Our Services

Hide my tracks

All services provided are confidential and free of charge.

You can access Nina’s Place acute services through the emergency department of Joseph Brant Hospital. We provide comprehensive, trauma-specific care and treatment. You can come alone, with a friend, family member, or police. We will support you in the decisions that you make. We are here to help.

List of services and definitions:

 

Acute Care = an assault has occurred within the last 12 days

Any injuries requiring medical attention such as cuts, broken bones, and head injuries will first be treated by the emergency department staff. The Nina’s Place nurse will then be contacted to see you.

Services include, but are not limited to:

  • crisis intervention/emotional support
  • documentation of assault
  • assessment and documentation (including photographs) of injuries
  • testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV, Hepatitis B
  • emergency contraceptive options (e.g. "the morning after pill")
  • forensic evidence collection (Sexual assault evidence kit)
  • risk assessment and safety planning
  • referrals to community agencies for additional support

Non-Acute Care = an assault has occurred more than 12 days ago

Our non-acute service can be accessed during daytime hours by calling Nina’s Place during business hours (905-632-3737 ext. 5708) and making an appointment to come in to see the nursing staff.

In these instances, we will care for clients who do not come directly to the emergency department.   

Follow-up Care

A Nina’s Place nurse  will contact you a few days after you have been seen, provided it is safe to do so. This contact may be a phone call or an in-person visit, in which case you would return to Nina’s Place. This provides an opportunity for the nurse to:

  • check on your emotional and physical wellbeing
  • answer any questions
  • re-assess your safety and review your safety plan
  • re-document and photograph any injuries that may have become more apparent  
  • re-assess your pain
  • inform you of any test results, or perform repeat tests if necessary
  • follow up on HIV Post-Exposure Prophylaxis
  • help you to access services from other community agencies

For any of the above follow-up services, you may call to book an appointment with the follow-up nurse.

Domestic Abuse

Domestic violence, also referred to as “intimate partner” abuse, is a crime in Canada. Primarily committed by men against women, domestic violence can be committed by women against men and also occurs in same–sex relationships.

Domestic Violence transcends all boundaries and stereotypes. It is found at all income and education levels, in all social classes, in all religions, and in all races and cultures.

Domestic abuse does not always involve physical violence. Abuse can include other forms of mistreatment and cruelty such as constant threatening, psychological/emotional, financial/material, spiritual and verbal abuse. It can also include sexual assault. Domestic abuse results from an imbalance of power and control in a relationship.

What are the options of care?

You are in charge of the care that you receive while accessing services at Nina’s Place. All options will be explained to you in detail, and you can choose to accept all or a selection of the options.

What kind of emotional support do you offer?

You are given the opportunity to discuss what has happened to you with someone who is supportive and understanding. You will not be judged or forced to do anything that you are uncomfortable doing. You will be given the option to have follow up counselling and medical treatment.

Will I have to have a medical examination?

You are given the opportunity to consent to all or parts of a medical examination.

Will my abuse be documented?

You are given the opportunity to have a nurse document a history of the abuse, as well as the most recent incident. You have the option of having this documentation submitted to police for investigative purposes.

Please note police will not be notified of your visit without your knowledge and consent. If you choose to do so, photographs of your injuries can be taken by the nurse and with your consent submitted to police.

What can I do to stay safer?

You have the option to participate in safety planning with the nurse. The safety plan is tailored to you, as well as the uniqueness of your life and current situation.

Are there community resources available to me?

You have the option to be connected with numerous community resources and agencies. Together you and the nurse will work collaboratively to determine the resources that would be of the most assistance.

Will anyone follow up with me?

After your visit you are given the option of having a nurse contact you in a few days to see how you are doing.

This nurse can arrange for you to be connected with local support and counselling, and provide on-going emotional care. The nurse will also offer follow up testing, to ensure that you remain medically well after your initial examination.

 

Sexual Assault

Sexual assault is any form of sexual activity with another person without their consent. There are many forms of sexual assault, including forced kissing, grabbing, fondling, sexual harassment, and attempted or completed rape (vaginal, oral, or anal penetration by a sex organ, other body part, or foreign object). Sexual assault is about power and control being asserted over another person. With sexual assault, a person’s right to determine what happens with their own body, mind, and spirit is taken away.

What are the options of care?

You are in charge of the care that you receive while accessing services at Nina’s Place. All options will be explained to you in detail, and you can choose to accept all or a selection of the options.

What kind of emotional support do you offer?

You are given the opportunity to discuss what has happened to you with someone who is supportive and understanding. You will not be judged or forced to do anything that you are uncomfortable doing. You will be given the option to have follow up counselling and medical treatment.

Will I have to have a medical examination?

You are given the option of a physical examination to assess for any injuries and testing for sexually transmitted infections including, chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, Hepatitis C, and sexually related infections including bacterial vaginosis, trichomonas, yeast infection, and bladder infections.

  • We can provide testing for pregnancy.
  • Treatment can be given to reduce the chances of getting an STI or HIV.
  • The Morning After Pill also known as Plan B is also available.

Do I have to have a sexual assault evidence kit (rape kit)?

You are given the option of having a sexual assault evidence kit completed.

Once completed, the kit can be released to police OR stored for a period of 6 months while you determine if you would like to have police involvement.

Should you consent to having a kit completed, you and the nurse work together to determine which samples should be collected. Documentation is completed as part of this process.

Portions of the sexual assault evidence can be collected regardless of if you have had a shower or a bath.

Will I have access to continuing services?

After your visit you are given the option of having a nurse contact you in a few days to see how you are doing.

This nurse can arrange for you to be connected with local support and counselling, and provide on-going emotional care.

The nurse will also offer follow up testing, to ensure that you remain medically well after your initial examination

Definitions

  • Domestic Violence, or intimate partner violence, involves one person asserting their power over another person in order to control or maintain control over them. What characterizes intimate partner violence is the ongoing effort to assert power and maintain control over one’s partner. It often increases in frequency and intensity. The abuse can occur in intimate relationships regardless of gender and/or sexual identities. All persons can be survivors/victims of intimate partner violence. The violence can take many forms, including physical, emotional, sexual, intimidation/ psychological, spiritual, and financial abuse. Often, more than one of these forms of violence are used together, along with manipulation tactics that transfer responsibility for the abuse from the assailant to the victim/survivor.

  • Child Sexual Abuse/Assault: The law states that a child is not in a position to give consent to sexual activity. Child sexual abuse occurs when a child is used for sexual purposes by an adult or adolescent. It involves exposing a child to any sexual activity or behaviour. Examples include where a child is encouraged, coerced, forced or enticed into such acts as sexual molestation, fondling, sexual intercourse, fellatio, cunnilingus, exhibitionism, or any form of sexual exploitation such as juvenile prostitution or pornography.  (Age of Protection (Consent) Law In effect May 1, 2008)
  • Human sex trafficking: occurs when a trafficker exploits an individual with force, fraud, or coercion to make them perform commercial sex work.  Sex trafficking is defined by the as the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act.

Contact us:

Nina’s Place: The Regional Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Treatment Centre for Halton

1245 Lakeshore Road
Burlington, ON L7S 0A2

Tel. (905) 632-3737 ext. 5708

Fax (905) 681-4957

We are unable to provide medical or legal advice over email or social media. For aid, please reach out directly.

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If you are a service provider looking for acute healthcare services following a sexual assault or domestic violence, please call our navigation line:
1-855-NAV-SADV (1-855-628-7238)

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