What to do
One of your clients has disclosed sexual violence to you, and you would like to refer them to our services?
To start, you can inform them that we are an organization that offers free and confidential direct assistance to anyone aged 12 and over who has been a victim of sexual violence, and to their loved ones, and that we are located in Saint-Hyacinthe. It is not mandatory to have initiated a legal process or to have filed an application with IVAC in order to receive our services.
You can also inform the individual care that CAVAS services are offered on a voluntary basis, i.e., they must be willing to make a commitment and be motivated to deal with their experience of sexual violence.
At CAVAS, the individual must contact us directly to request services, unless there is a specific situation that we have discussed together. You can give them our contact information. They can also fill in a service request form online, and a counsellor will contact them as soon as possible.
The first contact with the organization is done through the service request. It’s a call that allows us to gather general information about the individual and their specific care needs regarding sexual violence. It also provides them with information on our services and other available support resources, as needed. The individual will then be contacted by an available counsellor to begin the care process.
Please note that certain victim circumstances or behaviours may preclude them from initiating care at CAVAS (state of crisis, no memory of the assault, homelessness, suicidal risk, substance addiction, etc.). In such cases, it is preferable for the individual to resolve their more immediate difficulties first, before embarking on a care program for sexual violence; this is why the counsellor will refer the individual to the appropriate resources.
Specific requirements for youth (ages 12-17):
Important : The report to the Director of Youth Protection (DYP) must have been made before our services can be received (ideally by the individual to whom the incident was disclosed).
Protecting children is a collective responsibility.
Under the Youth Protection Act (R.S.Q., chapter P-34.1), anyone who has reasonable cause to believe that a child under the age of 18 is being (or is at serious risk of being) sexually abused must report the matter to the police (911) or the Director of Youth Protection (DYP). All situations of sexual abuse, with or without physical contact, must be reported without delay to the police or the DYP, regardless of who the perpetrator is and the means taken by the parents/guardians to correct the situation.
For those aged 12 or 13,
we ask that a parent or legal guardian contact us to request services. Furthermore, we strongly recommend that the parent or legal guardian also receive our services (at least one session).
For those aged 14 to 17,
you can give them our contact information so that they can contact us directly to request services, or they can fill out an online service request form. You can also accompany the person during their first contact with us, if they would like.
As a referrer, you can contact CAVAS for more information, even before giving the referral to your customers.
Test your knowledge of sexual violence with this quiz.
