AFN SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS (SIG)
All SIG positions are volunteer positions filled by AFN members in good standing. These positions require a time commitment of four to six hours per month.
If you are interested in joining a SIG, please click on the "Contact Chair" button under the corresponding SIG listed below.
Child Maltreatment
The Child Maltreatment SIG promotes the provision of evidence-based care to pediatric victims of maltreatment. This SIG is focused on providing education and tools to other healthcare professionals and those involved in the investigation of child maltreatment to aide in its prevention, identification, documentation, and treatment.
Chair:
Laurie Charles
Death Investigation
The Death Investigation SIG supports forensic nurse examiners in the application of their knowledge, training, experience, and expertise to investigate causes and manners of death. This SIG is dedicated to the application of evidence-based principles of medico-legal death investigation.
Chair:
Annette Cannon
Elder Abuse
The Elder Abuse SIG is dedicated to bringing awareness to the incidence of maltreatment and neglect of elderly adults. This SIG is focused on providing education and tools to other healthcare professionals and those involved in the investigation of elder abuse to aide in its prevention, identification, documentation, and treatment.
Chair:
Debbie St. Germain
Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labor, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker and/or others. The Human Trafficking SIG is dedicated to ensuring the prompt identification, evidence-based treatment, and proper healing of victims of human trafficking. Providing nurses and others who may encounter these victims with the tools necessary to timely identify and properly treat them.
Chair:
Ruth Downing
Violence & Behavior
The Violence & Behavior SIG focuses on violence – specifically its definitions, manifestations, situations, operations, and legal definitions. The SIG looks at both offender behavior and victim behavioral responses; the brain and behavior as they correlate to the neurobiology of trauma; and the consistent incorporation of ACEs and PACEs in all forensic assessment and treatment.