Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

[Susan Marine <>]

Hi everyone,

The issue of developing or revising protocols has raised a question in my 
mind which I'd like to share with the list.

I used to work at a much smaller, rural college with a non-deputized police 
force, and there were about 20-25 total people in the College 
administration (deans, counselors, etc.) who needed to be trained to use 
the sexual assault protocol. We had one protocol, shared by everyone and 
used in the same way, no matter what 'point of entry' a student chose-- 
there was always a clear path to one resource (the person who coordinates 
the sexual abuse awareness program) and many other optional resources 
offered to students (including counseling, adjudication officers, medical 
health professionals, and etc.)

As I think about developing a protocol for my current setting, it occurs to 
me it is a much more complicated task, because there are many more people 
who would need to be included and trained in the use of it, but also, 
because there are different modes of response for different entities, 
different chains of command and reporting responsibilities, etc. The health 
service and the police have their own protocols which they have developed, 
and it seems tricky to say "well, I know you have this protocol, but we 
want you to use this (integrated, collaborative) one instead?".  Has anyone 
had experience negotiating this successfully?

Hospitals (like our student health service) also have to comply with JCAHO 
protocols, so they *also* have their own which are very specific....and the 
complexity continues.

I guess the question I have for everyone is, what do you see as the purpose 
for a protocol, and what do you do when you have multiple protocols vying 
for priority on your campus? I imagine others of you have faced this 
conundrum at some point or another....

I'd welcome any thoughts on this matter,

Susan