Franciscan Health Foundation Awarded Indiana Grants To Support Victims Of Sexual Abuse And Trauma
Grants from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) to the Franciscan Health Foundation totaling $432,433 will enable Franciscan Health hospitals to continue their work to assist victims of domestic violence through the Centers of Hope.
ICJI is supporting Franciscan Health's Centers of Hope with three awards through their Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding. These grants will help fund SANEs (sexual assault nurse examiners) nurses. The aim of the Centers of Hope is to create a safe environment for victims of violence, sexual abuse and trauma. The need for such services is urgent in Indiana, with the latest available data from 2019 ranked the state second highest nationwide in rate of child abuse.
Centers of Hope have nurses on call 24/7, where a trained nurse is always available to take care of a victim, so they don't have to be transferred.
SANE nurses undergo intensive training in:
- Cultural sensitivity
- Trauma-informed, victim-centered care
- Injury identification
- Evidence preservation
- Forensic photography
- Forensic documentation
- Acute and long-term effects of sexual violence
- Courtroom and some expert testimony
The awards to Centers of Hope are as follows:
- Franciscan Health Indianapolis - $99,218.17
- Franciscan Health Lafayette and Rensselaer - $146,078.20
- Franciscan Health in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties - $187,136.72
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