Health Care Providers

Public Health

One of the tasks of public health care in the United States is to promote and encourage healthy behaviors and mental health in the population. The public health approach, which focuses on prevention before an act occurs, complements SARTs' multidisciplinary approach. For example, the public health model considers issues of environmental health, occupational health and safety, mental health, substance abuse, and violence. Service providers, such as managed care organizations, hospitals, nonprofit corporations, schools, faith organizations, and businesses, are also an integral part of the public health infrastructure in many communities.³⁴ Consider collaborating with public health practitioners—not only to assess the impact of sexual violence within communities, but also to work to end sexual violence through education.

Public health officials on your SART may monitor community health problems related to sexual violence, inform and educate service providers and the community about health issues following sexual violence, enforce regulations that protect health and ensure safety, link victims to needed personal health services, and ensure that health care is provided when otherwise unavailable.³⁵

Additionally, public health officials may—

• Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts in the aftermath of sexual assault.
• Evaluate the effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of community coordinated responses on health-related issues.
• Assess interventions for at-risk victims and offenders.