National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 2022

The CASASC office will be closed Friday, September 30 for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

CASASC staff, led by the Kinship Intervention Program (KIP), will be participating in reflection, awareness and educational initiatives throughout the day. We seek to honour First Nations, Inuit and Métis survivors and their families, acknowledging the ongoing impacts of Residential Schools.

September 30 is also Orange Shirt Day – a national movement in Canada.

From the University of Victoria: “In this annual event, Indigenous and non-Indigenous people come together in the spirit of hope and reconciliation to honour former residential school students, their families and communities. We consider the impacts of the policies and actions of the Government of Canada and the churches that operated the schools.

Orange Shirt Day began in Williams Lake, BC in 2013 at the St. Joseph Mission (SJM) residential school commemoration event at which survivor Phyllis Webstad told the story of her shiny new orange shirt taken away from her on her first day of school at the Mission.

Orange Shirt Day occurs in early Fall because this is the time of year when children were removed from their families and forced to attend residential schools. The day inspires Canadians to take part in anti-racism and anti-bullying initiatives at school and work.

The residential school era began in the early 1870’s, with the last school closing in 1996. More than 150,000 Indigenous, Métis and Inuit children attended these schools. There are an estimated 80,000 survivors living today.”

CASASC is committed to reconciliation. On Friday we will wear our orange iRespect t-shirts as a visual symbol of our awareness of the need for ongoing reconciliation and accountability.

We encourage you to seek further information about the experiences of Indigenous people, especially in regards to residential schooling.

We are here to support our community during this time. If you need support, we have our 24/7 Sexual Violence Help Line by phone at 1 866 956 1099 or by webchat at www.casasc.ca

You can also reach the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line by phone 1-866-925-4419

The importance of prevention

By Bailey Martineau

The Importance of Prevention:

Welcome to prevention education. We’re so glad that you have found us! You may be wondering what ‘prevention education’ is and why is it important for you, your children, grandchildren, and all school children.  Well, you have come to the right place!  This blog will explore the importance of prevention, why we provide prevention education, and why it is needed in our schools.

If you are new to Central Alberta, CASASC has a dedicated education team that specializes in the prevention of childhood sexual abuse. You can find more information about our programs and/or book us to deliver our program to your organization at education@casasc.ca.

Now, on to explaining the importance of prevention.

As a former preschool teacher, I witnessed firsthand the impact of sexual abuse on a child. Children under the age of five do not have the developmental ability to discern when someone’s motives are insincere or when someone is lying.  So, if they feel uncomfortable with something that has happened to them, they typically will tell someone they trust.  These ‘disclosures may occur during, dramatic play, reading a book, or even during one-on-one time. Students usually came to me during free play time, when colouring, or just quietly reading books – and they would share what happened that is making them uncomfortable.  Oftentimes, nothing needed to be said as it was clear in the child’s demeanor when dropped off at school by their guardian.  As adults who know and understand the signs of abuse, we need to be the voice and advocate for children who don’t understand what is happening to them.

If you are fortunate enough to have a child trust you enough that they come to you and tell you something that happened to them, you should feel honoured; this means that you are a safe person for that child. No need to feel scared. That child chose you to help them! Having an understanding of prevention is so important so you know how you can do to help that child.

The signs of childhood sexual abuse are not always obvious and as a result, it is important to learn the signs and symptoms so that early action can be taken, thereby ending or preventing abuse.

Prevention is important to everyone – and the best prevention is education.  We make sure everyone is aware of the elements of body safety. Children need to understand what consent is and how to impose body boundaries that they are comfortable with.  Prevention education empowers everyone in positive ways.

Have you ever wondered about the steps involved in prevention education?  Following are some steps that we, as a community, can take.

  1. Act: Do something. As a community, we need to act. If you’re reading this, you’re probably wondering what you can do to prevent childhood sexual abuse. We must counteract it with kindness, grace, practice, and most importantly, believing the child/youth if they come to talk to you about it. If you know – or even suspect – childhood sexual abuse, it’s your responsibility (and the law!) to report it immediately.
  2. Join Forces: Reach out to non-profits in your community who talk and teach about sexual abuse – churches, schools, libraries, and other civic groups – to get involved in prevention programs.
  3. Support the victim: Believe the victim. Report when necessary. Offer support, empathy, and kindness. Let them know they are not alone. Help to find resources to start the healing journey.
  4. Educate Yourself: Programs like ours help children, youth and adults understand body boundaries, consent, relationships, and safe or unsafe adults. We give them a voice and the tools to prevent sexual abuse.
  5. Speak up: Let’s give childhood sexual abuse a voice. Let’s stop it in its tracks. The more we talk about it, learn, and educate, the less likely abuse can happen. Prevention begins with each one of us!

Prevention strategies aim to stop violence before it occurs by addressing the way individuals, relationships, community, and societal factors impact interpersonal violence.

Given my past experiences, I am impassioned to ensure everyone is educated on the prevention of sexual abuse.  My hope is that, as a community, we can use these steps to recognize, act, and prevent sexual abuse in our community.

Why Prevention Education?

This is where we take social action through prevention education:

Prevention education builds confidence, critical thinking skills and helps prepare children and youth for potentially dangerous situations in the real world. We should teach children and youth assertive skills so they can respond appropriately and say “no!” when necessary.

Prevention education also requires that children and youth know what a safe adult is and where a safe adult is allowed within their body boundary.

Here is a question for you what makes a safe adult? How do children and youth know that a specific adult is safe to be around?  Are you, as the adult, able to respond to this question? Do you think your child or grandchild understands this? If not, it’s time to have a conversation about safe adults.

Another question to think about: Do you know what a body boundary is?

In our prevention program, we discuss and have related activities on body boundaries. What touches are allowed in each bubble? Our No Secrets program teaches that “no one should look at, no one should touch, and no one should take pictures of our private parts.” If this rule is broken, our prevention education teaches the skills of “no, go, tell” – say “no” loudly, go somewhere safe and tell a safe adult what happened.

We also teach that a doctor should be one of the only people that can look at or touch us in order to keep us healthy – but only with our permission and consent.

Research shows that elementary age children are not developmentally able to lie, so it’s important that if a child says someone has touched them inappropriately, adults believe them.

Our program also teaches the importance of learning the correct body part names as when children and youth are familiar and comfortable with body part names, they can tell a safe adult what happened and there is no misunderstanding.

We want children and youth to feel empowered when it comes to their bodies and boundaries. Our program, like any other prevention education program on sexual abuse, is not sex education; rather it is a prevention program to ensure children and youth are equipped with tools to stop an act before it happens and to educate about right from wrong and what is (or is not) appropriate.

Why is Prevention Education Needed in Schools?

Just like learning how to do a fire drill or a lock down, children need to learn and understand how to keep their bodies safe. Teaching these concepts in an age-appropriate classroom setting with peers fosters autonomy and self-esteem.

Bailey Martineau is a prevention educator at the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre.

Monthly update – CASASC Connections – September

Welcome back to CASASC Connections. This is a space where we provide updates on our services, programs and all things CASASC for the month of September.

 

Community Booths

Come visit us at community booths and events.

September 9 @ Golden Circle (Red Deer)

September 15 @ Bowden Community Registration Night (Bowden)

September 29 @ Seniors Information Fair (Collicutt Centre, RD)

October 5 @ Mental Illness Awareness Week (RD Polytech)

October 20, Consent Booth @ RD Polytech

 

Ride for Respect – Thank you

The first annual CASASC Ride for Respect was held on Saturday, August 27 at Bower Ponds in Red Deer. The day was filled with live music, family activities, vendors, a barbeque and the motorcycle poker rally of course. Close to a hundred volunteers joined us for the day, making it possible to bring awareness to our cause.

A big thanks to volunteers, sponsors and attendees for making the Ride for Respect possible.

Thank you!

 

Virtual 50/50

Live, virtual 50/50 fundraiser. Get your tickets today for a chance to win up to $10,000.

Tickets available until September 30. Purchase them here

 

Virtual Silent Auction

Check out our virtual silent auction. Over 70 items available to bid on, guaranteed to have something for everyone in the family.

Bidding open until September 14. Check out the silent auction here

 

Online Learning Series

Our virtual learning series will be continuing all year long. Please join us for each month as we hosting various free and virtual education lessons for the community.

 

What happens on a 24/7 Sexual Violence Helpline (60min)

Join us for an informal session about operating and volunteering on a 24/7 Sexual Violence Helpline. Use this opportunity to learn about the helpline and how you can utilize it in your community/workplace. Hear what it takes to volunteer on a help line. Help us share this free resource out to our Alberta community.

Tue, Sept 13 @ 5-6pm MST

Tue, Oct 18 @ 6-7pm MST

Visit the link for session dates and times and to register:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/390733202527

 

Ask the Expert – Parenting and Sexualized Behaviour Support Virtual Session (September 26)

Monday, September 26 @ 4 – 5 p.m. MST

Visit the link for session dates and times and to register:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/306744500057

 

Services + Programs at CASASC (30 min)

Friday, September 16 @ 9 a.m.

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/305069279427

 

Introduction to Sexual Violence (60 min)

Wednesday, September 7 @ 11 a.m.

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/305057193277

 

Supporting Disclosures (45 min)

Thursday, September 8 @ 11 a.m.

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/305060773987

 

Consent 101 (60 min)

Wednesday, September 21 @ 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/305082248217

 

Programs + Services

 

Education – Prevention and Awareness

education@casasc.ca

The new school year is here! Connect today to help bring out programs into your schools.

We provide free, prevention education programs for Grades K-12 across Centra Alberta. These programs are respect and relationship focused and are NOT sexual health or sex ed.

Delivered by our award-winning Education team (recipients of the 2022 Inspiration Award for Sexual Violence Prevention).

Helping to support the current CALM outcomes and new AB Education K-6 curriculum, our education programs are prevention focused and help to build personal safety and healthy relationship skills for all students.

 

Elementary and middle school:

No Secrets (K-4): Two 35 min sessions. Topics on public vs private, personal body safety, what is safe vs unsafe, and how to ask for help from a student’s personal safety network.

iRespect MYSELF (Recommended Grades 5/6 and deliverable to Grades 4 and 7 upon further discussion): One 60 min session. Topics on personal safety rules, boundaries, self-esteem, communication, permission, labels and stereotypes, and diversity.

iRespect US 1 (Recommended Grades 5-7 and deliverable to Grade 8 upon further discussion): One 60 min session. Topics on communication, healthy peer relationships, healthy schools, conflict resolution, and personal power.

iRespect US 2 (Recommended Grades 5-7 and deliverable to Grade 8 upon further discussion): One 60 min session. Topics on personal power, bullying behaviors, cyberbullying, teasing, empathy, and the impacts of bullying behavior in schools.

 

High School range:

Healthy Dating Relationships 101 (Recommended Grades 8-12 and deliverable to Grade 7 upon further discussion): One 60-90 min presentation educates students on healthy relationships, communication, conflict resolution, consent, consent laws, dating violence (physical, emotional, sexual), sexting, and sexting laws.

 

24 Hour Sexual Violence Help Line

1-866-956-1099 www.casasc.ca

Available through phone, text or webchat – We provide 24/7 confidential and anonymous support and a friendly conversation with the end goal being information, support and referrals.

Need for online + virtual volunteers – email ewillmer@casasc.ca

We are in need of volunteers to join our 24/7 help line, with shifts on phone call and text/web chat.

We are looking for minimum of five volunteers who can take one or two shifts a month with our helpline. Evening and weekend support is a bonus.

Using an eight-hour shift-based schedule the help line volunteers provide a listening ear, supportive conversation and resource referrals to children, youth and adults who are in need of support. Previous education and training are not needed. Seeking respectful, caring and supportive individuals.

 

Counselling

Counselling can be accessed Monday – Friday and does not require a referral or special circumstances. Individuals can call the main office to start their counselling journey anytime at 403-340-1124.

  • Sessions are offered in-person, through secure video chat or by phone
  • Waitlist is approximately two months
  • We have a session cap of 15 sessions
  • One-on-one and group counselling
  • Sexualized Behaviour Support counselling

Adult clients: Call the main admin line. An intake appointment will be booked with our Intake Worker, then you will be set up with a counsellor.

Child/youth clients: We will need to ensure consent forms are in place (both parents or legal documentation) and the same process will happen – an intake appointment is booked, followed by appointments with one of the child counsellors.

 

Kinship Intervention Program (KIP)

bdunlop@casasc.ca

KIP offers a combination of early intervention practices and a community-based approach, integrating anyone in the youth’s support network or community

Available to any Indigenous youth (age 6 -17) who exhibits sexualized behaviour concerns or engages in “sexual acting out” or who has experienced sexual violence. The program works collaboratively with the youth’s family and elders.

KIP builds relationships throughout Central Alberta with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous service providers and communities. We can provide in-person mental health services for Indigenous youth and adults, including crisis intervention and remote counselling services.

KIP information and community connection sessions are available by request. Email us to learn more.

 

Police, Community + Court Support

For more info email courtsupport@casasc.ca

The CASASC Police, Community + Court Support program is your safe place. We are dedicated to being that place where you work through your options, navigate the system, and process a traumatic experience. Our support workers are here to listen and support you while you are considering or navigating the criminal justice system. We are advocates and sources of information for you – that safe guiding presence throughout the process.

The Community + Court Support Program is available to anyone (age 16+) who has experienced sexual violence. You’d don’t need to be an existing CASASC counselling client.

No matter where you are in your healing journey, or whether you choose to report, the Police, Community + Court Support Program is here to provide:

  • Support, information, and advocacy. No legal services or advice is provided
  • Can discuss options for legal advice and provide resources and referrals
  • Information about reporting, the court process and court preparation
  • Accompaniment to report and/or court proceedings
  • Assistance with filling out forms and applications

*Ask us about the SUPPORTIVE REPORTING option

 

Let’s connect

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