Specialized care for survivors of sexual assault in Oxford County will now be available closer to home, thanks to a unique partnership that will see specially-trained staff in London, Ont., provide consultation services to Oxford County Community Health Centre (OCCHC) staff.
The partnership between OCCHC and the Regional Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Treatment Program (RSADVTP) of St. Joseph’s Health Care London is described by the two as “the first agreement of its kind in the province.”
It means sexual assault survivors can receive treatment for injuries, testing for sexually transmitted infections and other follow-up care at OCCHC’s main office in Woodstock instead of having to travel to London.
However, Oxford County residents who choose to have forensic evidence collected will still need to go to London initially as the RSADVTP, which serves Oxford, Elgin, Huron-Perth and Middlesex counties — and even children as far as Sarnia and Owen Sound — is “the only program in the region that offers forensic evidence collection.”
Oxford County residents who have evidence collected can transfer their care to OCCHC afterward.
“Disclosing sexual assault or domestic violence is extremely difficult and often frightening,” said RSADVTP coordinator s Cassandra Fisher.
“Forging partnerships with organizations like the OCCHC builds capacity in our region, allows trauma-informed, specialized care to be provided close to home where people feel the most safe, and opens another door to ensure survivors receive the support they need.”
Fisher added that anyone who enters the program is offered follow-up care for six months post-assault.
“We want to ensure everyone is able to access this follow-up care regardless of where they live.”
Currently, sexual assault services like risk management and counselling are provided by Oxford Sexual Assault Services (OSAS) at OCCHC. The centre itself also provides survivors access to services like housing stability programming, primary care, rapid access addiction medicine, and more. The new partnership with RSADVTP will “complement existing sexual assault services.”
OCCHC executive director Randy Peltz said “the partnership addresses a long-standing barrier to care.” OSAS program coordinator Laura McCreery added that the partnership “also serves as a potential model for other – often rural – communities across the province facing similar barriers.”