On September 15th 2022, Support Service team members Gabrielle Arthurs and Anab Ibrahim, were invited to the Lévis to attend the team meeting of the designated centre at the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches. This team is comprised of nurses and doctors who ensure the service provision for the entire region of Chaudière-Appalaches. We were pleased to be to be able to bring with us Dr Jean-Yves Frappier, specialist in medico-social intervention with children at the Saint-Justine Hospital in Montréal. 

This team wanted to consult with the Support Service on several topics : clarifications on the possible medical procedures with minor victims, questions about the prescription of the HIV prophylaxis for victims, what should be included in the progress notes in the victim’s medical file and how the team can re-organize their services in order to provide the best care possible to victims.

One of the roadblocks that the Lévis team is faced with is a doctor team who are on call for obstetrics and delivery while also being on call for sexual assault. Together, we were able to brainstorm some solutions and re-affirm the competency and capability of the nursing team in this designated centre. 

Working in a designated centre in the province of Québec can be an isolating experience, even when you are part of a strong team, like in Lévis. The Support Service was pleased to be able to help open up this designated centre to new possibilities and affirm their expertise. One of our mandates is creating a network and sense of community for the designated centres and every time we meet with a medico-social team, we are putting new blocks in that foundation. 

We must also recognize the importance of team meetings and the creation of a ‘group expertise’ where medico-social team members can share their successes, failures and experiences with each other. If you work for a designated centre that does not have team meetings, contact the Support Service and maybe we can help. 

A special thanks to Lucie Deschênes for inviting us and to répondante régionale Stéphanie Morin for promoting our services to the medico-social team.

The Support Service is pleased to continue on its mission to help designated centres and the people who do the work reach their maximum potential. 

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Please don’t hesitate to contact us!

The Support Service team
Allied with designated centres across Québec