SEXUAL VIOLENCE PREVENTION, EDUCATION and RESPONSEE
Community Resources
You may be able to find the support you need from these local, provincial and national resources.
Relationship violence support services
The Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters operates a 24/7 shelter hotline that connects a caller to the closest shelter. The shelters can provide crisis support on the phone, referrals to resources, safety planning, as well as information on how to access the shelter if this is what a caller is looking for.
The Family Violence Info Line is a 24-hour toll-free helpline in Alberta for anyone experiencing family violence or abuse, or who knows someone that has questions about family violence. It offers phone, text, and online chat options.
The Today Centre is a safe place for people of all genders who are affected by family violence. The Centre provides short-term support including:
- assessing risk factors
- safety planning
- assessing immediate needs
- emotional support
- education on the impact of family violence
- supported referrals
Today Centre also provides services to agencies and the general public who need help in supporting someone who discloses family violence.
Counselling services
The Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton is a non-profit organization that supports children, adolescents and adults who have experienced sexual abuse or assault, and educates the public about sexual violence. They offer free, confidential counselling to individuals of all genders aged three years and over. SACE also provides a support and information line and free counselling from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for anyone affected by sexual violence.
Located in Sherwood Park, Saffron Centre provides counselling services to persons who have suffered from sexual assault, abuse and sexual violence, as well as people who are supporting those affected by sexual violence.
The YWCA Counselling Centre offers individual counselling on a fee-for-service basis that ensures access for everyone. Psychologists have expertise with many areas, including intimate partner violence healing and safety planning, trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety.
Technology-facilitated sexual violence support services
The Digital Sexual Violence Support Centre is a BIPOC and survivor-led non-profit that supports adults who have experienced technology-facilitated sexual violence in Canada. They offer confidential and compassionate peer support to survivors of online sexual violence.
Need Help Now is a website that provides information to those who have been negatively impacted by non-consensual photo or video sharing. This includes practical information on removing pictures, dealing with online blackmail and reporting to authorities.
Reclaim Your Digital Space is a free e-learning course designed by the Canadian Women’s Foundation for people facing digital harm, organizations, and all people who want to do the following:
- Learn about online hate, harassment, and abuse including how to recognize digital harm and what can be done about it.
- Build knowledge and skills to engage safely in digital spaces.
Stop Non-Consensual Intimate Image Abuse (StopNCII.org) is a free tool designed to support victims of non-consensual intimate image abuse. It allows people to detect and remove images if they’ve been shared online.
Tech Safety Canada is a project of Women’s Shelters Canada. The site includes toolkits for digital safety planning and privacy, information about legal remedies to technology-facilitated gender-based violence and information for supporters and service providers.
This guide, created by Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund, defines and describes forms of technology-facilitated gender-based violence and outlines steps that people experiencing it can take to address the violence including potential legal remedies.
Legal and reporting services
Edmonton Police may be able to provide an individual with legal protection from the person responsible for the sexual violence and conduct an investigation for prosecution. A person may report to the police without pressing charges, or in an effort to pursue charges under the Criminal Code of Canada.
Alberta’s updated Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act defines harassment and violence, including sexual violence and domestic violence, as workplace hazards. The OHS Act requires employers to investigate incidents of violence and harassment and take corrective action, which may include preventative and educational initiatives. Learn more about the Act and how it defines harassment and violence.
The Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton (SACE) offers a Police and Court Support Program designed to help people who have experienced sexual violence through the process of making a police report or going to court, whether they are a client at SACE or not.
The Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton (SACE) partnered with the Centre for Public Legal Information Alberta (CPLEA) and Elizabeth Fry Society to create a series of downloadable resources on legal responses to sexual violence.
2SLGBTQIA+ support services
The Pride Centre offers a library, peer counselling, community groups, advocacy and resources for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and questioning individuals.
Trans Lifeline is a grassroots peer support phone service offering direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis—for the trans community, by the trans community.
Medical services
SART is a team of nurses who are trained to provide medical care and examinations to people who have been sexually assaulted in the last seven days. SART nurses provide the option of collecting of forensic evidence. This service is provided with or without police involvement.
SART can be accessed 24/7 at any hospital emergency room in Edmonton by telling triage that you’ve been sexually assaulted and/or that you’d like to see a SART nurse.
The STI clinic provides free, confidential testing and treatment for STIs, pregnancy testing and emergency contraception. Call 811 for 24/7 STI and health advice. The STI clinic operates out of several locations in Edmonton, including a downtown location at the Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre.
Women’s Health Options provides reproductive health care services, including emergency contraception IUD insertion, abortion care and counselling, birth control counselling and access, and STI testing.
Support phone lines
Alberta’s One Line for Sexual Violence is a toll-free talk, text, and chat service that provides emotional support, information, and referral to anyone who has experienced or been impacted by sexual violence.
The Hope for Wellness Helpline is available to all Indigenous people across Canada. Experienced and culturally competent counsellors are reachable by telephone and online chat 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Call
1-855-242-3310
Online chat
Access the “Chat now” link on the Hope for Wellness website.
Sendero Centre (formerly the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre) has a 24-hour sexual violence text, online chat, and phone help line. All are open to anyone affected by sexual violence. This service provides anonymous, confidential support, information and referrals.
Call and text
1-866-956-1099
Online chat
Access the “Online chat” link on the Sendero Centre website.
Trans Lifeline’s hotline is an anonymous peer support phone service run by trans people for our trans and questioning peers. Call if you need someone trans to talk to, even if you’re not in a crisis or if you’re not sure you’re trans.
Call
1-877-330-6366
Hours
Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Mountain Time)
The Distress Line is a confidential, anonymous 24-hour telephone line that provides crisis support and referrals for people experiencing distress.