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Sexual safety
Everyone has the right to feel emotionally, physically, sexually, culturally and socially safe. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. If you do not feel safe please speak to Nurse, Doctor or Care Coordinator.
Our Mental Health service is committed to ensuring your Sexual Safety. This means we will acknowledge, maintain and ensure that your physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual boundaries are respected.
Inappropriate sexual activity can include unwelcome touching, hugging, kissing, physical assault, sexual assault, stalking, showing your genitals in public or to other people and causing them distress, masturbating in public, sending, receiving or sharing comments or pictures of a sexual nature on a phone and making offensive sexual comments.
Sexual assault, abuse and harassment are potential crimes and are always unacceptable. If you are worried your actions might be making people feel unsafe or frightened please speak with your Nurse, Doctor or Care Coordinator.
Sexual assault is an abuse of power, control, trust and human rights. If you have been sexually assaulted, remember you are not to blame. The responsibility for sexual assault lies with the offender.
Everyone deserves the right to feel safe. In our Mental Health Service we commit to and value the following principles that will support your safety.
| Safety | You should be safe from sexual violence in hospital. We will support you to be safe in the community. |
|---|---|
| Trustworthiness | We will believe you when you report sexual assault. We trust that you will not infringe on the rights of others |
| Choice | We will give you support around how to get help |
| Collaboration | We will talk to you about sexual safety, what it means to us and how we can help you feel safe |
| Empowerment | We will make time to hear you and provide you with information about support services |
Sexual activity, or activity interpreted as sexual in nature, is not acceptable in an acute mental health inpatient unit. This is to protect the safety and comfort of all consumers. If you are currently staying in a hospital you can ask our staff to contact the Sexual Assault Service for you.
If you have any questions or concerns that you wish to discuss in private, please talk to any staff member you feel comfortable with. Our staff are here to help you and are trained to understand sexual safety and sexual assault.
There are many services in the community that can help. Some of these services are listed below:
| Sexual Assault Service at RPA |
If your sexual assault happened in the last 7 days contact the Sexual Assault Service at RPA Hospital on 02 9515 9040 (business hours) or 02 9515 6111 (after hours) and ask to speak to the on-call Sexual Assault Counsellor. This is a free and confidential service. |
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| NSW Rape Crisis hotline |
The NSW Rape Crisis hotline 1800 424 017 is a free 24/7 counselling and referral service for women or men who have experienced sexual assault, or online nswrapecrisis.com.au |
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National Sexual Assault Family Violence counselling service |
The National Sexual Assault Family Violence counselling service is a free 24/7 phone resource and support service. Call 1800 737 732 or visit 1800respect.org.au |
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NSW Police |
You can attend your nearest police station and make a formal complaint. The police have experienced detectives who will take you seriously, and explain what might happen next. |
Are you a Koori person who needs information about sexual assault or abuse?
Wirringa Baiya is a state-wide legal centre for Aboriginal women focused on issues related to violence 1800 686 587 or 02 9569 3847 or wirringabaiya.org.au.
Are you from a culturally and linguistically diverse back ground?
If so, you can contact the sexual assault service above as well as the following services:
Community Relations Commission: 1300 651 500
Telephone Interpreter Service (24 hours): 13 14 50
Transcultural Mental Health: 1800 648 911
Are you aged between 5 and 25 years and need support?
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 or kidshelpline.com.au.
Lifeline 13 11 14 can offer telephone support.