To shut Sexual Assault Consciousness Month (SAAM), we’re sharing this letter from Alison Barkoff, who leads ACL, Jeff Hild, who leads the Administration for Youngsters and Households, and Admiral Rachel Levine, the HHS Assistant Secretary for Well being, which was written to enhance assist for folks with mental and/or developmental disabilities who expertise sexual violence – and to forestall it from occurring.
The letter and the listing of suggestions it references had been despatched to HHS-funded packages, together with rape disaster facilities, behavioral well being packages, violence towards girls well being program initiatives, and those who serve folks with I/DD and at the moment are posted on ACL’s web site (as a mixed PDF).
Pricey Colleague,
April is Sexual Assault Consciousness Month (SAAM) and a time to resume our dedication to stopping sexual assault and supporting those that have been victimized.
This April, the Administration for Group Dwelling, the Workplace of the Assistant Secretary for Well being, and the Administration for Youngsters and Households are issuing this informational memo about sexual violence towards individuals with mental and developmental disabilities (I/DD). This letter goals to lift consciousness of the disparities folks with I/DD expertise that may put them at better threat for sexual assault and gives steerage and sources that assist advocates and different care suppliers acknowledge sexual violence and enhance providers for survivors.
In response to the CDC’s Nationwide Intimate Associate and Sexual Violence Survey, over half of ladies and nearly a 3rd of males have or will expertise a type of undesirable sexual contact of their lifetimes. Whereas statistics range, the next prevalence of sexual violence towards individuals with disabilities is well-documented, and an estimated 2 in 5 feminine victims of rape are reported to have a incapacity on the time of assault. A latest research from the American Journal of Preventive Medication discovered that girls with I/DD expertise roughly double the proportion of sexual violence skilled by nondisabled girls, and that the prevalence of bodily violence is roughly thrice larger for girls with cognitive disabilities and 4 instances larger for girls with a number of disabilities when in comparison with nondisabled girls. Equally, males with disabilities are extra probably than males with out disabilities to expertise sexual violence of their lifetime, together with tried or accomplished nonconsensual intercourse.
The impression of sexual violence is distressing for anybody. Nevertheless, as a result of folks with I/DD expertise a variety of further disparities (e.g., well being, financial, instructional, social) and face limitations in accessing providers and helps, together with these for survivors of sexual violence, the expertise could also be that rather more traumatic.
Individuals with I/DD could also be scared to return ahead about sexual violence, particularly if perpetrated by a caretaker or authority determine, as a result of it may result in destructive penalties associated to accessing the care that helps their unbiased residing. People with I/DD might not be believed once they make a report or disclose sexual assault due to incorrect assumptions others made about their capabilities. People with I/DD and people with communication disabilities could have bother understanding or conveying what is occurring to them and could also be unable to obviously talk non-consent. Individuals with I/DD additionally typically don’t obtain any intercourse schooling and, in the event that they do, it may be insufficient. Consequently, folks with I/DD could have difficulties recognizing that they’re being abused, and due to this fact could not report it when it occurs.
Survivors with I/DD could face further challenges receiving disaster assist providers as a result of many service suppliers lack ample coaching on supporting victims with I/DD, together with coaching on survivor-informed care. Consequently, they don’t have the knowledge and data wanted to plan for serving a various inhabitants with accessibility wants. For instance, rape disaster facilities could not have accessible buildings or providers, similar to having sufferer advocates who can successfully assist folks with I/DD with completely different communication wants. With out correct planning and protocols in place, they might not know tips on how to assist victims with I/DD reporting abuse.
Sexual Assault Consciousness Month challenges public well being and human providers professionals to each replicate on these limitations to care and recommits us to our obligation to ship a lifeline to all who want it, together with folks with I/DD. HHS packages and the Division’s grant recipients are sometimes the primary stops for people in want of help. HHS funded organizations embrace rape disaster facilities, home violence organizations, Facilities for Unbiased Dwelling, Safety and Advocacy Methods, College Facilities for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, State Councils on Developmental Disabilities, and Group Therapy and Service Facilities, all of which offer crucial sources that assist victims with I/DD to guide their healthiest and fullest lives.
Constructing and sustaining collaborations between the federal authorities and nationwide and state networks that work on these points is crucial to bettering particular person and population-level outcomes. We advocate that well being and human providers professionals enhance their capability to serve survivors with I/DD by:
Constructing relationships between home violence packages, sexual assault packages, tribes, culturally particular organizations and incapacity organizations to facilitate collaboration and coaching;Studying what works for prevention of sexual assault and home violence;Offering technical help to make sure packages are compliant with related incapacity legal guidelines and greatest practices in sexual violence response providers;Creating advocacy and case administration protocols that guarantee designated workers can be found to help survivors with I/DD at any time when potential;Creating trauma-informed amenities and providers for individuals with disabilities; andInvolving survivors with lived expertise in designing providers to fulfill their wants.
We’re happy to share an inventory of sexual violence prevention and response sources, a few of that are particular to people with disabilities, to assist your organizations construct these crucial collaborations and be taught extra about this concern. We have now organized these sources by advice.
We encourage you to make the most of these sources and suggestions to start out conversations inside your organizations about this crucial concern.
Thanks for all that you simply do to assist victims of sexual violence and individuals with I/DD not simply this month, however all year long.
Sincerely,
Alison BarkoffAdministration for Group Dwelling
Jeff HildAdministration for Youngsters and Households
Admiral Rachel Levine Assistant Secretary for Well being
