Collapse to view only § 411.21 - Victim advocacy, access to counselors, and forensic medical examinations.

§ 411.21 - Victim advocacy, access to counselors, and forensic medical examinations.

(a) Care provider facilities must develop procedures to best utilize available community resources and services to provide valuable expertise and support in the areas of crisis intervention and counseling to most appropriately address victims' needs. Each care provider facility must establish procedures to make available outside victim services following incidents of sexual abuse and sexual harassment; the care provider facility must attempt to make available to the victim a victim advocate from a rape crisis center. If a rape crisis center is not available or if the UC prefers, the care provider facility may provide a licensed clinician on staff to provide crisis intervention and trauma services for the UC. The outside or internal victim advocate must provide emotional support, crisis intervention, information, and referrals.

(b) Where evidentiarily or medically appropriate, and only with the UC's consent, the care provider facility must arrange for an alleged victim UC to undergo a forensic medical examination as soon as possible and that is performed by Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners (SAFEs) or Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) where possible. If SAFEs or SANEs cannot be made available, the examination may be performed by a qualified medical practitioner.

(c) As requested by a victim, the presence of his or her outside or internal victim advocate, including any available victim advocacy services offered at a hospital conducting a forensic examination, must be allowed to the extent possible for support during a forensic examination and investigatory interviews.

(d) To the extent possible, care provider facilities must request that the investigating agency follow the requirements of paragraphs (a) through (c) of this section.

§ 411.22 - Policies to ensure investigation of allegations and appropriate agency oversight.

(a) ORR and care provider facilities must ensure that each allegation of sexual abuse and sexual harassment, including a third-party or anonymous allegation, is immediately referred to all appropriate investigating authorities, including Child Protective Services, the State or local licensing agency, and law enforcement. Care provider facilities also must immediately report each allegation of sexual abuse and sexual harassment to ORR according to ORR policies and procedures. The care provider facility has an affirmative duty to keep abreast of the investigation(s) and cooperate with outside investigators. ORR also must remain informed of ongoing investigations and fully cooperate as necessary.

(b) Care provider facilities must maintain or attempt to enter into a written memorandum of understanding or other agreement specific to investigations of sexual abuse and sexual harassment with the law enforcement agency, designated State or local Child Protective Services, and/or the State or local licensing agencies responsible for conducting sexual abuse and sexual harassment investigations, as appropriate. Care provider facilities must maintain a copy of the agreement or documentation showing attempts to enter into an agreement.

(c) Care provider facilities must maintain documentation for at least ten years of all reports and referrals of allegations of sexual abuse and sexual harassment.

(d) ORR will refer an allegation of sexual abuse to the Department of Justice or other investigating authority for further investigation where such reporting is in accordance with its policies and procedures and any memoranda of understanding.

(e) All allegations of sexual abuse that occur at emergency care provider facilities operating on fully Federal properties must be reported to the Department of Justice in accordance with ORR policies and procedures and any memoranda of understanding.