Department of Justice Grant will Help Expand Nursing’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program
A $499,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will help the School of Nursing broaden its Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program to include a Campus SANE Network Program.
The DOJ Office of Justice Programs (OJP), through its Office for Victims of Crime, has awarded more than $3.8 million in total to Duquesne and seven other U.S. universities to establish or expand SANE programs that offer medical forensic care, advocacy and other victim services to sexual assault survivors on college campuses.
The funding has been awarded to Associate Nursing Professor Dr. Alison Colbert to establish a Campus SANE Network Program, which aims to develop and implement a model to enhance sexual assault health care on small to medium-sized university campuses, with an emphasis on those in rural areas.
“We know that sexual assault on university campuses remains an issue. And the effect on survivors lasts well beyond the college years. We also know that there are issues specific to the campus environment that warrant tailored services, and this is even more true in rural areas” said Colbert, whose research and clinical practice focus on health promotion among marginalized and vulnerable populations. “The campus-based sexual assault nurse examiner, or SANE, would be responsible for ensuring that all students have access to a complete sexual assault exam via a local partner and that the students are connected to those partners in a compassionate and trauma-informed way.”
The School of Nursing, known for its innovative spirit, launched the first graduate online MSN in forensic nursing in 2002, preparing nurses how to respond to and effectively help victims of crime. “This new grant from the DOJ will allow us to continue our efforts to ensure that all victims of sexual assault have access to high-quality, patient-centered care and to prevent sexual violence in Pennsylvania and across the country,” Colbert said.
Nursing Dean Dr. Mary Ellen Glasgow said that the grant will build on the success of the school’s existing forensic nursing programs. “The nurses who participate will be prepared to direct care and to lead campus efforts combating sexual violence,” she said.
OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Sullivan said these grants will build a cadre of skilled medical professionals capable of responding immediately and holistically to the needs of sexual assault survivors. “Victims of sexual assault deserve the best of care, including expert medical forensic attention that can help close out cases and bring perpetrators to justice,” she said. “Making SANE Nurse positions available on college campus will help ensure survivors receive the trauma informed care they deserve and vital forensic evidence will be collected to ensure perpetrators are held accountable.”