Are you feeling the culture shift?
When AASAS developed the #IBelieveYou campaign the goal was to:
- execute a multi-layered public awareness campaign aimed at improving people’s response to sexual assault
- focused on giving people the best tools for responding to a survivor.
We can say with confidence that we are achieving those goals. Pre- and post-campaign research show a large increase in the number of people who will respond to a disclosure by saying "I believe you." Believing overcomes the guilt and shame that many survivors feel, and gives them the confidence and support to get help and find healing.
The #MeToo phenomenon showed just how far the message of believing has travelled. As part of the campaign, AASAS tracks the performance of hashtags on twitter and instagram to determine social reach. Last year the social reach of #IBelieveYou was over 6.4million. This year #MeToo increased our numbers by about 40million! This is the reach of posts by people responding to #MeToo with #IBelieveYou.
We are seeing a culture shift in North America and we are proud to play a role in it.
Some fear the movement will fade over time, as so many trending social media hashtag movements do. But it's been almost two months and every day there are still more individuals coming forward. There are more consequences for those who have committed sexual harassment and assault.
AASAS will continue to focus on building a culture of believing so survivors will always feel safe to tell and seek help.
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Increased Demand for Sexual Assault Services
When the #MeToo campaign hit and pushed #IBelieveYou even farther, the calls started coming in to member agencies from survivors looking for support services.
SACE took advantage of the demand and used it in media stories in October and November. They articulated the need for more resources to meet the needs of Albertans on Global Television and CBC.
Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse also discussed the issue in the media on Global TV and in an upcoming Post Media article and CBC interview.
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First Responder to Sexual Assault Training
The Edmonton FRT training in December filled within hours of an AASAS social media post and CBC noticed. Nikki Bernier, Director of Community Engagement for SACE and course facilitator, gave an excellent interview about the importance of knowing how to respond to disclosures of sexual violence and how this helps the healing journey.
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First Responder to Sexual Assault and Abuse Training
What will Participants Learn?
This training is intended to build the capacity of professionals, paraprofessionals and community members to assess and respond effectively to disclosures of sexual assault and sexual abuse. Survivors who receive safe and supportive responses to disclosures of sexual violence are more likely to reach out for help from medical and counselling services and/ or report to police. First Responder to Sexual Assault and Abuse Training™ is a comprehensive two day training, inclusive of the full continuum of sexual violence and across the lifespan.
Upcoming training dates:
All training dates in 2017 are full.
Please visit the AASAS website regularly for new training dates.
If you would like to coordinate a First Responder Training in your community, organization, or institution – please email AASAS.
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Counselling Adult Survivors of Sexual Violence
The Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services (AASAS) is thrilled to announce an upcoming Counselling Adult Survivors of Sexual Violence Course, taking place in an online classroom from February 1 – April 19, 2018.
What will Students Learn?
This course offers an integrative, mindfulness-based approach to ongoing assessment and interventions with adult survivors (all genders) of sexual assault and childhood sexual abuse. It draws on the most current theory including feminist, attachment, regulation, and interpersonal neurobiology; and evidence-based practices, including mindfulness, cognitive, emotion-centred, somatic, neurofeedback and other emergent approaches for trauma, addiction and mental health.
Who Is This Course For?:
This 12 week online integrative course is designed for counselors, therapists, and other mental health practitioners who may wish to work with survivors of sexual violence, or who may be already working with survivors and would like to more deeply inform their counselling practice. Registrants must have, at a minimum, a bachelors level education in a social or health services discipline and/or are registered/licensed with a professional association that maintains a code of ethics and standards of practice that provide parameters for the registrant’s scope of practice. Special considerations may be accommodated on a case by case basis.
Participant Feedback about the Course:
- “I really enjoyed every part of this course… I felt my instructors were very informative and presented the course great”
- “I very much appreciated how comprehensive this course was”
- “I feel I learned things about myself and am aware of it now”
For more information and to register, click on the poster below.
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Member Agency Events & Updates
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Boundaries and Consent Survey
The Lloydminster Sexual Assault and Information Centre (LSAIC) has been the recipient of a grant from the Canada Post Community Foundation. This grant is giving LSAIC the opportunity to research and develop a Teaching Consent Workshop! The workshop will invite parents and caregivers to a day of education and resources, focusing on ways to engage children and youth in conversation about boundaries and consent in relation to bodies, relationships and sexual activity.
The research team is conducting a survey to gather relevant statistics and information, allowing LSAIC to tailor program development to needs being shown. They would appreciate your participation in the below survey.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PXPXXRS
The Boundaries and Consent Survey takes less than 5 minutes to complete 19 questions.
Please note that answers can be unique from person to person. Answers may be collated for statistical purposes and sited in the workshop manual.
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Saffron Centre is moving!
Staff are looking forward to serving their clients in a larger, better and brighter space.
As of December 7th, you will find Saffron at:
100, 222 Athabascan Avenue
Sherwood Park, AB
T8A 4C9
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