Resources Library:

Virginia LGBTQ Community Resource and Referral Guide

Added Friday, August 01, 2014 by Action Alliance

This guide was created to serve as a resource for people working with LGBTQ Virginians who might not be aware of the extent of community based resources in their areas.  Includes medical, legal, community, and religious/faith resources by region (central, eastern, southern/southwest, norther, northwest, and state).  Published by the Virginia Anti-Violence Project.

Virginia Transgender Resource and Referral List

Added Friday, October 14, 2016 by Action Alliance

Produced by the Virginia Department of Health, the Transgender Resource and Referral List is a statewide list of trans-friendly service providers.

To ensure you always have the most up-to-date list, please visit VDH's Transgender Health Services and Support page.

Virginia Violent Death Reporting System: Recent Reports

Added Tuesday, March 22, 2016 by Office of the Chief Medical Examiner

The Virginia Violent Death Reporting System has produced two recent reports on violent death in Virginia:

Virginia’s Healthcare Response to Sexual Assault:

Added Monday, November 15, 2010 by Action Alliance

Guidelines for the Acute Care of Adult and Post-Pubertal Adolescent Sexual Assault Patients

The document incorporates recommendations from professionals across Virginia, as well as information from current guidelines from relevant state and national resources on the management of sexual assault patients and the collection of forensic evidence. The guidelines provide a framework for the critical role of the healthcare sector in meeting the needs of sexual assault patients and the criminal justice system. They are organized around four fundamental criteria and were developed to address the healthcare response at the community, facility, and individual levels.

While these guidelines were developed specifically for healthcare professionals and facilities, the healthcare sector is just one component of a comprehensive response to sexual violence.  These guidelines will also be a valuable component of statewide efforts to establish coordinated, collaborative, and compassionate responses to sexual violence in every community in Virginia. Published by Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance and Virginia Chapter of the International Association of Forensic Nurses December 2009. 127 pages.

On July 1, 2013, Virginia enacted legislation that provides a procedure health care providers may use to evaluate incapacitated patients who may have been sexually assaulted (see § 54.1-2970.1 below).  The legislation is intended to be used when a sexual assault examination and physical evidence recovery is prudent, but the adult patient is unable to consent and timeliness of evidence collection is crucial prior to destruction by medical interventions or bodily functions. The law outlines specific procedures and criteria that must be met in order to allow the examination and evidence recovery without the patient’s consent. In November, an addendum to the Healthcare Guidelines was released to provide guidance to healthcare professionals on the use of this new process.  It is expected that the new consent process will be infrequently used, as consent for the sexual assault examination and physical evidence recovery may be obtained from next of kin, guardians, or from the patient after the patient regains the capacity to consent following temporary incapacity.

 



 

Virginia’s Lethal Loopholes: Policy Solutions to Domestic Homicides Committed with Firearms

Added Tuesday, March 22, 2016 by Office of the Chief Medical Examiner

The Eductional Fund to Stop Gun Violence recently issued an overview of policy issues surrounding fatal domestic violence involving firearms in Virginia.  The full report can be found here.