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Expert Panel Will Develop Training Tools For Emergency Department
Personnel
TORONTO, Dec. 1 /CNW/ - The McGuinty government is investing in training
to help emergency department personnel better recognize the signs of domestic
violence and provide supports to women in need, Sandra Pupatello, Minister
Responsible for Women's Issues, announced today at Women's College Ambulatory
Care Centre.
"Experts and frontline workers from across the province told us to invest
in early intervention strategies, and that is what we are doing," said
Pupatello. "It is imperative that we give emergency department personnel the
tools they need to intervene early in cases of domestic violence."
This $302,000 investment is part of the $5.9 million the government is
spending for training, research and conferences under its comprehensive,
four-year, $66-million Domestic Violence Action Plan. A panel will assemble
the tools and information that emergency department personnel require to
identify the signs of domestic violence in women. The panel will develop an
e-learning program, which will be available to all emergency departments in
Ontario.
"Ontarians recognize that domestic violence is a serious health care
issue," said George Smitherman, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. "Our
government is honoured to have the enthusiastic support of eminent members of
the medical and social services community, as we work to reduce domestic
violence."
"Emergency departments are often the first place victims of domestic
violence go for help, so training for frontline personnel is critical," said
Dr. Brian Schwartz, Director at the Sunnybrook-Osler Centre for Prehospital
Care, and expert panel co-chair.
"We want to develop a training program that will boost the capacity of
emergency department personnel to support at-risk women," said Dr. Robin
Mason, Research Scientist, Centre for Research in Women's Health, Sunnybrook &
Women's College Health Sciences Centre, and co-chair of the Expert Panel.
This is the third expert panel established to help frontline workers
identify and provide the appropriate supports to women and children who may be
exposed to domestic violence. In November, 2005, the government announced
English-language and French-language expert panels, which will develop
training tools to help elementary school teachers, principals and counsellors
identify and provide appropriate supports and information for children who may
be exposed to domestic violence.
Disponible en français
www.ontariowomensdirectorate.gov.on.ca
Backgrounder
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December 1, 2005
EXPERT TRAINING PANEL FOR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL
The expert training panel will develop a training package to help
emergency department personnel identify women who may be exposed to domestic
violence, at the earliest opportunity, and provide the appropriate responses,
supports and information. The panel comprises:
Co-Chairs
Dr. Brian Schwartz - Director, Sunnybrook-Osler Centre for Prehospital
Care, Sunnybrook & Women's College Health Sciences Centre and Scientific
Advisor, Emergency Management Unit, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
Dr. Robin Mason - Research Scientist, Violence and Health Research
Program, Centre for Research in Women's Health, Sunnybrook & Women's College
Health Sciences Centre
Members
- Sharon Armstrong, Emergency Department Nurse, Pembroke Regional
Hospital
- Shirley Broekstra, Manager, Sexual Assault Care Centre, The
Scarborough Hospital, Grace Division
- Mary Carter, Program Coordinator, St. Joseph's Health Centre, Sudbury
Regional Hospital
- Nancy DiPietro, Manager, Nina's Place, Regional Sexual
Assault/Domestic Violence Centre of Halton, Joseph Brant Memorial
Hospital, Burlington
- Dawn Dowson, Coordinator, Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Treatment
Centre, Thunder Bay Health Sciences Centre
- Dr. Joyce Lock, Physician, Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital, and Medical
Director, Nina's Place, Burlington
- Sheila Macdonald, Provincial Coordinator, Sexual Assault/Domestic
Violence Treatment Centres, Sunnybrook & Women's College Health
Sciences Centre
- Patti McGillicuddy, Social Worker, Sunnybrook & Women's College Health
Sciences Centre
- Robbie Schwartz, Crisis Intervention Social Worker, Psychiatric Crisis
Team, Markham Stouffville Hospital, and Lecturer, University of
Toronto
- Dr. Dominick Shelton, Emergency Physician, Sunnybrook & Women's
College Health Sciences Centre
- Dr. Carolyn Snider, Resident Physician, Sunnybrook & Women's College
Health Sciences Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
- Dr. Andre Tan, Physician/Course Coordinator, Domestic Violence
Education, Faculty of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston
- Dr. Andrew Worster, Emergency Physician, Hamilton Health Sciences
Centre, McMaster University Medical Centre
Disponible en français
www.ontariowomensdirectorate.gov.on.ca
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For further information: Sara Best, Minister's Office, (416) 325-5213; Gabrielle Free, Communications Branch, (416) 314-7389
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