Crisis care
CASA House's Crisis Care service provides counselling, support, information and advocacy in relation to medical and legal options to all adult victim/survivors of sexual assault. This is a 24-hour service. Victim/survivors can access this service within 14 days of being assaulted. CASA House can be contacted directly, or victim/survivors may choose to ask a family member, worker or friend to make the initial contact.
Crisis care counselling supports the victim/survivor to make informed decisions
Crisis care services are founded on respect for victim/survivors' choices
Therefore, crisis care counselling provides information and support in order for the victim/survivor to make informed decisions about her medical care and legal options. All victim/survivors have a right to the following in crisis care counselling:
- The highest standard of information and support regardless of her gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, marital or social status
- Access to a qualified interpreter appropriate to her preferred language
- Accurate information about her health options
- Support in making contact with a doctor of her own choice
- Presence and support of a person of her choice
- Withdrawal of consent at any time
- Option to ask questions, give feedback and make complaints
Crisis care medical services are about the victim/survivor's choice of medical treatment
There are three options regarding crisis care medical examinations. Victim/survivors may choose a forensic medical examination, a general medical examination, or no medical examination at all.
- A forensic medical examination is conducted for the purpose of collecting evidence related to the sexual assault. A forensic doctor performs the examination when victim/survivors have chosen to proceed with a formal complaint to the police.
- A hospital doctor performs the general medical examination when the victim/survivor chooses an assessment of her general physical wellbeing.
- Victim/survivors may choose not to have a medical examination. It may be preferable to contact a general practitioner, to defer or refuse medical attention.
Crisis care principles are founded on the belief of victim/survivors
The experience of not being believed is common among victim/survivors. This in part explains why the crime of sexual assault is so under reported. Crisis care services are founded on the following principles:
- Victim/survivors have the right to be believed
- Victim/survivors have the right not to be judged
- Victim/survivors should have control over all decisionmaking which affects them
- Victim/survivors have a right to understand each step of the process
- Victim/survivors have the right to be treated as individuals
- Victim/survivors have the right to the utmost degree of confidentiality
For more information
For more information about crisis care at CASA House or to access the service contact us.