June 7, 2019 by Virginia Dakiniewich

June 2019 Newsletter

SSAIC newsletter header
May was a busy month for SSAIC as we worked hard to get our LGBTQ2S materials launched. (You can download them here!) Our Lunch & Learn on the topic of Sexual Violence + the LGBTQ2S community was well received, with 45+ people in attendance. We are thankful to our friends at OUTSasktaoon for their expertise and help in making us better service providers and allies for the queer community. SSAIC will be marching in the Pride parade on Saturday, June 22 — come on and join us!

Thank you to everyone who signed the petition and spread the word about Rona Ambrose’s Bill C-337, known as the Judicial Accountability Through Sexual Assault Law Training Act.
Bill C-337 is a private member’s bill that would require judges to undergo training on Canada’s sexual assault laws. The bill was passed in the House of Commons two years ago but has stalled in the Senate ever since. The purpose of the bill is to raise confidence in the legal system. By training judges in sensitivities associated with sexual assault, victims will be more comfortable coming forward. Ambrose recently addressed the Senate committee on legal and constitutional affairs to support the bill. With only weeks to go before the parliamentary session is over, it is crucial for the bill to pass quickly through the upper chamber. If this legislation isn’t addressed before the 2019 federal election, it may never come to a vote.
Read more …

SSAIC will be participating in the June 21 Rock Your Roots Walk for Reconciliation, on National Indigenous Peoples’ Day. We cannot stress enough the negative impact that the Residential School System had on Indigenous culture in our province and across Canada, and reconciliation is something every Canadian must undertake in order to rebuild the trust and respect that was lost in the colonization process.

The theme for this year is Re-igniting the Fire – a reminder that we cannot delegate Reconciliation. We must commit as individuals, businesses, and communities to listen, learn, show up and share. We must keep the fire burning to spark change in our lives and city. For more information visit the City of Saskatoon website or check out the Facebook event page.

It’s time for the Great Canadian Giving Challenge – help SSAIC win $10,000! Every dollar you donate through Canada Helps by June 30 earns SSAIC a chance to win the grand prize of $10,000. We believe survivors, we support survivors and advocate for change:

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!

April 23, 2019 by Virginia Dakiniewich

April 2019 Newsletter

SSAIC Newsletter

Welcome to the April edition of the SSAIC monthly newsletter. We hope you had a restful holiday weekend.

This month we are happy to share some new blog posts on the topic of consent. Stephanie Locke (MSW/RSW), a member of our counselling team, has written two in-depth posts on the basics of consent and affirmative consent. We get a lot of questions on the topic, and Steph took some time to really break it down. If you’re more of a visual learner, check out this hilarious and informative video that’s been making the rounds for a few years.

SSAIC would also like to welcome Morgan Price, BSW/RSW, to her full-time role as counsellor and program coordinator for our long-running child sexual abuse prevention program, I’m the Boss of Me.

Read on for more program updates and general information— thank you for being a part of our online community!

New First Responder to Sexual Assault training course dates for 2019-20 have been scheduled. If you are someone who wants to learn how to better support survivors of sexual violence, this course is for you! Visit our website for more information.

SSAIC’s child sexual abuse prevention program, “I’m the Boss of Me”, completed its 13th successful season thanks to the support from our 42 volunteers!

3,368 Grade 4 students from 128 classrooms in the Saskatoon Public and Catholic systems were happy to meet our puppets and learn about their right to say no to unwanted touch, and who to ask for help when someone violates their body autonomy.

Not sure how to have the consent conversation with your children? This short, fun, informative video will get you started!

April 7 – 13 was National Volunteer Week, and SSAIC would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the volunteers who support the organization: Our Board of Directors, who help to shape the mission and vision with their expertise; our puppeteers, who donate their time to child sexual abuse prevention; and to our graphic design and fund development volunteers who lend us their talents and skills.

SSAIC is a stronger, more effective organization because of your contributions to the work we do!

Stay tuned: Sexual Assault Awareness Week is May 12 – 18 in the province of Saskatchewan. Our provincial body, Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan will be making a big announcement on Monday, May 13.

March 14, 2019 by Virginia Dakiniewich

March 2019 Newsletter

SSAIC Newsletter

Hello, and thanks for opening this newsletter! SSAIC appreciates your time and attention.

Big news headlines this month have include R. Kelly’s infamous interview with Gayle King (her poise in the face of his tantrum is a masterclass in composure under fire) and the fallout from a new Micheal Jackson documentary called “Leaving Neverland” – radio stations and even Spotify are looking at banning his catalogue of music from rotation. While the debate about how to handle the art created by problematic artists (*cough * Woody Allen *cough*) rages on, another important question has been raised: what were the parents thinking, leaving their sons alone with a grown man for sleepovers and whatnot?

Unfortunately, perpetrators of sexual violence often engage in a process called grooming, and while many people understand how these predators groom children, it is lesser-known that the grooming process often includes parents/primary caregivers (and as this opinion piece states, an entire culture).

Want to know more about grooming? Check out this resource on our website. Worried that a child in your life might be subject to some kind of abuse? Learn about your Duty to Report (protocols vary by province) – you’ll never be penalized for making a report in good faith, and you also have the option to report anonymously. The bottom line? If you are worried that a child is being abused, call the Ministry of Social Services or your local police/RCMP.

There are only a few seats left in SSAIC’s First Responder to Sexual Assault training course taking place at The Willows on Friday, March 29 and Saturday, March 30.

What can you expect to take away from the training?

– A comprehensive coil-bound workbook to take home
– A folder containing additional resources
– A detailed understanding of the personal, cultural, and legal aspects of sexual violence
– The ability to recognize, define, and respond appropriately to disclosures of sexual violence

Details and online registration available on our website.

Talk is cheap – Saskatchewan needs to spend more money on mental health

Mental health professional Joanne Schenn illuminates how provincial mental health services have not kept pace with people experiencing serious issues and crises. Schenn makes an effective case for the need to treat mental illness with the same consideration as any other physical illness. In this op-ed piece, the author outlines the urgent need for publicly funded mental health services in Saskatchewan to stem the rising tide of depression and suicides.

The Science is clear: Childhood trauma affects health outcomes later in life

In this TED Talk, pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris explains how childhood traumas such as abuse, parental addictions or mental illness impact a child’s developing brain. Those who have experienced severe childhood adversity may be at higher risk for heart disease or cancer later in life. If we recognize the effects of childhood trauma as a public health issue, steps can be take to prevent and treat the impacts. “This is real and this is all of us – we are the movement.”

February 11, 2019 by Virginia Dakiniewich

February 2019 Newsletter

SSAIC Newsletter

Well hello there! Thank you for opening this email; we know your inbox is full, and there are so many things in life demanding your attention.

Take a moment to ground yourself; straighten your posture (stretch, even!), feel your feet making contact with the ground, and take in a deep breath through your nose – inhaling for 4 seconds. Hold it for 2 seconds, and then release your breath to the count of 6. Repeat. Repeat again.

…Now, take a moment to see how you feel.

Grounding techniques are useful for anyone who needs to get calm and centered – perhaps you have a big meeting coming up, or your kids are driving you crazy, or your partner has pushed your last button. In any of these situations (and so many more) taking a moment to steady yourself can be helpful.

Victims and survivors of traumatic experiences like sexual assault, physically abusive relationships, or war are often triggered in the present by sights, smells, or sounds (sometimes unknowingly) that remind them of their past terror. In extreme cases, triggers can lead to full-blown panic attacks and flashbacks that seem so vivid and real the survivor can’t distinguish past from present.

Grounding techniques are used to help them to regain a sense of calm and control. Knowing how to use them for yourself or for others is a helpful mental health first aid technique.

While the words “trigger” and “trigger warning” are often criticized for pandering to people who are “overly sensitive”, it’s important to remember that everyone has their own personal thresholds for what makes them feel unsafe, scared, or anxious.

People can’t always control their responses to a trigger, and that’s why grounding techniques are so important. Learn more about triggers on our website.

ConnectR is the latest project of Reconciliation Saskatoon, a community of over 98 organizations, non-profits, businesses and partners who came together to begin a citywide conversation about Reconciliation and provide opportunities for everyone to engage in calls to action. Recently launched, the ConnectR website is a multidimensional, multimedia experience showcasing four distinct paths: head, heart, body and spirit. Website visitors can select a path and explore information, articles, news, videos and photos. The user can also select from an extensive list of themes to guide the experience.

Check out this infographic from The Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability (CFOJA). CFOJA is an online research and information centre which conducts research and mobilizes knowledge to prevent femicide and other forms of gender-based killings in Canada. The main focus of CFOJA activity is to document social and state responses to femicide in Canada. The CFOJA was established in response to a call from the United Nations for better tracking of gender-related killings of women.

CFOJA recently released their report: Understanding Gender-Related Killings of Women and Girls in Canada 2018. The report contains critical information that builds on the earlier work on femicide in Canada and highlights current trends and issues that require further investigation.

Trauma Informed Yoga Classes

Dates: Mondays from 1:30 to 2:30 – February 4, 11, 25 and March 4.
Free of charge: please speak to a SSAIC counsellor to register.
Phone 306-244-2294

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