Sexual assault survivor services to expand

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This article was published 07/04/2022 (1435 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Sexual violence survivors will be able to access care and other services closer to home thanks to a new program being implemented by the provincial government.

The province is expanding services through a new forensic nurse examiner program, Health Minister Audrey Gordon announced on Thursday. This program will increase access to services in regions outside of Winnipeg, reducing the need to travel to the provincial capital for specialized care.

The forensic nurse examiner program is building on the sexual assault nurse examiner program already running at Health Sciences Centre (HSC) in Winnipeg. Through the forensic nurse examiner program, sexual violence survivors are able to access medical care, counselling services, community resources and, if they wish, file a police report. This new program will see HSC Winnipeg become the provincial hub and house the centre of excellence for the program, with initial satellite sites established in Brandon, The Pas and Thompson.

This will allow survivors to remain closer to their family and friends while they are on their healing journey, Gordon said.

The province is investing $640,000 annually to support the new program, which will see five full-time nurses hired, including a provincial co-ordinator. These nurses will be trained as forensic nurse examiners so they can provide care for survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence, including assessment, document injuries, testing and treatment for infections and injuries and if needed, forensic evidence collection.

Nurses in Brandon, The Pas and Thompson will have the opportunity to receive this training.

In addition, the centre of excellence at HSC Winnipeg will provide Telehealth services to nurses working in communities without Forensic Nurse Examiners.

This program is expected to be up and running by late 2022 or early 2023.

It will also allow teenage patients greater access to these services. Over time, it is expected the number of locations where teens aged 15 and older can access care in all the satellite locations.

“Our government knows the need for these types of supports has increased in the past two years,” said Families Minister Rochelle Squires, who is also the minister responsible for the status of women. “This investment follows a recommendation by the Manitoba Status of Women Framework: Addressing Gender-Based Violence and ensures survivors throughout the province will be able to more easily access the services they need if and when they need it.”

According to a news release, April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Manitoba, with the aim to promote awareness, education and discussion over the seriousness of sexual violence.

There are other supports currently available for survivors of sexual assault, including services provided by Klinic, Survivor’s Hope and Westman Region Women’s Resource Centre.

For more information on available supports, click on gov.mb.ca/youarenotalone.

To find out more about the sexual assault nurse examiner program, visit hsc.mb.ca/emergency/.

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