Search Results for: victims and survivors of crime week

Victims and Survivors of Crime Week 2020

Victims and Survivors of Crime Week 2020 was a huge success – thank-you to all that participated or gained something of value this week. Hosting events during this time are a bit more challenging, but certainly still worthwhile. The resources and presentations from this week will remain available on this page.

Victims and Survivors of Crime Week is a federal campaign that brings awareness to agencies across the country that provide services to folks that have experienced a crime. Although the week is usually hosted in May, due to COVID-19, the 2020 event is now virtual and being held November 22 – 28.

This year’s event will commemorate the 15^th annual Victims Week, the 20^th anniversary of the Federal Victims Strategy, and five years since the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights came into force.

Thank-you to the Department of Justice, Government of Canada, for hosting this week!

SSAIC’s VSoCW 2020 Virtual Events

Live Event – “Investigation of Sexual Assaults”

Join our live conversation entitled “Investigation of Sexual Assaults” with James Repesse, Staff Sergeant of the Interpersonal Violence Section of the Saskatoon Police Service. Learn all about how sexual assault cases are reported

Registration is free, but donations are encouraged. James’ presentation will be recorded; be sure to register to receive the recording afterward!

Webinar – “Understanding Sexual Assault Trials”

Sexual assault news is often in the headlines of our media nowadays, but the legal proceedings behind each of these cases are often kept private. Dive into the inner workings of a sexual assault trial with our guest speaker and SSAIC Board Member, Linh Lê, Crown Prosecutor for Saskatoon Public Prosecutions and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice.

New Resource – “What to Expect when Reporting a Sexual Assault”

This booklet is designed to fully inform survivors who are considering reporting sexualized violence on everything involved in the process of reporting, investigating, and prosecuting sexual assaults.

Reporting is a huge and personal decision. SSAIC supports all survivors, no matter what choice they make. We aim to empower survivors with all choices available to them, as well as connect them to relevant information needed to make those decisions. The criminal justice system can be daunting, and we hope this booklet makes it a little less so.

Government of Canada – Victims and Survivors of Crime Week 2020 Virtual Event

Recognizing Courage, Renewing Commitment

November 23, 2020 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (EST)

The deadline for registration is November 18, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. (EST). Personal and accommodation requests must be submitted by October 30, 2020. Registration for the event is free.

For questions, please contact victimsweek-semainedesvictimes@justice.gc.ca.

Benjamin Roebuck will be providing a keynote presentation on Violence, Resilience, and Post-Traumatic Change. Based on research with victims and survivors from across Canada, this presentation will explore how people navigate the aftermath of violence, adapt in adversity, and change through the process.

November 20, 2020 by Morgan Price

November 2020 Newsletter

Happy November! It looks like the snow is here to stay; time to break out the parkas and snowshoes!

COVID-19 Update

With the unfortunate rise in cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan, SSAIC is remaining vigilant in our protection of our clients, staff, and the general public by keeping our office closed to walk-ins at this time. Our counsellors will continue to offer very limited face-to-face counselling appointments while working more remotely and offering primarily telephone counselling appointments.

SSAIC is proud to have remained available to survivors throughout the pandemic in one way or another, and we plan to keep it that way.

Connect with us at our office (306-244-2294) or on our social media accounts @SSAIC1 to stay engaged!

Our website is also a great resource for survivors and allies alike; check out our Survivor’s Toolkit for some handy coping strategies, or our Virtual Group Sessions for a 10-minute session on trauma.

What’s Going on at SSAIC

We are excited to welcome our newest staff member, Joelle, to our counselling team! Joelle will be the voice behind many of our intake calls, helping clients get connected with a counsellor at our agency and answering questions from the public. We are so excited to welcome Joelle to our team!

Our newest training, Supporting Survivors of Sexualized Violence (SST), has been a huge success so far! SSAIC is proud to offer this training in two formats (2-Hour or Full Day) to fit into any ally’s schedule.

SST was created by SSAIC and designed to train professionals and community members alike to receive disclosures and support survivors in a compassionate and trauma-informed way. Register now and learn more about the program here.

SSAIC will be recognizing Victims and Survivors of Crime Week in three ways:

Join our live conversation entitled “Investigation of Sexual Assaults” with James Repesse, Staff Sergeant of the Interpersonal Violence Section of the Saskatoon Police Service. Get the Zoom link by registering here – registration is free, but donations are encouraged. James’ presentation will be recorded; be sure to register to receive the recording afterward!
Watch our pre-recorded webinar, “Understanding Sexual Assault Trials”, with SSAIC Board Member, Linh Lê, Crown Prosecutor for Saskatoon Public Prosecutions and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice. Dive into the inner workings of a sexual assault trial and the role of a Crown Prosecutor here.
View our newest booklet, “What to Expect when Reporting a Sexual Assault”, electronically on our website. This booklet is designed to fully inform survivors who are considering reporting sexualized violence on everything involved in the process of reporting, investigating, and prosecuting sexual assaults.

Entertainment & Learning

Our Fall Learning Workshop Series continues to roll throughout the snowfall! Join us in one (or both) of our last two fall webinars: “Shifting the Culture of Sexual Harassment” and “Restoring Hope: Human Trafficking in Saskatchewan”.

Join our incredible guest speakers in some online learning over the next few weeks (P.S. these webinars qualify for most continued learning requirements). Register here – all webinars are free, but donations are encouraged. Webinars are recorded, so be sure to register if you’re interested, even if you can’t attend live.

20 Ways Trauma Therapy is Really Different Nowadays

The Facts About Sexual Assault and Harassment – Canadian Women’s Foundation

Sexual assault and harassment are persistent forms of gender-based violence that are rooted in gender inequality.

In fact, sexual assault is the only violent crime in Canada that is not declining. Its impact goes far beyond survivors; dealing with the aftermath of sexual assault costs Canadians billions of dollars every year. Read more…

Learn more about sexual harassment from our webinar with Nicole White and Hilary Peterson, “Shifting the Culture on Sexual Harassment”.

Sexualized Violence in the News

Sexual-assault testimonies of intellectually disabled people should be judged free from stereotypes: Supreme Court, The Globe and Mail

Man Perfectly Explains Women’s “Rage” Using Brutal Analogy So All Men Can Finally Understand It, Twenty Two Words

At least 92,000 have filed sex abuse claims against Boy Scouts, legal team says, CNN

Records military fought to keep secret show pedophile priest had multiple child victims, Ottawa Citizen

A Tribute to Two Saskatoon Police Officers, Saskatoon Police Victim Services

From our Feeds

Ways to Give to SSAIC

Looking for ways to give to SSAIC? Click any of the options below to get started!

Becoming a recurring donor. This is the most helpful kind of donation we can receive, as it helps us consistently plan for the future with reliable donations monthly or annually. All donations are greatly appreciated.
Bring your recyclables to SARCAN. By using the code “I believe you” at the Drop-n-Go stations or at the register, you can donate your recycling funds straight to SSAIC and protect the environment all at once!
Shop our survivor-themed merchandise. Our online store is fully stocked with plenty of our survivor phrase t-shirts, sweatshirts, and mugs – order yours straight to your door, or come by our office downtown for contactless pickup.
Fundraise on our behalf. COVID-19 has impacted us all, and SSAIC is relying on our community supporters now more than ever. If you’re interested in raising money on our behalf, get in contact with our office to discuss opportunities!

Join us on Social Media

@SSAIC1 on Facebook and Instagram

Stay safe and healthy!

May 27, 2019 by Virginia Dakiniewich

May 2019 Newsletter

Welcome to this special edition of SSAIC’s Monthly Newsletter!

It’s been an exciting month for us, as we received funding from Justice Canada for a special project launching for Victims and Survivors of Crime Week 2019, happening May 27-31.

We’ve recognized at SSAIC that we need to do better in our service provision for LGBTQ2S members in our community — after all, we are here to serve EVERYONE in Saskatoon, and we want to remove as many barriers as possible when it comes to accessing our services.

For many people within the LGBTQ2S community there are unique barriers such as:

Binary language (men vs. women) may exclude non-binary people from feeling they can access services
A general lack of LGBTQ2-specific supports and resources; limited or non-existent treatment programs
Fear of service termination or discrimination around providing their legal name/sex vs. their correct name and gender
Anxiety around engaging with a new service provider; fear of discrimination, being misgendered, or being turned away

So, over the next few months, we’ll be revamping our public education materials and website to ensure LGBTQ2S inclusive language is the standard and checking that our internal policies follow best practices for LGBTQ2S inclusive service provision.

Pride Festival in Saskatoon is just around the corner — learning about the particular ways in which sexual violence affects these vulnerable community members has never been more timely, and learning about this topic makes you a stronger, more informed ally.

In the meantime, through our funding from Justice Canada, we’ve partnered with OUTSaskatoon to create two new brochures:

The Intersection of Gender Identity & Violence in the LGBTQ2S Community
The Intersection of Sexual Orientation & Violence in the LGBTQ2S Community

These will be available for download on a special LGBTQ2S page on our website, as well as our general resources page as of June 5, 2019.

To help other non-profits and service providers improve their LGBTQ2S inclusivity practices, SSAIC will be co-hosting a Lunch and Learn with OUTSaskatoon on Thursday, May 30 in the YWCA Studio. Tickets are available on Eventbrite. Attendees will learn appropriate terminology, rates of sexual violence throughout the LGBTQ2S community, how to support queer survivors of sexual violence, and best practices in creating programming, outreach, and general services. Attendees will also receive resources from SSAIC and OUTSaskatoon that will aid them in increasing their knowledge and in creating inclusive environments for queer survivors. Visit the event page for more information or to register.

Only a few seats remain. Bring all of the questions you’ve been afraid to ask — this is a safe space!

Sexualized Violence & the LGBTQ2S Community

2SLGBTQ+ people experience disproportionate rates of sexualized violence (1 in 5 queer individuals in Canada, with queer youth being most at risk). In order to address sexualized violence, we need to look at the root causes of discrimination and oppression.

2SLGBTQ+ people also experience additional impacts from sexualized violence, such as not feeling safe accessing medical care, not being sure where to go for support, and many harmful myths and stereotypes surrounding the queer community and violence.

SSAIC recognizes that folx from the 2SLGBTQ+ community face additional barriers when accessing or seeking support from community services, including ours. For Victims and Survivors of Crime Week 2019, SSAIC received funding from Justice Canada and partnered with OUTSaskastoon to create two resources specific to the queer community:

We are excited to have these available in our office and as part of our public education materials — but there is still more work to be done. After all, we are here to serve EVERYONE in Saskatoon, and we want to remove as many barriers as possible when it comes to accessing our services.

We will always continue to revamp all areas of service, educational materials, and website to ensure LGBTQ2S-inclusive language is the standard and checking that our internal policies follow best practices for LGBTQ2S-inclusive service provision.

Please do not hesitate to share with us suggestions for how we can make our space more inclusive. Contact us with any and all ideas!

A special thank you to OUTSaskatoon for their help in educating us, and making SSAIC even better at our mission: serving ALL survivors of sexualized violence in the community of Saskatoon.

Events

SSAIC relies on our various fundraising events to continue to offer services to survivors of sexualized violence and their loved ones. Take a look at some of our current and most recent fundraising and awareness events here:

Holiday Giving Campaign 2020

Victims & Survivors of Crime Week 2020

Sexual Assault Awareness Week 2020

Online 50/50 Lottery 2020

Giving Tuesday 2019

Luncheon en Vogue 2019