday, April 5, 2008

For more information, or to join our mailing list, please contact us at: 412-396-1330 or wechtinstitute(at)duq(dot)edu

·  Post your Event on IAFN's Event Page!

Did you know that you can post your forensic related events on IAFN's website for free! Imagine all the free exposure and publicity for your event. Looking for a SANE or Death Investigator training course? We've got those listed as well!

To submit an event click here!

·  2007 IAFN Regional Symposiums

Mark your calendars for the next two Symposiums. September 21st in Cleveland, OH will host another SANE A Prep Course with Eileen Allen. Registration is now available! November 17th in Vancouver, BC will host Susan Chasson and Sheila Early for an Elder Abuse workshop.

To register for the SANE A Prep Course in Cleveland, click here

·  Submit your Forms on the SAFE TA Website to Share!

A BRAND new feature in the library section of the SAFEta web site (www.safeta.org) has been activated! There is now a library of forms for you to browse through. Some of the forms included are sample examination forms and program forms that may be useful for SANE and SART programs.

Struggling with ways to screen potential SANE nurse candidates? Check out the forms library for sample interview tools! Just a click away, take a look TODAY.

Do you have a form that you think will be helpful to other programs? If you are willing to share, you can just click on the "submit a form" link to upload yours to the site. Please share this exciting news with your colleagues!

To submit a form, click here

·  Training Schedule for Victim Service Providers Available

OVC is offering a series of training workshops (beginning September 2007) to enhance the capacity of service providers to serve crime victims and increase their professional skills. The newest workshop, Responding to School Violence, will be offered October 23-24, 2007, in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Visit the OVC TTAC Web site for more information or to register. (OVC)

·  UPCOMING WEB CONFERENCE

The Workplace: a dialogue on Organizational Practices to Prevent Violence Against Women - August 15, 2007 2pm Eastern Time (11am Pacific Time)

Registration opens soon, click here to learn more

·  Resource Materials and Articles

Abuse in Gay Male Relationships: A Discussion Paper
by Kevin Kirkland, Ph.D., National Clearinghouse on Family Violence of the Family Violence Prevention Unit, Public Health Agency of Canada (2004)
Intended for victimized gay men (and friends, colleagues and family), and helping professionals (therapists, counselors, health care providers and educators), this paper provides suggestions on how to identify and deal with unique aspects of this issue.
http://new.vawnet.org/category/Documents.php?docid=938

Domestic Violence in Gay and Lesbian Couples
by Richard Niolon, Ph.D. for Violence Against Lesbians
This paper reviews some of the many issues involved in domestic violence in gay couples and offers suggestions for intervention/treatment.
http://new.vawnet.org/category/Documents.php?docid=939

"Lessons Learned from 911: DNA Identification in Mass Disasters" program now available on CD ROM
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/redirects/redirect06-04-2007b.htm

What You Should Know About Men Who Have Been Sexually Assaulted
by Men Can Stop Rape (2006)
This fact sheet provides information about male sexual assault, and dispels some of the myths surrounding the issue.
http://new.vawnet.org/category/Documents.php?docid=917

ARTICLES:

Update on Hate Crimes http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/journals/257/hate-crime.html

Challenges Faced by Deaf Victims of Sexual Assault http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/journals/257/deaf-victims.html


Addressing Shortfalls in Forensic Science Education
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/redirects/redirect06-04-2007.htm

·  Find grant opportunities

All discretionary grants offered by the 26 Federal grant-making agencies can be found on Grants.gov. About grants.gov

Grants.gov was born as a governmental resource named the E-Grants Initiative, part of the President's 2002 Fiscal Year Management Agenda to improve government services to the public:

"Agencies will allow applicants for Federal Grants to apply for and ultimately manage grant funds online through a common web site, simplifying grants management and eliminating redundancies."

The concept has its origins in the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999, also known as Public Law 106-107. P.L. 106-107 was enacted in November of that year to:

* Improve the effectiveness and performance of Federal financial assistance programs. * Simplify Federal assistance application and reporting requirements. * Improve the delivery of services to the public. * Facilitate greater coordination among those responsible for delivering the services.

Today, Grants.gov is a central storehouse for information on over 1,000 grant programs and access to approximately $400 billion in annual awards. By registering once on this site, your organization can apply for grants from the 26 Federal grant-making agencies.

To access Grants.gov, click here

·  More Funding Resources!

Current Funding Database
The Current Funding Database provides a synopsis of the currently available fellowships, scholarships, and grants that may be used to address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual violence, and stalking. The funding announcements are arranged by Government Grants for Programs, Private Grants for Programs, Research and Evaluation, Fellowships, and Scholarships.

Funding Alert
The Funding Alert provides a weekly synopsis of current fellowships, scholarships, and grants that may be used to address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual violence, and stalking.

To learn more about what is available through VAWnet, click here

·  HHS Office of Minority Health - Think Cultural Health Website

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Minority Health (OMH) sponsors Think Cultural Health (www.thinkculturalhealth.org); a website that provides free online courses accredited for continuing education credit as well as supplementary tools to help promote respectful, understandable, and effective care to increasingly diverse patients.

Recently, OMH released a new tool for healthcare organizations titled Health Care Language Services Implementation Guide. Please see brief description and web links below of the tools and courses offered at Think Cultural Health.

Health Care Language Services Implementation Guide is a free Web-based interactive tool that can assist healthcare organizations in planning, implementing, and evaluating language access services to better serve their limited English proficiency patient population and decrease disparities in access to healthcare. Visit the following website link for additional information on this tool: https://hclsig.thinkculturalhealth.org/.

A Physician's Practical Guide to Culturally Competent Care is a free online self-directed educational program accredited for physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists with a specific interest in cultural competency in the provision of care. Culturally Competent Nursing Care: A Cornerstone of Caring is a free online educational program designed specifically for nurses and is accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Visit the following website link for additional information on these programs

·  Study: Relatively new STD eclipses gonorrhea

NEW YORK - A relatively new sexually transmitted infection has surpassed Neisseria gonorrhea in prevalence among young adults in the U.S., according to a new study. Mycoplasma genitalium was first identified in the 1980s. It can cause inflammation of the urethra (the urinary passage from the bladder), in men, and inflammation of the cervix and the lining of the uterus in women, possibly leading to infertility. However, it seems many cases of the infection are symptom-free.

To read the entire Reuters article on MSNBC, click here

·  Thank you to our Corporate Patrons and Educational Partners!