DVIS Moves Exam Room To Hillcrest To Better Serve Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence Survivors

Domestic Violence Intervention Services (DVIS) recently moved its Sexual Assault Nurse Exam (SANE) room to Hilcrest over the last several months. It's an effort to better serve victims of sexual assault or domestic violence.

For 30 years, DVIS' advocacy team has been dispatching hospital advocates to support people undergoing SANE exams. The exam is designed to meet the medical needs of someone who has experienced sexual assault or domestic violence, and collect evidence.

There have been over 150 sexual assault exams in the new space this year. The new location is bigger and allows DVIS and hospital advocates to better serve both adults and children with all the equipment needed to examine anyone who comes in, instead of only having to go to a hospital.

"We have a number of nurses. The majority of them have 20 and 30 years of experience. And that is something to be proud of because there's a lot of communities around Green Country that don’t have that. In fact, we have people that come in over an hour and a half away to get a SANE exam," Lori Gonzalez, the VP of advocacy services for DVIS said.

The new location and rooms also allow nurses to treat adults and children more comfortably with a new adult exam room and a children's exam room. Regardless of age, victims' advocates are also there with those who are undergoing a SANE exam to let them know that someone is there for them.

"A lot of the times with sexual assault, victims are afraid that they are not going to be believed. Or they’re afraid to come forward because there’s victim shaming and blaming and all those things. So having somebody that’s in your corner that from the start that says, 'I believe you, and I’m here for you. You tell me what you need, and we will see what we can do to make that happen,' is incredibly important," Jackie Wallace, a victim's advocate for the SANE program said.

While the SANE rooms are operational, DVIS is still finishing up work on the SANE exam room for children. It's adding a mural to help kids feel more comfortable going through the exam.