News & Postings

Fight, flight or freeze: Understanding mental, physical effects of trauma The Bangor Daily News May 15, 2013 By Natalie Feulner, Special to the BDN Substance abuse and mental health issues are often linked, underlying the fact that good health requires people to take care of both their physical and emotional needs, according to Angela Fileccia, a licensed clinical social worker with Summer Street Health Center in Bangor. With one session left to go in our advocate training, my class of Rape Response Services trainees delved into the issue of mental health and how it affects our response to a trauma. It’s an unfortunate situation we’re likely to face: Not only are people with mental health issues more likely to be victimized, Maine’s per capita substance...

After domestic violence homicides, Cambridge man works to stop cycle of violence The Bangor Daily News May 10, 2013 By Erin Rhoda, Editorial Page Editor Arthur Jette, 62, of Cambridge is a machinist by trade. He worked for a couple decades at Fayscott Co. in Dexter and served eight terms as a selectman in Garland. He now fills another, perhaps surprising, community role, working as the community relations coordinator of Womancare. The organization based in Dover-Foxcroft serves male and female victims of domestic violence. Maine needs more male advocates. By speaking out, they set an example for others to follow. They show abuse is not a women’s issue but a societal one. Jette has seen the worst result of abuse, which is why he also serves as the volunteer...

Victims with intellectual disabilities pose greater challenge, increased need for support The Bangor Daily News May 7, 2013 By Natalie Feulner, Special to the BDN  Autism. Intellectual disability. Deaf. Blind. Wheelchair user. These words carry with them so many definitions and connotations but are all common in one way: They change how we as Rape Response Services advocates respond to a call. Yes, there’s still a victim, and a crime was still committed. But, as I sat in class listening to Wendy Gilbert, a RRS advocate who works professionally with people with intellectual disabilities, I couldn’t help but think how these words would make a call a little bit harder — and that much more important. The statistics are staggering. In a study by the...

  Bangor Nurse Honored for Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner Work May 2, 2013   Rape Response Services was so pleased to be able to honor and thank Michelle Markie, RN of St. Joseph’s Hospital for her work as a sexual assualt forensic examiner.  Michelle is exceptionally caring and compassionate and is committed to a victim centered approach.  She willingly shares her knowledge and expertise with the community and is an active member of the Penobscot County Sexual Assault Response Team.  Because of her efforts, Michelle not only supports victims/survivors but she is working to prevent sexual violence from happening in the first...

Talking to Maine children about child abuse The Bangor Daily News April 26, 2013 By Erin Rhoda, Editorial Page Editor If you were sexually assaulted, who would you tell? Now imagine you are a child or adolescent facing that question, and the person abusing you is your mother, father, grandmother or grandfather. A Robbinstown mother testified before a legislative committee in February that her daughter endured seven years of rape, abuse and incest by her biological father. It happened on the weekends he was supposed to be taking care of her, as the couple had separated. The mother said she missed her daughter’s silent cries for help, such as her wanting to be alone after spending time with him, a change in eating habits and eventually fainting spells. “Maybe...

Through a nurse’s eyes: Caring for sexual assault victims The Bangor Daily News April 23, 2013 By Natalie Feulner, Special to the BDN Last week, my class of Rape Response Services’ advocates-in-training spent our three-hour training session at St. Joseph’s Hospital with Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner and Registered Nurse Michelle Markie. Markie is one of two certified SAFE nurses employed at St. Joseph’s, a certification requiring a 40-hour class, hours of observation, ongoing education and practice administering rape kits. The kits contain equipment nurses can use to collect DNA evidence, take photos of injuries and perform overall health exams of sexual assault patients. Information obtained can be used in court cases to corroborate a victim’s...