Sexual Assault Team to be Located in Sydney

Sydney will be the location of a new team of sexual assault nurse examiners.

These registered nurses have specialized training to provide emotional support for victims, crisis intervention and forensic evidence collection.

"We know there are major gaps in services today for victims of sexual assault, and we're taking steps this year to make services more widely available," said Health and Wellness Minister Leo Glavine. "We have two existing teams in Halifax and Antigonish and we're adding two more, one of which will be located in Sydney."

The Department of Health and Wellness, Nova Scotia Health Authority and IWK Health Centre will work together to determine whether the service will be hospital-based or co-ordinated by a community organization. With either model, the team will travel to health facilities within the region to provide service where it is needed.

"The program expansion will help strengthen our clinical response and, most importantly, it will enhance the support and care we provide to the victims of sexual assault," said Lindsay Peach, vice-president of integrated health services, community support and management, Nova Scotia Health Authority. "The program builds on training that registered nurses already have and will give others the opportunity to become nurse examiners.

"This benefits people in our community as well as health-care professionals."

Both new teams will be in place by late 2015. The department, health authority and IWK will also work together to identify a location and model for a team in the western zone, which covers southwestern Nova Scotia.

The sexual assault nurse examiner program is part of government's broader sexual violence strategy being developed by the Department of Community Services.

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Sydney will be the location of a new team of sexual assault

nurse examiners.

These registered nurses have specialized training to

provide emotional support for victims, crisis intervention and

forensic evidence collection.

Health and Wellness Minister Leo Glavine says there are

major gaps in services for victims of sexual assault and

the government is taking steps to make them more widely

available.

He says there are two teams in Halifax and Antigonish and

two more are being added, one is in Sydney.

A location will be determined for the other team in the

western zone. Both new teams will be in place late this year.