The California Clinical Forensic Medical Training Center at UC Davis has won a prestigious FREDDIE international health care media award for its video “Compassionate Care: An Overview of the Sexual Assault Clinical Forensic Medical Exam.” The award was presented in a ceremony in Philadelphia, Pa., on November 14, 2008.

“Compassionate Care” presents a complete overview of the forensic medical evidentiary examination for a sexual assault victim, conducted according to the State of California protocol. In the hour-long video, the viewer follows a young woman, portrayed by actress Hope Wells, from the time of her assault and report to law enforcement to her referral to a sexual assault forensic examiner.

The forensic examiner in the film is UC Davis Medical Center nurse practitioner Leslie Schmidt, who has conducted over 1,000 forensic medical exams as a member of the UC Davis sexual assault forensic examiner team. Schmidt takes the victim and the viewer through each step of the exam, beginning with the patient/victim’s consent, and continuing through the forensic interview, evidence collection and packaging, the cervical examination, documentation of findings and pregnancy prophylaxis.

Throughout the procedure, she models the compassion essential to helping the victim feel safe and in control of the exam process, a vital first step toward healing. Further, the video depicts the role of the sexual assault response team partners in responding to a sexual assault. These partners include law enforcement, the rape crisis center and crime lab, as well as the medical examiner.

The exam video was developed as a curriculum tool for the CCFMTC’s sexual assault forensic examiner training, a five-day instruction program for physicians, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants and registered nurses. The production was funded by the training center’s operating grant, which is provided by the governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

Project Director Marilyn Peterson, MSW, and William Green, M.D., associate physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine and Medical Director of the CCFMTC Sexual Assault Education Program, planned, wrote and oversaw the production. The video was produced and directed by David Gottlieb of Never a Dull Moment Productions in Los Angeles.

Each year, the FREDDIE Awards competition attracts hundreds of submissions from around the world, including documentaries, series, shorts, videos, Web sites, and CD-ROMs, in 32 categories, including oncology, diabetes, fitness/wellness, infectious diseases, prevention and women’s health. The competition is now in its 34th year.

The Clinical Forensic Medicine Institute (CFMI) is an institute within the 27th Annual UC Davis National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect.  This institute focuses on the rapidly emerging field of specialized clinical practice, training, and research.  The workshops during this institute focus on teaching victim centered approaches; promoting the team approach for clinical forensic medical care; endorsing and supporting victim advocacy; promoting scientific, evidence based practice; and collaborating with all involved.

After attending this conference, attendees should be able to:

1. Learn about new developments in clinical forensic medicine
2. Gain an understanding about interviewing, medical examinations, and findings
3. Acquire knowlege about Drug Endangered Children (DEC)
4. Gain knowledge of dependency law and children’s legal representation
5. Gain knowledge about the educational needs and rights of children in foster care

CFMI Workshops that would be of interest to forensic examiners:

• #5 Timing Injuries - How Precise Can We be?
• #8 Sex for Science: An Update on Consensual Intercourse Study
• #16 Sexual Assault Response Teams: SART Funding Modesl That Work
• #23 Drug Endangered Children and the Brain: Neglect, Drugs and Kids - Prenatal Exposure Through the Teen Years
• #24 Forensic Photography: Meeting the Challenge of Photographing Physical Findings
• #32 Telemedicine: Supporting the Frontier - The Child Sexual Abuse Exam Mentoring Program
• #40 How Do We Know We’re Doing It Right? Incorporating Feedback from Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Participants and Patients into Forensci Medical Quality Assurance
• #48 Key Features of Successful Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs)
• #56 Sexual Assault Clinical and Forensic Management: A Virtual Practicum to Train Sexual Assault Forensic Medical Examiners
• #64 Suspect Exams: An Emerging Forensic Need
• #72 Clinical Forensic Medicine: Establishing a Statewide SART Program

For a detailed CFMI or Conference schedule or more information, please visit the CAN Conference Website.

For several years now, the Annual UC Davis National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect has offered several separate institutes within the conference designed for professionals involved in the investigation, evaluation, and treatment of abused and neglected children and triers of fact.  Each institute offers workshops in the areas of Drug Endangered Children (DEC), Clinical Forensic Medicine (CFMI), and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). 

• California Drug Endangered Children (DEC) Institute:  Significant developments are occurring throughout the nation in all fields regarding Drug Endangered Children (DEC).  The purpose of this institute is to advance knowledge and practice standards for professionals specializing in this important field.  This institute features workshops on community drug intervention strategies and the roles of law enforcement, social workers, and prosecutors in ensuring coordinated intervention for optimal outcomes.  The medical, mental health, and neurodevelopmental outcomes for children are also the focus of this institute.  Program sustainability and recent research are additional highlights.  See conference schedule at our website for more details.
• Clinical Forensic Medicine Institute (CFMI):  Clinical forensic medicine is rapidly emerging as a field of specialized clinical practice, training, and research.  Clinical forensic medicine addresses the interface of medicine and the law.  The California Clinical Forensic Medical Training Center at UC Davis is on the cutting edge of this field statewide, nationally, and internationally.  Interpersonal violence has given rise to this developing branch of science.  Our vision is to provide leadership and support for the development of this interdisciplinary, subspecialty field.  This institute supports that vision by: teaching victim centered approaches; promoting the team approach for clinical forensic medical care; endorsing and supporting victim advocacy; promoting scientific, evidence based practice; and collaborating with all involved disciplines.  See conference schedule at our website for more details.
• Post-Conference PCIT Institute (October 30th):  The post-conference PCIT Institute on Thursday, October 30 is designed for professionals with some background or familiarization with PCIT principles.  PCIT workshops during the conference on Wednesday are appropriate for a broader audience as well as current practitioners.  See conference schedule at our website for more details.

For more information about the DEC, CFMI, or PCIT Institutes or the 27th Annual UC Davis National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, please visit the CAN Conference Website.