Photo By Alexandra Shea | 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson Deputy Commanding General, Brig. Gen. Dave...... read more read more
More than 50 attendees from across Colorado Springs and Fort Carson filled Evans Army Community Hospital’s Cochrane Hall Mar. 27 to build and strengthen relationships between military and civilian organizations.
From outside looking in, the training looks similar to the usual quarterly SHARP (sexual harassment assault response and prevention) training that Soldiers, DoD civilians and contractors on Carson are used to seeing, but this training was much more.
Evans Army Community Hospital hosted the 4th Annual First Responders Training for Healthcare Providers to kick off Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month that occurs each April. Sexual assault response coordinators (SARC), victim advocates (VA) and behavioral health team members from across Fort Carson, Peterson Air Force Base and Memorial Hospital teamed up with Colorado Springs Police Department’s Special Victim Section and Army Criminal Investigation Command for the training to help support the victims of sexual assault and harassment.
“It’s mostly geared towards information sharing,” said Dr. Julia A. Woodhouse, Evans ACH, SARC Program Manager. “The difference in this training is we are all coming together to determine how we can better serve victims of sexual assault across the sister service spectrum.”
According to Woodhouse, having these partners in one room allows everyone to exchange contact information, streamline available resources, and provide standardized training.
The highest levels of leadership also attended the training to show their solidarity in combating sexual assault and harassment.
“I’m amazed at the changes in the SHARP regulations,” said 4th Infantry Division Deputy Commanding General Brig. Gen. Dave Hodne. “There are more first responders, more professional advocates in place and more resources to deal with this.”
According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, one out of six American women and one out of every 33 American men have been the victim of an attempted or completed rape. In the United States, someone is sexually assaulted every two minutes.
When it comes to the prevention of sexual assault and prevention, leadership guidance is clear.
“This is fratricide inside our organization. Get out and go through your formations, develop a relationship with those that you are serving. That is the message that we have to get out,” said 4th Infantry Division Command Sergeant Major Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy L. Metheny. “It’s a cultural shift we have to get into our formations.”
By conducting this training, first responders, victim advocates and SARCs can respond quickly to victims and provide a wide range of resources that are available both on military instillations and in the local community to provide victims a sense of safety and care. First responders are always available.
“If I get a call at 10 o’clock at night saying I have a victim here,” said Agent Chris Wallace, Fort Carson Criminal Investigation Command. “I’m out of bed and on my way!”
For those that have been sexually assaulted or harassed assistance is available 24/7 and should call the 4th Infantry Division SHARP Hotline at 338-9654 or the DoD Safe Hotline at 1-877-995-5247 for more information.
| Date Taken: | 03.27.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 06.01.2018 12:36 |
| Story ID: | 279222 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 154 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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