Regina Sexual Assault Centre expanding services into Moose Jaw: ‘The need is really great’

The Regina Sexual Assault Centre is expanding their counselling services into Moose Jaw to better serve victims of sexual violence and assault.

Around 15 to 17 per cent of the centre’s current clients are from the Moose Jaw area.

“We know there are so many people in that area who are not able to access our services,” said Lisa Miller, executive director for the Regina Sexual Assault Centre.

“This is life-altering for people and they deserve to have support from people that they know will understand them.”

The centre has been working on this satellite service for nearly two years with the help of Moose Jaw’s Partners Against Violence Committee, who had initially reached out to the centre.

“We’ve heard stories amongst our own clients and in our own work about how difficult it is to access these services, and how many barriers there are,” said Jenn Angus, chair for Partners Against Violence and executive director for Moose Jaw’s Transition House.

External barriers like transportation, privacy, work schedules and childcare has prevented many Moose Javians from accessing the service in Regina, said Miller.

“But also the emotional trauma-base barrier is an extra step for them to get services and sometimes it might be too much from a therapeutic standpoint,” added Angus. “They might not be ready to plan all those things to get to Regina when they need the help right now, within their own community.”

Last year, the Moose Jaw Police Service investigated 44 incidents of sexual assault, sexual assault with a weapon and sexual interference offences.

In 2018, they investigated 58 cases and in 2017, 41 cases.

“We know the need is really great,” Miller said.

The clients who access services from the centre are people who experienced recent sexual assaults and people who have experienced historical sexual abuse.

Although the centre is expanding their services, their caseload remains heavy. Last year, the centre provided 1,500 hours of counselling, said Miller.

“That’s somewhere between 240 and 250 hours of one-hour sessions just for the Moose Jaw area,” Miller said. “It’s quite a bit.”

Right now, the centre has about 90 people on their waitlist.

“That’s distressing for us, but again, we know a number of those people are coming from Moose Jaw, and it’s time we look for ways to improve access in that area,” Miller said.

Space for counselling in Moose Jaw has been secured, but funding remains a barrier. The centre – along with Partners Against Violence Committee – needs to secure $30,000 to $40,000 to provide counselling three-to-four days a week.

Once launched, counselling will be available for anyone that has experienced any form of sexual violence including harassment in the workplace.

“The important thing to remember with sexual violence is there’s shame involved; sometimes a lot of isolation and people who have carried a lot for many years,” Miller said.

“Although there’s much to be said for online counselling and text-based counselling, I’m a firm believer that people need community care. They need that one-on-one person interaction. That’s what we want to do.”

Anyone interested in helping fund the new service can contact the Moose Jaw Transition House or the Regina Sexual Assault Centre.