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The Sexual Assault and Partner Abuse Care Program (SAPACP) is a team of specialized health professionals who are available on site, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We provide private and confidential trauma sensitive medical care to any person 16 years of age and older who has experienced sexual or intimate partner violence in our greater Ottawa region.

In addition to our acute 24/7 service, we provide a comprehensive outpatient clinic.  Outpatient services are accessible by self-referral, referral by health professional and/or  our community partners.  Please fax referral to 613- 761-4985 or call 613-798-5555 x 13770 to book an appointment.

Since the SAPACP of The Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus was established in 1994, we’ve worked with our community partners, to meet the medical, emotional, social, forensic and legal needs of individuals who have suffered the consequences of sexual and/or intimate partner violence.

What is sexual assault or sexual abuse?

Sexual assault is any form of unwanted sexual activity forced upon a person without that person’s consent. It can include anything from unwanted sexual touching to forced intercourse. Usually, the person who commits the assault is someone known to the victim. Regardless of gender, anyone can be a victim of sexual assault.

What is intimate partner violence (IPV)?

Also known as domestic violence (DV) intimate partner violence is a crime in Canada. Primarily committed by men against women, intimate partner violence can be committed by women again men and occur in same sex relationships. IPV is found is all income classes, religions, races, and cultures. Intimate partner violence does not always involve physical violence. Abuse can include other forms of mistreatment and cruelty such as emotional, psychological, financial, spiritual and verbal abuse.

Virtual clinic visits

The Sexual Assault and Partner Abuse Care Program is adding virtual visits to increase access to care for patients. This will help patients who might not be comfortable coming into the hospital for follow-up appointments. Once a patient is seen in-person for their initial visit, where medical and forensic examinations may be done, the care team would follow up virtually after 48 to 72 hours, four to six weeks, and three months. These virtual visits can be done through secure video conference. To inquire about virtual clinic visits, call 613-798-5555 x 13770 or email sa_dv@toh.ca.

Our services

Patients may choose any of the following services as part of their care.

Health care services

• Injury assessment, documentation and treatment of injuries
• Sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing
• Emergency contraception (Ella IUD, Plan B)
• Pregnancy testing
• Post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV  (HIV-prevention medication for use after a potential exposure)
• Immunization for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A
• Photo documentation of injuries
• Crisis counselling
• Safety planning
• Risk/threat assessment
• Referral for trauma counselling (referred to our community partners, such as Ottawa Victim Services).

Forensic services

• Collection and storage of the Sexual Assault Evidence Kit (with or without police involvement).
• Photo documentation of injuries (with or without police involvement).
• Anonymous reporting to police.

SAPACP outpatient clinic

There are many short- and long-term consequences of being a victim of sexual assault and intimate partner violence.  Your visit may be in the form of an on-site visit, a telephone visit or a video visit. This will depend on you and your individual needs. In addition to our 24/7 list of services above, follow-up care in our outpatient specialty clinic provides an opportunity to screen and manage potential short-and long-term consequences.  Examples include:

• Management and further prescriptions of HIV-prevention medication for use after a potential exposure.
• Injury assessment,with physician (or doctor, whichever working is preferred) involvement as needed Photo documentation of injuries.
• Mental health assessments with screening for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Follow-up assessment, testing, referrals and/or treatment for sexually transmitted diseases including: HSV, HPV, Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis, Trichomanias, Hepatitis B, C and HIV. Referral/collaborative care with specialists, head injury clinic, orthopaedics, ear/nose/throat, neurology etc.
• Crisis intervention and community support services.

Our team

We are a collaborative multidisciplinary trauma-informed medical team prepared to care for you one-on-one in a private, confidential space. We provide a compassionate ,non-judgmental and self empowering approach to care for all people using our services. Once requested, your care will be initiated within one hour of arrival to the emergency department at the Civic Campus

The following SAPACP dedicated health-care professionals are available to provide and advocate for your care:

Clinical team

• Medical Director, Renee Bradley
• Kaitlyn Maki, RN, Care Facilitator
• Trauma trained emergency room nurses dedicated to your care through education, including from the Provincial Network of Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Treatment Centres.
• Rashida Collins, SW, MSW
• 24/7 emergency care team

Accessibility

• TTY phone
•  Sign language and language interpretation services
• Wheelchair accessible
• Prophylactic medications free of charge

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Last updated on: August 21st, 2024