Associate Professor Candace Burton.
Associate Professor Candace Burton has been appointed to California Office of Emergency Services State Advisory Committee (SAC) on Sexual Assault Victim Services.
In the role, which is a permanent appointment, Burton aims to address the disparate and inequitable pathways sexual assault survivors take to access services.
“In many parts of the state, forensic nurses are scant,” she says. “In others, there are bottlenecks around survivors’ access to these providers.”
When survivors don’t have access to a forensic nurse, a valuable opportunity to document injuries and collect evidence is lost, Burton points out.
Survivors also potentially miss out on receiving prophylactic medications. These factors can lead to poor health outcomes and hinder assault investigations.
First point of care for sexual assault survivors
Burton, a forensic nurse who has done extensive research into survivor trauma, took the appointment because, she says, “Nursing has a vital role in the care of sexual assault survivors. We are often the first point of care for survivors, and the first to offer them support and options during an intensely traumatic time. “
Southern California was also previously not well-represented on the committee, Burton says.
“We are a huge state. It is important that all regions are connected to statewide services.”
About the SAC
The 11-member SAC provides oversight to the Rape Crisis, Child Sexual Abuse and Child Sexual Exploitation and Intervention Programs. Established in 1980, it is authorized by statute to advise the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services on program development and implementation, develop fund-awarding criteria, approve grants and to help develop a training course for prosecutors investigating and prosecuting sexual assault cases.
The committee’s goals include legislative advocacy and development, the provision of optimal medical and forensic evaluation and treatment of all sexual assault and abuse survivors, and increased training for professionals who work with survivors.
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