Q. What Do Your Advocates Do?
A. Advocates offer compassionate emotional support while providing in-person accompaniment for survivors of sexualized offenses to attend medical appointments, report an offense to RCMP, or attend court so that survivors are not alone during the aftermath of sexualized crime. Advocates contribute to community education through social action events.
Q. What are your Advocates' qualifications?
A. Our screened Advocates have completed 102 hours of specialized training over the course of one year. Training is grounded in feminist theory with a trauma-informed client-centered approach that explores rape culture, gender-based violence, sexual offenders, impact and neurobiology of trauma, psychology of victim blaming, colonization, diversity and marginalized communities, affirmative consent, compassion fatigue, community engagement through social action, coordination with criminal justice system partners such as Crown counsel, defense counsel, RCMP and victim services.
Q. Does the offense have to be reported to police?
A. No. Survivors choose whether or not to report a sexualized offense to the RCMP. Survivors are in control of their own story and their right to make decisions is honoured. Survivors are never pressured, encouraged or expected to disclose the offense to anyone. Through the Advocacy program, survivors have a place to ask questions and explore options.
Q. Who can access your services?
A. We provide support, advocacy and accompaniment to adult survivors 18+ of all gender identities, LGBTQ community and new Canadians. We support youth ages 16+ by consulting and creating a coordinated response with local youth serving agencies and/or school counselors.
Q. Is there a cost for your service?
A. No. Advocacy services, crisis and non-crisis accompaniment, counseling and group support is free and confidential. If a survivor does not have transportation for accompanied appointments and feels unsafe to walk alone in the community, we can provide in-town taxi service to and from scheduled accompanied appointments.
Q. How do I refer someone to your program?
A. Providing our contact information allows survivors to call, text or email directly. If a survivor is uncomfortable, we welcome 3rd party conversations to discuss current circumstances and risk factors. To increase comfort of initial introductions, upon request we can meet survivors with their support people at their preferred public location ie: doctor’s or counselor’s office, or survivor’s support people can attend the initial visit with the survivor.
Q. I have more questions!
A. To learn more about the Sexual Assault Advocacy Centre and Warmland Women’s Support Services Society, please contact Program Coordinator Kendra Thomas 250-710-8177 kthomas@warmlandwomen.org
Sexual Assault Advocacy Centre
The Sexual Assault Advocate Program is a response to sexualized violence that reflects not only the needs of survivors of all genders but one that engages Community to become more than a bystander.
Sexual assault is a physical assault that is sexualized. It is about power and control, not sexual attraction. Survivors are not responsible for anticipating, causing or stopping the violence.
Services include:
Enhancing existing services and supporting social responders, the program includes an intensive volunteer Advocate training program grounded in feminist theory and response-based trauma informed practice. Training focuses on essential skills for survivor-centered crisis and non-crisis accompaniment and advocacy.
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