COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Our Story

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Our agency began as a provincial sexual assault centre in 1993, working with women survivors of sexual assault 16+, providing a 24/7 helpline, advocacy and accompaniment, public education and community development. From the beginning, our collective valued the wisdom of survivors in designing services to meet our needs.

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The agency acquired the health funded Sexual Assault Intervention for Living (SAIL) long term therapy program in Muskoka in 2001 and the Parry Sound SAIL program in 2009.  Now, the agency runs in person from the office in Bracebridge and virtual programs for the entire colonial region and with Indigenous survivors from Turtle Island.

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In 2009, we held our first Moving Forward from Survivor to Thriver conference with space for 100 survivors, and it led to more! Since then, we hold day long conferences with a keynote speaker from someone in our healing community, and workshops on healing, self care and advocacy twice yearly. They are an important part of our program.

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In 2019 the agency made the step to working with people of all genders, recognizing that trans and non-binary, and gender diverse people experience high rates of sexual violence.

 

In 2021, we gained one time funding to work with a phase 2 men’s group program.

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In 2022, ongoing funding for a program for men and male identified people was received.  

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We are a teaching centre, and accept placement students from numerous colleges and universities, including Georgian and Northern College, Lakehead, Queens, Yorkville, Nipissing and Wilfred Laurier University for social service work, social work, psychotherapy, and occupational therapy.  

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