'The Wheel'

The wheel is a resource created by University that shows 12 main entities in the community and specific to the University that address sexual assault.

There are 12 agencies on and off campus the University recommends to help students who have been victims of sexual assault, sexual harassment or intimate partner violence. Students can use these agencies to report crimes, get counseling, medical treatment, and commonly — a combination of services.

Enter the wheel, a graphic the University has created that lists each agency and the main service they offer. Most of the agencies on the wheel-shaped visual are not required to report assault complaints to police, and leave it up to victims to decide. The following is a look at each agency on the wheel and what students can expect if they access their services.

— Edited by Erin Brock

Address: Carruth-O'Leary Room 153A

Phone #: (785) 864-6414

What they do

On campus, there is one office responsible for investigating reports of sexual harassment and sexual assault from University students, faculty and staff to determine whether University policy prohibiting such actions has been violated. This office, currently located on the first floor of Carruth O’Leary Hall, is called the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access.

The IOA receives reports from individuals who come forward on their own to report they were victimized, or have witnessed others who have been victimized, from faculty and staff who are considered mandatory reporters by KU. The IOA is responsible for contacting parties involved in an alleged violation, offering and carrying out an investigation, determining guilt, and recommending University-level punishments. The office also provides advice about counseling and other available resources.

How it works

Students who experience sexual assault or harassment are encouraged to file a complaint with the office, which will follow up with an invitation to discuss the case. Often, individuals are introduced to IOA by a first invitation from the office after a staff or faculty member, friend or parent reached out to IOA on a survivor’s behalf. Individuals can also approach the office on their own behalf, even if they’re unsure about beginning a formal investigation.

“I reach out to that student and say, ‘I don’t know the full story. I don’t know your experience’,” said IOA Director Shane McCreery. “But we exist and we can help.’”

At this point, it’s up to the student. They have the option of ignoring the invitation, visiting IOA for an initial conversation, or sticking with IOA for a formal investigation. McCreery said investigations can be stopped at any time by the individual.

“There are only two circumstances in which I would have to act beyond the wishes of a party, and I would communicate that up front. The first is if the information that they’re sharing with me means that they’re in danger, or other people are in danger,” McCreery said. “The second piece is if they’re providing information that matches with other cases we’ve had in the past, be it party or location. It’s a safety issue.”

This initial conversation with IOA consists of gathering basic facts of an alleged incident, and the providing information of advocacy and mental health services, including the CARE Coordinator and Sexual Trauma & Abuse Care Center — both of which can serve as advocates to survivors during their interactions with IOA.

“Our goal is to figure out where we fit in that person’s experience, and then to heavily emphasize the fact that that person is in control. I want this office to be one that empowers the person to come forward, but is also incredibly fair in evaluating the facts when we do a formal investigation,” McCreery said. “Both parties are treated exactly the same.”

If the reporting student decides on continuing with a formal investigation, IOA investigators start by gathering information relative to an incident, such as text messages or pictures. This is followed by interviews with the other parties involved, as well as any witnesses.

Following the investigative piece, IOA investigators analyze the testimony and available evidence and conduct a ‘credibility assessment,’ which McCreery described as investigators’ assessing truthfulness.

“We’re looking to see, what you shared with us, was that honest and truthful and complete or were there gaps in your stories? ... We never look at the past sexual histories of either party,” McCreery said. “This is an isolated event.”

When an investigation is complete, McCreery said investigators in the office compare behavior confirmed in the investigation to specifics in the Student Code of Conduct. If guilt is found, IOA staff present their write-up of the full investigation to the Office of Student Affairs with recommendations for sanctions. In cases that make it to adjudication — or punishment —, which McCreery described as “significant,” more often than not, IOA advocates for “significant disciplinary consequences.”

According to McCreery, IOA can also help with interim, or protective measures, such as moving to a different housing location on campus, and changing classes.

“Our goal is to help repair a situation, and that can be in a variety of different ways, bringing in different campus partners,” McCeery said. “So there still can be significant disciplinary consequences based upon the behavior. It’s not all hinging on the specific policy.”

Although they are working under the guidelines of the federal Title IX laws governing sexual assault at universities, McCreery said every situation is case-by-case. The most important aspect is helping students through the process.

“One thing I have always said is that I don’t need a state law or federal law or University policy to tell me that I need to be kind and treat people with respect,” he said.

— Edited by Erin Brock

Address: 1501 Crestline Dr.

Phone #: (785) 864-5900

What they do

The law enforcement agency responsible for on-campus crime, KU Public Safety Office, handles reports of sexual assault from an investigative and initial response perspective. When an individual makes a 911 phone call from anywhere on campus, PSO is who answers the phone.

In cases of sexual assault on campus, the office responds and investigates similarly to how they would in any felony case. This response, according to PSO Deputy Chief James Anguiano is complete, thorough and done with the reporting party’s wishes in mind.

How it works

When an initial sexual assault report comes in, officers collect as many facts as possible as well as available evidence. The entire process, even after an initial report, is based entirely on what is asked of the officers by the survivor.

“We want to make sure survivors are comfortable,” Anguiano said.

Any time a survivor calls, PSO officers can help find an advocate and allow them time to make a decision, he said. Officers can tell individuals about the advocacy resources available to them when they make a report. Individuals like CARE Coordinator Merrill Evans can be present throughout an entire investigation.

“They may not want to report it to police, but they still want some assistance. I think it’s really helpful that people know that the law enforcement process is different than the IOA [Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access] process,” Anguiano said. “If it goes to IOA, there’s not going to be criminal charges.”

It is possible for an incident to be undergoing investigation at both PSO and IOA, Anguiano said. If that’s the case, the entities work together when needed in order to share facts and evidence.

Anguiano said there is a good working relationship between campus and Lawrence police. For example, if PSO receives a call from a University dorm where a survivor is reporting an incident they just experienced downtown, PSO would turn the case over to the Lawrence Police Department to investigate, since the alleged crime took place off campus.  

“It’s a good working relationship with all entities involved. I think everyone tries to make sure that the survivor is given all the options that they can have,” Anguiano said. “And ultimately it’s their decision, and that’s what we make sure to respect.”

When cases are turned over to the court system, District Attorney Charles Branson is who can consider charges. If PSO has enough evidence, they make an arrest before handing it over. In cases where they develop a case up to the point where they have a suspect, but not enough to make a physical arrest, they send it over to the DA, who can determine if it’s enough for charges to be filed and an arrest warrant to be issued.

Anguiano said officers at KU PSO work to honor the wishes of victims during investigations, whether they want to stop after making an initial report, participate in a complete investigation leading to arrests, or anything in between.

“We don’t want somebody to come in and we do something that they didn’t want us to do,” Anguiano said. “We just want to make sure that everything is done to accommodate the survivor.”

— Edited by Erin Brock

Address: 111 E. 11th St. #202

Phone #: (785) 832-7501

What they do

The Lawrence Police Department collects information and investigates crimes — but victims have a say in whether actual charges are filed in their cases.

“Not everybody that reports a sexual assault crime necessarily wants to pursue charges,” said Sgt. Amy Rhoads. “They just want it documented.”

How it works

The two main ways sexual assault is reported to LPD is by initial calls from victims, or when officers respond to calls from Lawrence Memorial Hospital, where survivors receive Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner exams — more commonly known as rape kits. Cases are also passed to LPD by the KU Public Safety Office when crimes are reported to campus police, but actually occurred off campus.

From there, Rhoads said, it’s up to the survivor.

“I would imagine there’s a lot of emotions and feelings that go along with that, so we really let the person that’s reporting to us decide the route that we take. But it’s always an investigation,” Rhoads said. “We try to get as much information as we can. We document it in a police report.”

Investigators aim to put together a package of evidence that includes available photos, videos, physical evidence and testimony. Rhoads said this ensures that District Attorney Charles Bronson will receive a full package for charging consideration.

Rhoads said officers often enlist advocates or professionals from places such as the Willow Domestic Violence Center or the Sexual Abuse and Trauma Care Center to help survivors through the process.  

“We partner with different agencies in the community to make sure that that person is comfortable and has all the resources and tools that they need to navigate through the process, because the process can be really difficult sometimes,” she said.

Whatever the case, Rhoads said she has found that “more is a good thing,” in terms of resources available to victims.

“All those entities, even though we all have different roles that we play … I would imagine the center of that wheel, it’s about one person, and that’s the survivor. We all come together for that purpose,” Rhoads said. “It kind of makes the wheel move, I guess.”

— Edited by Erin Brock

Address: 116 Carruth-O’Leary Hall

Phone #: (785) 864-5879

What they do

The main goal of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Education Center is to educate individuals at the University on what gender-based violence is and how it can be prevented.

Jen Brockman has served as SAPEC director since the center first opened in Jan. 2016.

“We are a primary prevention office, so we don’t do direct advocacy. We don’t work directly from a therapeutic or advocacy perspective with those affected by sexual violence,” Brockman said. “We’re doing primary prevention, which is to change attitudes, behaviors and beliefs surrounding gender-based violence.”

How it works

Although not directly involved in instances of sexual violence after-the-fact, SAPEC is mandated to report instances they’re made aware of by survivors.

“If a student were to disclose to me that they have experienced harm, then I would let that student know that I am a mandated reporter,” Brockman said. “And that I will need to let someone at the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access, a University official, know that a student has experienced harm.”

According to Brockman, SAPEC works “in parallel” with IOA to prevent the violence IOA is responsible for investigating. During IOA investigations, both the respondent and complainant parties are able to have an ‘advisor’ present, and workers in the SAPEC office are available to serve in that role, she said.

“[Students] choose who that advisor is,” Brockman said. “If a student were to ask that I continue with them, then I would do that.”

The office is available as a resource for students to learn how they can prevent sexual violence, and help friends and loved ones affected by sexual violence. Another big part of the office’s work is in its role as a mandatory reporter.

“We are very clear and intentional every time we work with students, or do any education, that we let them know that we are mandated reporters,” Brockman said. “We do have a very strong relationship with IOA on campus, and we share with students that what being a mandated reporter means is an invitation to a conversation.”

Educational programs include the bystander intervention training, which is a mandatory online program for all students. “Bringing in the Bystander training” workshops are offered several times each semester around campus, as well as several other educational programs.

These programs range from an hour to an hour-and-a-half in length, and can be scheduled as requested by groups of students, faculty or staff with an audience of at least eight people.

“Our goal is to stop violence before it happens,” said Brockman.

— Edited by Erin Brock

Address: 200 Maine St. Suite A

Phone #: (785) 843-9192

What they do

The Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center accepts appointments and walk-ins during business hours to provide mental health counseling as well as a 24 hour phone line.

The office, which is not directly affiliated with the University, counsels individuals with a variety of mental health issues, including cases involving sexual violence.

How it works

Bert Nash officers provide confidential intensive therapy, or what Juliet Nelson, dialectical behavior therapy team leader, said is a “higher level of care on an outpatient basis,” than the University’s Counseling and Psychological Services.

“If people have gone through an acute sexual assault, or they’re in the middle of that, they might come into our intensive outpatient program…” Nelson said. “And that goes from one to six weeks, from three hours a day of group, and additionally you get an individual therapy session.”

Some student survivors come to Bert Nash on their own, but others are referred by University CARE Coordinator Merrill Evans.

“Anybody who is more severe that presents there, and is having more suicidal ideation and it seems like something they’re not going to be able to manage, [CAPS] will send them over here,” Evans said.

Bert Nash is not a mandatory reporter and will not report sexual violence incidents to authorities. Nelson said her staff will, however, walk through the options patients have to formally report an incident, but with no preferred instructions or advice. They will, however, recommend students also use campus mental health services, like CARE Coordinator Merrill Evans, who began her career in the city at the Bert Nash Community Health Center.

There are times when patients present co-occurring issues, including mood disorders as a result of an assault. During intake, Nelson said, clinicians work with survivors to process the situation, their feelings and details associated with it.

The first and most important step for victims is coming to the office to talk about it, according to Nelson.

“It’s always my fear that people don’t reach out when they could get help, but they don’t know how to do it,”she said. “I’m always hoping that we could have better voice for people to get access. I think it would be ideal if we had more of a presence on campus.”

— Edited by Erin Brock

Address: 1200 Schwegler Dr.

Phone #: (785) 864-2277

What they do

For sexual violence survivors seeking confidential mental-health services, University Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) provides mental health evaluations, individual therapy, group therapy and general psychiatric services — all with the promise of confidentiality.

“Our main mission is to help students stay in school and do well,”

said Dr. Pamela Botts, clinical director at CAPS.

How it works

A majority of the students seen at CAPS first connect to the office by phone, or simply by walking in.

“For something like sexual assault, that’s a priority,” Botts said. “We will expedite somebody getting seen either right then, or very quickly depending on what’s needed and what the student’s schedule is.”

The initial assessment, according to Botts, allows individuals to discuss their concerns to the extent they feel comfortable.

“It’s always the choice of the student, unless they seem dangerous to themselves or someone else,” Botts said. “It’s always their choice what they decide to do.”

CAPS staff, which include licensed psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers, can also talk through with the student what their next step can be. Oftentimes, they refer students to CARE Coordinator Merrill Evans, whose office is down the hall from CAPS.

“If it would be a matter of reporting or taking a legal step. At that point, we probably would refer them to Merrill,” Botts said. “Because that’s her job to do that and [she] has, really, better information.”

Other resources, such as the KU Public Safety Office, the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access, and others can be contacted directly from the CAPS office, Botts said.

Since CAPS is a medical office, they’re also bound by confidentiality, both at a state and federal level. Anything shared in the office won’t be reported to University or law enforcement officials unless requested by a survivor.

Whether a student has a clear idea of what they want to pursue, and CAPS is just a piece of the puzzle, or they have absolutely no idea but know they want to talk to somebody, Botts said a phone call never hurts.

“Anytime a student has a question, they should just call us,” Botts said. “And we’ll try to help them figure it out, and we’ll work from there.”

— Edited by Erin Brock

Address: Fraser Hall Room 340

Phone #: (785) 864-4121

What they do

Individuals seeking mental health treatment in response to an incident of sexual violence have several options, one of which includes the KU Psychological Clinic.

Located on the third floor of Fraser Hall, the clinic provides initial assessments and psychotherapy treatments to University students as well as Lawrence residents. The clinic is staffed by graduate students seeking their doctorate in clinical psychology, and are supervised by licensed psychologists.

The KU Psychological Clinic is not affiliated with the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Watkins Health Center, which has licensed psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers. The clinic staff has smaller caseloads, does not offer psychiatric services and operates on a sliding scale for payment based on financial need. It does not accept insurance.  

How it works

Dr. Sarah Kirk serves as director of the clinic, which offers psychotherapy services for a variety of mental health concerns, and virtually all cases begin with an initial assessment.

“We do a full evaluation to evaluate any condition or mental health concern that might be affecting them,” Kirk said. “And then tailor the treatment plan to what is apparent from that evaluation.”

A majority of the people the clinic sees heard about the office by word-of-mouth, according to Kirk. Others, she said, are usually referred by places like Watkins Health Center or the Academic Achievement and Access Center (AAAC). The outpatient treatment individuals undergo if they choose to continue past an initial assessment is “evidence based and empirically supported.”

“It depends on what the most prominent concern is by the individual,” Kirk said. “For example, if someone did have post-traumatic stress disorder then we would likely be working on a treatment that’s focused on that condition.”

The length of this treatment, Kirk said is up to the individual.

“We might see someone for three to four sessions, we might see somebody for a year,” Kirk said. “It just really depends on the person and what they need.”

Since the clinic is staffed by clinical psychology graduate students who do the work as part of a practicum experience, they are never working with more than six patients at a time, according to Kirk. Because of this, the clinic’s wait list is lengthy and the current wait time is two months.

“If someone obviously has been through a recent trauma, we are trying to get them help as soon as possible. We don’t want them to sit and wait for two months,” Kirk said. “We really try to work with individuals that have access to other resources to get them in where they can just get the service as soon as possible.”

If immediate services are necessary, especially in instances of sexual violence, Kirk said individuals are referred to CAPS, CARE Coordinator Merrill Evans, or others. If individuals are able to utilize the clinic’s services, the basic cost is $12 per session but they may be charged less depending on financial need.

— Edited by Erin Brock

Address: 1200 Schwegler Dr. #2615

Phone #: (785) 864-9255

What they do

In her second floor room at Watkins Health Center, littered with fliers saying, ‘The only right choice is your choice,’ ‘Speak up,’ and ‘You are in control,’ CARE Coordinator Merrill Evans works as one of the main voices of advocacy and counseling on campus for student survivors of sexual assault.

In her second floor room at Watkins Health Center, littered with fliers saying, ‘The only right choice is your choice,’ ‘Speak up,’ and ‘You are in control,’ CARE Coordinator Merrill Evans works as one of the main voices of advocacy and counseling on campus for student survivors of sexual assault.

Evans has led successful advocacy campaigns including creating the CARE Sisters, a group of trained University students involved in sororities who can be peer confidants and advocates for student sexual assault victims. She also oversees the Interpersonal Violence Survivor Fund, which in its first month this school year has helped five student survivors with expenses following a sexual assault.

How it works

“Really the first thing I do is just spend time getting to know them,” Evans said.

A majority of the students Evans sees are introduced to her through Counseling and Psychological Services and the many other organizations on campus and off that deal with sexual assault survivors. Students also visit her office on their own after doing research or hearing about her from friends. She is a non-mandatory reporter, meaning she does not have to report assault complaints to police, the University or anyone else.

“What I do is I provide direct support to those students, and then what that support looks like really depends on the student and what they need and what they’re looking for,” Evans said. “I tell a lot of my students that I’m here as little or as much as you need me.”

This support can include a range of services including mental health counseling and referrals to medical resources such as Watkins Health Center or Lawrence Memorial Hospital for a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner exam which can be given up to 120 hours after an assault.

“A lot of what I do is provide a lot of listening, a lot of active listening, a lot of love,” Evans said. “I’m not here to question people’s stories and narratives.”

She also often talks to students about reporting options. She said she talks with them about what reporting either to the Lawrence Police Department or the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access would look like. She can also go with students to report these things if they request.

“There’s no blueprint. I find the students that really do want to report are pretty adamant and they’re ready to talk and they’re ready to get the process started,” Evans said. “Or they’re very, ‘heck no. I don’t want anybody to know.’”

“My motto is, literally, the only right choice is your choice,” she said. “The choice in and of itself is somewhat irrelevant to me as long as it’s not jumping off a building or doing something that’s damaging to your health.”

— Edited by Erin Brock

Address: 708 W 9th St. # 105

Phone #: (785) 843-8985

What they do

The resource in the city with one of the longest histories — started in response to a culture of University activism in 1972 — and arguably with the furthest reach, is the Sexual Trauma & Abuse Care Center. Other resource providers routinely refer survivors to their office.  

The Care Center provides advocates and support groups for sexual assault survivors 24/7.

How it works

“We have tried multiple times to create a linear path of, ‘here’s what happens, and then this might happen, and then you could do this,’” said Rachel Gadd-Nelson, the center’s director of community engagement. “But it just doesn’t work like that.”

One consistency, however, according to Gadd-Nelson, is that Care Center advocates are contacted on a continuous basis almost daily by direct phone calls from survivors as well as by Lawrence Memorial Hospital, Lawrence Police Department, the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access and several others to begin work with a new survivor seeking help.

However victims get connected to the Care Center, the goal is to make sure that they understand their options. “Whether it’s at the hospital, with law enforcement, at the court system, with Title IX stuff on campus, our advocates can translate things,” Gadd-Nelson said.

The Care Center’s five advocates and countless volunteers complete a minimum of 40 hours of training. Because of their knowledge and professionalism, Gadd-Nelson said, Care Center employees are some of the only people permitted to sit with survivors during police interviews.

“We have folks who contact us minutes after a sexual assault. We have folks contacting us 50 years after a sexual assault. That healing process looks so different for different people,” Gadd-Nelson said. “It makes it difficult to understand and kind of get a sense of what those different options are.”

When Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner exams are given by the Lawrence Memorial Hospital or Watkins Health Center, the Care Center is usually called, and in turn, sends an advocate who, if the survivor is interested and willing, stays through the process and continues as an advocate through a multitude of steps. The same goes with calls from the Lawrence Police Department and the KU Public Safety Office.

Survivors can also call the 24-hour hotline themselves. A majority of questions involve resolving a residential issue after an attack, what a criminal proceeding could look like and what resources the Care Center and others provide, Gadd-Nelson said.

The Care Center offers weekly support groups, individual counseling and creates local programs aimed at stopping sexual violence before it starts.

— Edited by Erin Brock

Address: 1920 Moodie Rd.

Phone #: (785) 843-3333

What they do

The Willow Domestic Violence Center focuses on cases of domestic violence and human trafficking and provides counseling, temporary shelter for survivors and advocacy services.

“We do what’s called ‘peer counseling.’ So we’re not therapists, so it’s not like a therapy thing. We talk to people, we get them education, we listen,” said Alicia Cusano-Weissenbach, director of volunteer services for the center.

Although focused on domestic violence, the center assists sexual assault survivors or those who want to report on any situation of sexual harassment.

“There is a great deal of sexual assault that occurs, but it’s more within a relationship and we always take the stance of ‘never tell a survivor what to do,’” she said. “So if somebody were to come to us and be interested in reporting an assault that happened, we would try to give them as much information as we could on, ‘This is what it would look like if you reported it and possibly went into the process.’”

How it works

Cusano-Weissenbach described the Willow, which is home to an estimated 20 full-time staff members and “countless” volunteers, as a place for survivors to decide how they want to use the center’s services. The advocates at the Willow are focused on informing survivors about their options, educating them on what reporting and counseling looks like, and making sure they know they’re in control.

This process can include seeking a protection order against their attacker or even criminal charges. However, many victims don’t choose those options, said Cusano-Weissenbach, due to poor interactions with law enforcement in the past.

“I think most of them don’t end up making any type of report. It’s really hard to do and sometimes,” she said, “There’s really just not a lot of pay off to be quite honest.”

For those who want to continue to a court proceeding, Willow has trained advocates who can attend proceedings with the survivor and help translate legalese and obtain court-appointed legal aid.

A majority of the Willow’s interactions begin with a call to their hotline. Their number, which has been 1-800-770-3030 for the more than the 40 years they’ve been in operation, operates 24 hours a day. They also have a full time shelter available for survivors of domestic violence or human trafficking that allows for a base stay of 30 days and has no requirements for admittance.

“I think sometimes people think of a shelter and they think of an institutional-looking place, but that’s not it at all,”she said. “We have a big house, nine bedrooms, a huge back yard with a really cool play set and big communal areas.”

The center also has a branch of student volunteers on campus in the Willow Branch at the University. The group is led by President Mekam Anya, a junior from Overland Park. Anya said the student group’s main focus is providing education on domestic violence in college relationships and how to help in personal or bystander situations.

A University alumna herself, Cusano-Weissenbach said she didn’t know about entities like Willow during her time in college and hopes to make sure current students are aware of the services available.  

“Over the years, we’ve done a lot of things on campus,” Cusano-Weissenbach said. “We always try to be as involved as possible because we do have survivors who are students.”

— Edited by Erin Brock

Address: 325 Maine St.

Phone #: (785) 505-5000

What they do

With a 24/7 emergency room and around-the-clock available care for victims of sexual assault, Lawrence Memorial Hospital serves as the main medical resource to individuals who are seeking medical treatment after an attack.

The hospital’s six Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners have been specially trained to medically assess sexual violence survivors, administer SANE exams — rape kits  — and gauge mental health in the hours following an attack, as well as much later.

How it works

Vanessa McMillan, forensic nurse coordinator at LMH, said a majority of survivors the hospital sees as patients come in on their own accord, sometimes with law enforcement officers or advocates from the Sexual Abuse and Trauma Care Center.

The first thing that happens following initial check-in to the Emergency Room is the option of being on ‘secure status,’ which means the hospital can’t disclose your status to those who call or visit and ask if you’re there. After this, a physician would perform an initial health assessment to ensure there’s no major health problems that need to be immediately addressed.

“Medical needs come before evidence collection needs,” McMillan said. “You’re a patient first and foremost.”

After establishing that a patient is in fair condition, the option of a SANE exam is offered. According to McMillan, this includes a full head-to-toe examination of heart, lungs, stomach, feet, mouth and everything in between.

“It sounds really scary when you think about it,” McMillan said. “It’s really not scary at all. We bring you up to this room, a nice, quiet area… After you’ve signed consents and you fully understand what we’re about to do, we explain every step to you before we do it. You can agree to have the examination done and then agree to skip different steps.”

During the entire process, McMillan said nurses are collecting evidence, a history of the event, and taking pictures with the permission of the patient. This, she said, is important for documentation, long-term collection and diagnosis.

“We are not investigators. We do not ask you questions like, ‘What did that guy look like? Or what did that girl look like?’ None of that matters to us,” McMillan said. “Our purpose is to make sure that medically, you’re taken care of.”

The option of reporting the incident is completely up to the survivor, according to McMillan, as long as they’re over the age of 18. Either way, the evidence collected in a SANE exam, which can be administered up to 120 hours after an event, is sent to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and is kept for a maximum of five years.

“So you have a five-year window to decide if you want to report or not,” McMillan said. “Sometimes it’s hard for patients when they’re in that acute stage to make that decision.”

Medicines to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted disease can also be given to patients during the ER visit, according to McMillan. The SANE exam is paid for by the state. Additional procedures and tests outside of the SANE exam, however, are not.

Student survivors are also given the option to have an advocate from the Care Center, referral to University CARE Coordinator Merrill Evans, and what McMillan described as a ‘multitude’ of other resources in Lawrence. Regardless of what route they choose after leaving the hospital, McMillan said the only correct and recommended path is the one a survivor chooses.

“The more you see the conversation out and about and the more it’s not something that you talk about in hushed voices, the more empowered people feel,” she said. “The more comfortable they feel coming forward.”

— Edited by Erin Brock

Address: 1200 Schwegler Dr.

Phone #: (785) 864-9500

What they do

At Watkins Health Center, the Gynecology Clinic provides medical services and referrals to mental health services following an incident of sexual violence, but also offers students an opportunity to talk about such experiences confidentially.

“Disclosing any kind of sexual assault on campus is different if you’re at Watkins, compared with outside of here,” said Dr. Joy Murphy, who specializes in women’s health. “If you disclose a sexual assault to us, we don’t have a mandatory plan to contact the University itself.”

Located on the second floor of Watkins, the GYN department can administer Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner exams, check for and treat sexually transmitted diseases, discuss pregnancy risks, and provide insight into what non-medical options are available for the survivor moving forward.

How it works

When individuals come to Watkins after an assault, the staff focuses first on physical injury and other medical concerns such as the risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, Murphy said.

Watkins can administer SANE exams, more commonly called ‘rape kits,’ up to 72 hours after an attack for the most reliable results. Sooner is better, however, as evidence collection is harder as time passes or a patient bathes, Murphy said. The exams are used to collect evidence following an assault.

“I really try to encourage women — and I’m only seeing women here [in the GYN clinic] — to consider a SANE exam. even if they don’t plan to press charges, involve the police, etc. Because the collection is there, it can be used or not, it can sit there for years,” Murphy said. “Because people’s frame of mind immediately after a sexual assault sometimes is different than it is weeks or months or a year or two later.”

Once completed, the SANE collection is sent to a forensic lab where it can be held for future use. Since Watkins isn’t open 24 hours a day, Murphy said, most student assault victims are more likely to get their SANE exams at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Watkins does an estimated one to four SANE exams per year, according to Murphy.

She also talks with patients about the pros and cons of reporting their assault. When a SANE exam is done, she calls in CARE Coordinator Merrill Evans who Murphy said can talk about options and services the student may want to pursue.

“I don’t want them to tell their story 20 times. I don’t even want them to tell it five times, so I tend to keep it simple medically. That’s my little part. I’m not the counselor,” Murphy said. “I then get Merrill involved because she is really good at what she does.”

— Edited by Erin Brock