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Meet the team dedicated to walking alongside survivors on their healing journey.
“You are not alone. There is help, and there is hope.”
To survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence, Lynn Bates and her team want you to know that they are here to care for you, to support you and to advocate for you.
Lynn is the interim advanced practice nurse with The Ottawa Hospital’s Sexual Assault and Partner Abuse Care Program (SAPACP).
This specialized team provides confidential, trauma-informed care to any person 16 years of age or older who has experienced sexual assault or intimate partner violence. The team is on site at our Civic Campus Emergency Department, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, always ready to provide help and hope.
Trauma-informed care
“Our approach to care is trauma informed,” emphasizes Lynn. “What that means is that we work closely with patients to determine their priorities and give them the choice in their care. We’re empowering them to make decisions, recognizing that they have just experienced a situation where a lot of that power was taken away from them.”
The SAPACP provides specialized, nurse-led, holistic care that combines medical treatment, forensic evidence collection and psychosocial support. In keeping with the program’s trauma-informed philosophy, patients may choose from any of these services as part of their care.
The team conducts a full medical assessment to treat and document injuries. Because not all injuries are visible, the team encourages all survivors to come forward to receive an assessment. Even if someone has few or no physical symptoms, they may still be at risk for various medical problems, such as infection and internal injuries.
If a survivor consents, the team will take photos of any visible injuries and complete a Sexual Assault Evidence Kit (SAEK), which collects forensic evidence that can be analyzed for DNA. If a survivor decides to report the crime to police, the team will guide them through the process and provide police with the SAEK and photos. The team will always support a survivor’s decision whether or not to report.
The program also helps survivors navigate the psychological and social effects that often follow such a traumatic event. The program’s social worker can connect survivors with community partners — including counselling, housing and financial support — to help along the healing journey.
How to access support
Survivors may present directly to the Civic Campus Emergency Department, where staff can connect them with the SAPACP team. If a survivor chooses to disclose that they have been affected by sexual assault or intimate partner violence, the Emergency Department staff will notify the SAPACP team, who will do their best to arrive within the hour.
“Our Emergency Department is fantastic,” praises Lynn. “They are well trained on how to care for and interact with patients who’ve experienced this specific kind of trauma.”
Survivors may also call the program (at 613-798-5555, ext. 13770) or send an email to sa_dv@toh.ca.
“We always have a nurse on site available to talk,” assures Lynn. “If the nurse can’t answer the phone right away because they’re with another patient, please leave a voicemail, and they will call right back ASAP.”
You can come forward at any time
“We encourage all survivors to come forward,” Lynn implores. “But we understand that many are afraid to. We want you to know that we are here to care for you, to support you and to advocate for you. We are here when you are ready.”
To learn more about The Ottawa Hospital’s Sexual Assault and Partner Abuse Care Program, including available services, please visit the program’s webpage or reach out to the team by phone or email.
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