SASKATOON -- The Saskatoon Sexual Assault and Information Centre (SSAIC) is offering training to professionals and community members to help survivors of sexual violence and trauma.
The “Supporting Survivors of Sexualized Violence Training” program held its first session in October 2020 and started as a pandemic project when its employees started working from home.
SSAIC says the support a survivor experiences in their first disclosure sets the trajectory for their healing and resilience.
“If we can start training more folks to be strong support people, then the higher chance that it’ll be that a survivor speaks to someone that is trauma informed and compassionate and can set them on that right trajectory,” Morgan Price told CTV News.
The program is offered in two forms, a two-hour and full day session that cost $50 and $150.
The content in the program includes communication skills, understanding trauma and its impact, and referral steps to help someone.
Price recommends the program for people who work with survivors in their line of work such as social work or education students, teachers and non-profit staff.
“The response has been amazing, we’ve been getting some really good feedback and adapting the program as we go and continually try to make it better.”
The next two-hour training session will be held on April 15. People interested can sign up on the centre’s website.
