ACHA Releases Toolkit on Addressing Campus Sexual and Relationship Violence on College and University Campuses

ELLICOTT CITY, Md., Jan. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The American College Health Association (ACHA), the nation's principal advocate and leadership organization for college health, announces the release of its new toolkit, Addressing Sexual and Relationship Violence: A Trauma-Informed Approach. Developed by ACHA's Creating Guidance for Addressing Sexual Assault Task Force, this new toolkit describes a public health model of trauma-informed care and provides guidance on engaging all campus constituents in creating a trauma-informed campus.

Effective prevention programming and response to sexual and relationship violence requires university-wide commitment to trauma-informed practice and to gender-inclusive and culturally-relevant victim/survivor-centered care and programming, both within the campus and with community partners. The new toolkit, developed using best practices, current research, and resources from key organizations, including The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), is a comprehensive, meaningful resource for institutions of higher education to utilize when developing prevention programming as well as response to incidents of sexual violence experienced by members of the campus community.

Sexual and relationship violence are serious public health issues adversely affecting college and university students because students cannot learn in an atmosphere in which they do not feel safe. In its 2016 position statement and guidelines, ACHA affirms that campuses have a responsibility and an opportunity to adopt trauma-informed approaches across campus to provide a more sensitive response and lower the risk of re-victimization.

"Responsive to sought-after guidance for campus communities, including health professionals, advocates, prevention specialists, administrators, campus safety and conduct professionals, faculty, staff, and students, the development of this comprehensive toolkit is a natural progression of ACHA's work addressing sexual and relationship violence," said the leaders of the Task Force. "Intended for campus-wide use, this in-depth guide for creating trauma-informed systems is adaptable to meet the needs of any institution of higher education."

"As an association of college health and wellness professionals, it is our goal to help institutions create safe campuses in which all students, faculty, and staff can thrive and succeed," says ACHA's CEO, Devin Jopp, EdD. "ACHA recognizes the importance of providing institutions of higher education with the tools needed to combat sexual violence on campus, and to respond effectively if it happens; and we believe this toolkit will be a tremendous asset for campuses of all types and sizes."

The toolkit is available here. ACHA will host webinar on the toolkit in March 2018.

About ACHA
The American College Health Association (www.acha.org), founded in 1920, is a national nonprofit association serving as the nation's principal leadership organization for advancing the health of college students and campus communities through advocacy, education, and research. ACHA represents a diverse membership that provides and supports the delivery of health care, prevention, and wellness services for the nation's 20 million college students. ACHA advocates for student health by integrating the critical role of college health into the mission of higher education.

Media Contact:
Rachel Mack 
[email protected] 
443-270-4560

SOURCE American College Health Association