Health Care Providers

Campus Care

Students who are sexually assaulted may come forward at various entry points, with differing emotional states and at varying lengths of time following the assault. The victim may first make contact with a staff assistant, resident assistant, nurse, counselor, clinician, faculty member, administrator, or volunteer advocate. The American College Healthcare Association recommends that a seamless response to sexual assault includes service coordination between campuses and communities.

Student options need to include anonymous reporting, law enforcement involvement, judicial or disciplinary board actions, forensic medical care, emergency contraception, academic/housing accommodations, and followup counseling, support, and advocacy services.²⁷ For example, Montclair State University (MSU) developed a SART composed of university police, county rape care advocates, and health center forensic nurse examiners who provide all necessary services to victims of sexual assault on campus. SART services are available 24/7 to any student, visitor, or employee who is a victim of sexual assault occurring on campus grounds and to MSU students who are victims of sexual assault occurring off MSU property.

At MSU, the SART is activated upon victim consent. If the victim chooses to seek services elsewhere, campus and community resources are offered to victims, safe transportation is arranged, and all the victim's choices are documented in the medical record. Information about victims' rights is given to all victims. For example, victims have the right to have a victim advocate present, to receive medical care and forensic examinations, to have forensic evidence held for 90 days if victims choose not to report initially, and to file criminal or disciplinary charges against the assailant.