SVSU, Michigan Forensic Examiners and Sexual Assault Center partner to provide on-campus examinations for assault victims

January 12, 2026

SVSU, Michigan Forensic Examiners and Sexual Assault Center partner to provide on-campus examinations for assault victims

Saginaw Valley State University has partnered with Michigan Forensic Examiners and the Sexual Assault Center of Child & Family Services to provide free, confidential medical forensic exams and crisis intervention advocacy on campus. These services are available for any SVSU student, faculty or staff member, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Victims may call the Saginaw County Sexual Assault Crisis hotline at 989-790-9118 at any time for support or to request services.

The new Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Room on SVSU's campus offers an alternative to hospital-based examinations. SART comprises forensic nurses, victim advocates, local law enforcement and medical personnel who provide comprehensive, compassionate care to victims of sexual assault. This new room enables patients to receive both emotional support from the advocate and trauma-informed medical care without leaving campus. Care may include a confidential exam in a non-threatening environment, a complete physical assessment, collection of legal evidence and documentation of injuries, prophylactic treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, emotional support and crisis intervention, and referrals to other victim service providers. All services will be provided by request of the survivor and at no cost. All services remain confidential unless requested otherwise by the survivor.

"The safety and well-being of our campus community is our highest priority," said Cliff Block, chief of University Police at SVSU. "This partnership ensures that survivors of sexual assault have immediate access to compassionate, confidential care right here on campus. By providing these resources, we are reinforcing our commitment to supporting victims and holding offenders accountable."

All Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) are registered nurses. They have completed a specialized nurse examiners program, which includes traditional classroom and one-on-one training with forensics professionals. They perform thorough, comprehensive examinations of victims and later may testify in court.
Per the survivor's wishes, evidence collected during a forensic examination can be sent to law enforcement at the time of the exam or stored with Michigan Forensic Examiners for up to 20 years.

Lindsey Bulgrien, CEO and founder of Michigan Forensic Examiners, said a partnership with SVSU has been a goal of the organization since its inception.

"Statistics show that women attending university are four times more at risk of being sexually assaulted," Bulgrien said. "We want victims to know we are here to help if they want it."

Allison Dakos, the crisis services coordinator at the Sexual Assault Center, echoes Bulgrien's sentiments. "We at SAC are very excited to provide crisis intervention and advocacy services to the SVSU community. Studies show that survivors who interact with a compassionate, trauma-informed advocate following an assault are more likely to enter healing and supportive services sooner, and to have more favorable health outcomes in the future."