The Montreal Sexual Assault Victims Center (CVASM) is an organization founded in 1980, dedicated to providing essential support and tailored assistance to individuals affected by sexual violence. CVASM offers a range of bilingual, free, and confidential services designed to meet the needs of victims, their loved ones, and professionals working in the field.
Available Services
Dedicated Medico-Social Interventions
This service is available for individuals aged 18 and over who have experienced a sexual assault within the past 12 months. Accessible 24/7, it provides immediate psychosocial and medical support. No health insurance card, referral, or prior police report is required to access this service. Interpreters can also be provided for individuals who do not speak French or English.
Personalized Individual Clinical Follow-Up
CVASM offers individual sessions with professional counsellors to provide emotional support tailored to victims’ needs. This service is available for individuals aged 18 and over who have experienced sexual violence in the past 12 months. Sessions can be conducted in person, by phone, or via video call, according to the individual’s preference.
Sexual Violence Info-Help Line for Victims
This listening and referral service is available to anyone affected by sexual violence, including victims, their loved ones, and professionals. It is accessible 24/7, confidential, anonymous, free, and bilingual. You can reach it by phone at 1 888 933-9007 or via chat at https://sexualviolencehelpline.ca .
Consultation Services for Designated Centers
In collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Services, this service supports medico-social teams in designated centers across the province. It addresses their clinical, organizational, and training needs while contributing to the development of the medico-social intervention guide and forensic-medical kits.
The Sexual Exploitation Guide: A Tool to Better Support Victims
CVASM has developed a guide entitled “Creating a Space to Meet Their Needs”, designed for professionals working with individuals who are victims of sexual exploitation or looking to leave the sex trade. The guide highlights the many obstacles these individuals face, such as fear of retaliation, guilt, fear of not being believed or being blamed, and the isolation caused by the lack of questions from their surroundings.
The guide emphasizes the importance of professionals offering a compassionate and trusting environment to encourage disclosure. To facilitate this process, it suggests asking exploratory questions like:
- “Are you being forced to do something against your will?”
- “Have you been pressured into having sexual contact with someone?”
It is essential to actively listen to the person, help them identify their immediate needs (housing, healthcare, safety, etc.), and inform them about available resources. If the individual is a minor, they must be informed about the legal obligation to report the situation to Youth Protection (DPJ) and that this step is taken to ensure their safety.
The guide also provides supportive approaches for professionals, such as:
- Using the same vocabulary as the person to describe their situation.
- Avoiding judgment.
- Normalizing their emotions.
- Collaborating to develop a safety plan tailored to their reality.
It is crucial to respect the victim’s pace, allowing them to ask questions or end the conversation at any time. The document also includes a list of resources, such as housing services, mental health and addiction support, and programs assisting individuals in leaving sexual exploitation or prostitution
Contact Information for CVASM
Address: 1801 De Maisonneuve Blvd W, Montreal, H3H 1J9
Phone: 514 731-8531
Eail: [email protected]
For more information about available services, resources, or ways to get involved, visit CVASM’s official website.
