The Sex Abuse Treatment Center (SATC) of the Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women and Children (KMCWC) is a statewide program valued for its leadership and expertise in providing treatment services for survivors of sexual assault, preventing sexual violence and effecting change through public policy, awareness and education.
Our mission is to support the emotional healing process of those sexually assaulted in Hawaii, to increase community awareness about their needs and to reduce the incidence of all forms of sexual assault.
We provide leadership to ensure the integrity of sexual assault treatment and prevention services statewide and collaborate with community organizations and agencies to improve responses to sexual violence. Through research and education we aim to reduce sexual violence and improve clinical practices. By promoting and engaging in public policy we seek to change the public's perceptions of sexual violence, overcome barriers to treatment and prevention, and ensure responsive and effective criminal justice practices.
The Sex Abuse Treatment Center was established in 1976 in response to the community's concern over the absence of medical, psychological and legal support services for victims and the absence of police reporting because of this condition. There was no facility in Hawaii for victims of sexual assault to receive comprehensive and confidential care.
With State government funds, the SATC implemented 24-hour crisis counseling and legal support services for victims and their families and developed the protocol for the medical examination and legal evidence collection for sexual assault crimes. In addition, counseling services were provided to victims and their families following the initial crisis, and medical personnel, police and prosecutors were trained on victim sensitivity. Through these actions, victims became increasingly willing to report the sexual assault to the police, testify in court and were better able to recover from the trauma of a sexual assault.
In the 1980's SATC implemented prevention education and awareness programs for children and adolescents and enhanced training and consultation services for professionals. During this time major milestones were accomplished for sexual assault survivors through collaborative policy efforts with community agencies and law enforcement. Laws were enacted to protect victim counseling information, to provide mandatory HIV testing of sex offenders and to establish sex offender registration. In addition, statutes and policies were strengthened to enhance penalties for sex offenders.
The SATC took on a statewide profile in the 1990's through contract administration for statewide sexual assault services. The SATC provides the programmatic and fiscal oversight of sexual assault services, as well as technical assistance and consultation, to the sexual assault centers on Kauai, Maui and the island of Hawaii. In addition, the SATC manages a project for the statewide standardization of medical protocols and uniform evidence collection procedures.
24/7 On-Call Crisis Intervention: Immediate Attention, Information & Referral Services
Phone crisis response for counseling, referral and information
In-person crisis counseling, legal systems advocacy at any time
Crisis counseling and legal systems advocacy at the time of the medical-legal examination
Outreach and case management services to coordinate ongoing care and encourage participation in therapy
Phone information and referral for non-crisis inquiries about sexual violence and other information requests
Medical-Legal Examinations
24 hours/7days per week immediate forensic examination of adults and minors, which include medical evaluation, collection of legal evidence and treatment. Exams are done within 72 hours of assault with use of a standardized sexual assault kit.
Post-72 hours medical evaluation of minors suspected of sexual assault
Therapy, Case Management and Legal Systems Advocacy
Assessment and treatment planning, including referrals for medication
Individual, family, group, couples therapy
Case management to coordinate care
Continuous evaluation of client status and progress
Legal systems advocacy to support victims through judicial proceedings, civil and criminal
Sexual assault services for victims of domestic violence
Prevention and Education
Education for school aged children (pre-school to 12) in the prevention of sexual violence
Education for community organizations on general information about sexual violence and prevention
Media activities and community-based wellness events to promote awareness of sexual violence and related services
Training and consultation to professionals on the identification, response and treatment of sexual violence victims
Participation in degree programs for the training and education of professionals
Participation in community meetings, coalitions and task force groups
Advocacy to shape laws and improve services
Data collection and generation of research, publications and literature about sexual violence
Capacity Building Services
Delivery of standardized, statewide sexual violence services
