Sexual assault victims' advocate welcomes expansion of specialized nurse training to Labrador

A victims' advocate at the Happy Valley-Goose Bay's Sexual Assault Crisis and Prevention Centre is applauding the expansion of a provincialsexual assault nurse examiner program to Labrador.

Deirdre Connolly, along with other advocates in Labrador, has been calling for better support for victims of sexual and gender-based violence in the region, where rates of sexual assault are four times the national average.

"It's definitely an awesome start," she said in an interview. "The numbers speak for themselves. If you look at where the needs are, I think that the need is very high in Labrador for the provincial expansion."

One-quarter of the province's sexual assaults happen in Labrador, according to data provided to The Canadian Press by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and the RCMP.

In an interview with CBC Radio's Labrador Morning earlier this month, Pam Parsons, the provincial minister of women and gender equality, said more than $250,000 has been allocated to expand the program, whichtrains nurses to care for patients who've experienced sexual violence,to central Newfoundland and Labrador.

Parsons did not say when the program expansion would happen.

"The latest information that I have received from my colleague, the minister for health and community services, is that the work has begun to extend this training, this very important training, into Labrador," she said.

There are nurses who have received the training in St. John's, but there are none in Labrador. Nurses who've received the training specialize in treating patients who've experienced trauma, and can provide birth control and treatment for sexually transmittedinfections.

"Post-assault medical care by people that are trained in trauma-informed care is an excellent way to keep survivors safe," she said.

Connolly wants to know whether the money will be put exclusively toward training nursesand whether the province will establish a provincial co-ordinator for the program.

"Even within that actionable step, there are quite a bit of next steps," she said. "It's one thing to
commit to it;it's another to enact the plan."

She also wants to see investment in other community supports that could help reduce sexual assault rates of sexual assault, such as better access to affordable housing and treatment programs for mental health and addictions issues.

"Those are the next steps," she said. "Concerns about housing, addictions, mental health all of
those contribute to the greater conversation around prevention of sexual violence."

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