Who are we?
Since 2010, the Sexual Violence Helpline has been responding to requests from anyone who has been affected by sexual violence, be they victims, loved ones or practitioners. Our listening and referral service is managed by the Montreal Sexual Assault Centre, which is mandated and financed by the Québec Ministère de la Justice and supported by the Secrétariat à la condition feminine (status of women). The support service was known as the Provincial Helpline for Victims of Sexual Assault until 2021, when it took on a new name to better reflect its entire service offering: Sexual Violence Helpline.
The Sexual Violence Helpline team
Requests for help are answered by counsellors from many backgrounds (criminology, social work, etc.). Their skills are enhanced through ongoing training on best practices as well as the diverse realities and experiences of persons who are victims.
A coordination team is responsible for regularly updating the provincial resource directory, maintaining relations with partners and building internal skills.
Our managing body: the Montreal Sexual Assault Centre (MSAC)
Since 1980, the MSAC has been offering services to recent victims of sexual assault. The Sexual Violence Helpline is one of the four services provided by the Centre, along with medico-social intervention services, individual clinical counselling and the Support Service for designated centres offering medico-social services for sexual assault victims.
Medico-social services
Counsellors are available at all times to provide support to anyone aged 18 or over who has been sexually assaulted in the last 12 months. Our intervention services are provided in response to psychosocial and medical needs. We also offer support with legal procedures. This service is one of the four designated centres for medico-social services in Montréal.
Individual clinical counselling
A team of professional clinical caseworkers offers emotional support through one-on-one meetings tailored to the reality and needs of the person who is a victim. This service, offered in Montréal, is available to people aged 18 and over who have experienced sexual violence in the last 12 months.
Support Service for Designated Centres Providing Medico-Social Services for Sexual Assault Victims
In partnership with the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS), our team provides support to members of medico-social teams and anyone else involved in the operation of the province’s designated centres by responding to their clinical, organizational and training needs.
Our partnerships and collaborations
Openness and partnership are at the heart of the MSAC’s values. We join forces with our partners to strengthen and solidify the resources available to anyone who has been affected by sexual violence.
- We sit on various round tables and committees.
- The Sexual Violence Helpline manages the sexual violence service of the Emergency Financial Assistance Line, or LAFU. This resource is available to help fieldworkers ensure the safety of victims of domestic and/or sexual violence in emergency situations.
Programs like the Social Collective’s Order an Angelot and The Beacon of the Freed’s Lueur – Agir sans nuire (Glow) train concerned individuals in contacting the Sexual Violence Helpline at any time to obtain support for a victim.
