Instances of sexual violence or intimate partner violence may require medical attention. In many cases, it’s important to seek some level of medical attention in order to be checked and treated for possible injuries, as well as HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Health care providers can also provide emergency contraceptives. When seeking support outside of the hours of Bates Health Services, (9am-5pm during the academic year), students may consider visiting the Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) or St Mary’s Regional Medical Center Emergency Departments. Note that Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners are available at CMMC to perform forensic exams and collect physical evidence for future use.

Bates College is located within a 1 mile distance from both Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) and St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center. While both hospitals can provide appropriate medical treatment, Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners are more readily available at CMMC to perform forensic exams and collect physical evidence. 

Campus Safety can provide transportation to students to either emergency department upon request for a SAFE exam.  The ResLife Coordinator on Call can also help you request a ride to the hospital. To contact Campus Safety or a Reslife Coordinator on Call, call Campus Safety at 207-786-6254. Please note that disclosure to a staff member of the college will trigger a report to the Title IX Coordinator. In response, the only thing that will happen is you will receive an email from the Title IX Coordinator offering support.

Disclosure of sexual violence or intimate partner violence can be made at any point during treatment and whenever the patient feels comfortable enough to do so. It’s also okay to say you aren’t sure what treatment you need. If you want a physical exam that documents and records evidence of a sexual assault, you should ask for a SAFE exam (more information below).

Sexual Assault Forensic Exams, or SAFE Exams, are used for the medical diagnosis and  treatment of someone who has experienced sexual assault. SAFE exams also collect DNA samples from your body, clothing, or other personal belongings that can be later used as evidence. Consenting to a SAFE exam does not mean you have to report your assault. SAFE exams are also free of cost and are not billed to insurance.

If you are considering a SAFE exam, you should not shower, change your clothing, brush your teeth, or do anything else that may compromise physical evidence before going to the hospital.

SAFE exams can be performed by registered nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and physicians who have been specially trained to administer SAFE exams and interact with patients who have experienced sexual assault or abuse. These providers are also competent in serving as expert or fact witnesses in court. In addition to the medical provide performing the exam, an advocate from Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services (SAPARS) will also be called to accompany and support the patient throughout the process. This person is confidential, and patients always have the option to use them or not.

They can be as short as a patient wants, or as extensive as the patient will allow. Patients can refuse any part of the exam, and are in no way required to do any parts of it. The exam can be very intrusive and difficult to do. But, providers are aware of how difficult the exams are and work with the patient to provide compassionate care. The average length of a comprehensive exam is about three hours.

A patient may consent to some, all, or any parts of a SAFE Exam. In addition, consent can be revoked at any point during the exam. The exam can be done in almost any order to accommodate the patient’s comfort as much as possible.

Hospitals are required to inform police when a SAFE exam is requested, and an officer will respond to the ER in case the patient would like to file a police report. Patients should never be forced to interact with police if they have not explicitly asked or agreed to speak with them, and law enforcement should not be present in the exam room.

An advocate from Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services can be called to accompany and support the patient throughout the process. This person is confidential, and patients always have the option to utilize them or not. If you would like an advocate present, please ask for one! You can also call Campus Safety and ask to speak to the Coordinators on Call. They can contact the SAVA, who may be available to attend the SAFE exam with you. 

If you would like to bring a friend, you should also ask the person checking you in at the hospital. You may be permitted one person in the room with you during the exam, but please note that any individual present in the room during a SAFE exam may be called as a witness during legal proceedings.

Please note that hospital policies around visitors may differ depending on the hospital and current public health conditions.

An advocate from a local advocacy group like SAPARS (Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services) can listen compassionately, provide emotional support, and talk about options. They can also assist with navigating complex systems and can answer questions about the SAFE exam process, as well as provide support throughout the exam experience.

Sexual assault and violence can affect affect your physical health, and it’s possible that you could have trauma or injuries that aren’t immediately visible. Seeking medical treatment after an assault is important and can help you access necessary treatment for any injuries, as well as preventative treatments for STIs and emergency contraception.

The sooner the better. In most cases, DNA evidence needs to be collected within 72 hours in order to be analyzed by a crime lab. However, a SAFE exam can reveal other forms of evidence beyond this time frame that can be useful if you decide to report.

For emergent medical concerns, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. This is true for SAFE exams as well, and it’s best to seek an exam within 72 hours of the incident. However, new recommendations for modified exams allow for exams up to 5-7 days post assault. 

Your ER visit may vary based on your medical needs, as well as the status of the ER in the moment. Some visits may be shorter, while others may take a few hours. On average, SAFE Exams take three hours to complete in full – not including time you may need to wait before beginning the exam.

Whether or not the assault is reported, the patient and their insurance companies cannot be billed for the sexual assault forensic exam (it is against the law). The Violence Against Women Act requires states to provide sexual assault forensic exams free of charge if they wish to remain eligible for critical anti-crime grant funding. If you are charged for the exam, immediately contact your local sexual assault service provider.

If you have concerns about your insurance being charged, or about payment for additional services (ex: x-rays or CT scans), you should share these concerns with the individual checking you in at the hospital. The Maine Crime Victims’ Compensation Fund can assist with paying for additional costs.

SAFE Exams are never billed to insurance and will be logged on paper records. Anything in addition to what is included in the SAFE Exam box will be done separately from the kit, and will use an electronic medical record. Billing will use standard protocols for each specific injury, and should never mention a forensic kit whatsoever.

Follow up for any medical issues that were addressed outside of the SAFE Exam kit will be done via standard protocol for that specific injury. There will be no notation of a kit in any electronic medical records, so the injuries will be treated and followed up on according to the specific injury, and completely independent from the kit. Any follow-up from the SAFE Exam will be done by the SAFE examiner who worked with you. 

You may also consider sharing basic information regarding your assault with future medical providers. This may allow you to have conversations with your provider about your needs during physical exams, such as announcing what they are doing before they do it, proceeding slowly, or taking breaks. Recognizing that there can be long-term physical and mental health needs associated with sexual assault or violence, it may be helpful for your physician to know about your history, so that they can better diagnose and and treat other symptoms or conditions.

Law enforcement processes following assault or violence typically include an initial report, followed by a recorded interview, investigation, decisions regarding prosecution, and, if applicable, a trial. This process may take as long as two years. You may also file for a Protection Order, which is separate from criminal prosecution. Protection Orders require a hearing.

Yes. Any evidence that is collected can be helpful in building a case or reporting evidence. Saving evidence also provides you with the flexibility to explore reporting options through Bates or through the police later on.

Time limits for reporting are often referred to as “statute of limitations.” In the state of Maine, the statue of limitation for sexual assault can range from 3-20 years depending on the type of assault or act of violence.

Probably. Hospitals are required to inform police when a SAFE exam is requested, and an officer will respond to the ER in case the patient would like to file a police report. Patients should never be forced to interact with police if they have not explicitly asked or agreed to speak with them, and law enforcement should not be present in the exam room.

Working through a lawsuit may take weeks, months, or even years. The average criminal case may take up to two years to complete from start to finish.

With questions about anything related to the Title IX process, reach out to Gwen Lexow or the CRA. If you would like to speak confidentially, reach out to the CRA. If you wish, you can also ask questions or have a conversation with Gwen without submitting a formal report or identifying yourself.

To file a formal complaint, which triggers the start of the formal resolution process (described below), reach out to the Title IX Coordinator, Gwen Lexow.

If you only want to share what has happened to you with the Title IX Office, but not begin a resolution process (which notifies the other person(s) involved), you can file a report. A report allows you to share your experience with the Title IX Office, and receive support. A formal complaint will trigger a resolution process to begin, which notifies the other person(s) involved that the process has been initiated.

Whenever a report comes into the Title IX Office, the most important priority is ensuring the person who has experienced harm is getting support. If the report contains the name of this person, Gwen Lexow will reach out to them via email to offer support. The email will have the subject “Offer of Assistance,” and it is up to the recipient to respond to the email or not. The Title IX Office will not initiate an investigation or alert the alleged respondent unless there is a threat of extreme danger to the community.

You can do any combination of these. You have the option to report to as many entities as you wish. The Lewiston Police Department and the Bates Title IX Office work independently, so you may choose to report to one or both. The Title IX Office will only involve law enforcement after receiving a report if there is a threat of extreme danger to the community.

Yes, anonymous reporting is available through an outside portal, EthicsPoint. To access the Bates anonymous reporting form, click here.

Confidential Resources (not required to report a disclosure to the TItle IX Office)

• Confidential Resource Advisor: Andrew Shepard | cra@bates.edu | 207-753-6996
• Multifaith Chaplain: Brittany Longsdorf | blongsdo@bates.edu | 207-786-6125
• Assoc. Multifaith Chaplain: Raymond Clothier | rclothie@bates.edu | 207-753-6906
• Associate Director for Health Services: Brenna Callahan | bcallaha@bates.edu | 207-786-6201
• Counseling and Psychological Services | caps@bates.edu | 207-786-6200

Private Resources (required to report a disclosure to the Title IX Office)

• Title IX Coordinator: Gwen Lexow | titleix@bates.edu | 207-786-6445
• Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Students: Andee Bucciarelli | abucciar@bates.edu | 207-755-5947
• Residence Life Coordinators: on-call 24/7 while classes are in session | 207-786-6111
• Student ResLife Staff | reach out within your residence

A confidential resource is someone who does not need to report disclosures of harm to the Title IX Office. All employees of the college, including some student employees are “responsible employees,” which means that they must report disclosures of harm to the Title IX Office. The only exception to this is for employees who are designated as confidential resources.

A private resource is someone who either works in the Title IX Office, or is required to report to Title IX. These people will keep your information as private as possible, and only share it when necessary to make a report.

Counseling and Psychological Services, or CAPS, provides free counseling for all students. CAPS is located on the second floor of the Bates Health Services building at 31 Campus Ave. To make an appointment, call 207-786-6200 or email CAPS@bates.edu, and for more information, visit the CAPS website, here.

Students seeking counseling with an off-campus provider may connect with CAPS to help facilitate the process of finding an off-campus provider. Although students are generally responsible for seeking their own care when they choose not to utilize services through Bates, CAPS has partnered with UWill, a mental health platform for colleges and universities, that provides 8 teletherapy sessions to enrolled Bates students free of charge. More information about UWill is available here.

Yes. There is a comprehensive list of confidential off-campus resources here. Community-based resources here in Lewiston/Auburn include advocacy organizations (SAPARS & Safe Voices), and medical providers (Maine Family Planning).

Oasis is a 5-week support group co-facilitated by the CRA (Andrew Shepard) and the Multifaith Chaplain (Brittany Longsdorf). Oasis typically runs once per semester, and is advertised in Bates Today before the first session. 

Yes. Please see the specific pages under the ‘Key Resources’ menu option at the top of this page. There population-specific resources, including those for immigrants, trans* individuals, male-identified survivors, survivors of domestic violence,  and survivors of stalking.

Help with academic pressure is a supportive measure that we are happy to arrange, and students are in control of what level of detail professors receive about their personal lives and experiences. For assistance of this type, reach out to Gwen Lexow or the CRA.

Most likely, yes. A No Contact Order can be put in place between two people in instances where there is reasonable concern that physical or psychological harm may result from contact. More information about No Contact Orders may be found here. If you would like to discuss a No Contact Order, reach out to Gwen Lexow or the CRA.

Bates College is a small campus, and often students’ lives are intertwined in multiple ways. If this is the case, there are supportive measures available to navigate these issues. The Title IX Office may assist with class schedule changes, job scheduling changes, and room changes if needed. A No Contact Order can also be put in place — see above for details, or reach out to Gwen Lexow.