The province is working towards providing a comprehensive network of services and support for male survivors of sexual assault.
“This is a step that flows out of the fact that we don’t have any comprehensive services across the province right now,” explains Attorney General Chris Bentley. “It’s about time that we did.”
The province is set to establish a network of 45 agencies which will deliver services to male survivors. These agencies will work together to provide support services to survivors, including individual counseling, group counselling, peer support, residential services, e-counselling and telephone counseling.
One such service provider is the local Counselling and Support Services of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.
“Judging from…what came out of the inquiry, there seems to be a need here (for services for male survivors),” says Ray Houde, executive director.
Houde says the lead agency for eastern Ontario is Catholic Family Services.
“We’re one of the agencies that have agreed to work with Catholic Family Services,” explains Houde. “We are one of the delivery agencies to provide support.”
Training is required by staff at Counselling and Support Services, Houde says.
“This is a very specific, precise type of issue to deal with, which we don’t necessarily have the expertise here, but we will get the training,” he says. “The whole concept is to provide ongoing support to these individuals.”
Houde anticipates these services to be available in “a few months.”
“I assume we’ll be meeting soon with (Catholic Family Services) to work out the details of how to implement this in the region,” he says.
He estimates 45 per cent of agencies’ clients are male, but aren’t necessarily all male victims of sexual assault.
Other service providers in the area include Centre Royal Comtois Centre in Hawkesbury and three in Ottawa: Catholic Family Services, Family Services and Wabano Centre.
Survivors will also have access to a 24-hour, toll-free number that will provide crisis and referral services.
These new services are expected to be available by early summer.
“Before, there were no comprehensive services for male survivors of sexual abuse,” says Bentley. “There were only a few agencies that provided any-thing.”
For example, he says, the Men’s Project in Ottawa.
“(It) was one of the few in the province. They were doing some very important work,” says Bentley. “But male sexual assault survivors had no comprehensive place to call, so we launched this comprehensive approach.”
Bentley says this new approach “flows out of a need that has been identified.”
“Men have been asking for these services for a period of time,” he says. “This is a very important announcement.”
The second phase of the Cornwall Public Inquiry includes recommendations for counseling support, the establishment of a $5-million Reconciliation Trust Fund and the creation of new support centres in Cornwall.
The Assault and Sexual Abuse Program at the Cornwall Community Hospital provides services for men who have been sexually abused, either recently or in the past.
Sexual Assault Support Services hosts an adult survivors drop-in night for men on Wednesday evenings. As well, a counsellor will be available in the very near future, once per week, on Thursdays, for men.
-With files from QMI
They are “working towards”?
How long have men been waiting for a few measly crumbs to be thrown their way?
I can say no more. This annoys me to no end.