Help after sexual violence can start with an anonymous call
Rural residents of southwestern Alberta who have been affected by sexual violence don’t need to drive to Lethbridge to get help, and they don’t need to give their name to start.
The Aurora Sexual Assault Centre, known as the Aurora Centre and formerly the Chinook Sexual Assault Centre, is a non-profit organization that provides trauma-informed services and advocacy for anyone impacted by sexual violence, regardless of age or gender.
While based in Lethbridge, its services extend through much of southwestern Alberta, including Pincher Creek, Crowsnest Pass and communities as far east as the Taber area and as far north as Nanton.
“We are a single-entry point for those that have experienced trauma due to child abuse or sexual assault,” says Kristine Cassie, Aurora Centre CEO. “We serve people of all ages throughout our region … providing them with steps forward on how they are dealing with the trauma that they’ve experienced.”
The centre wants rural residents to know what it offers and Cassie says using its services doesn’t necessarily mean a trip to the city. Appointments are offered over the phone and through Zoom, and staff can also travel within the region when there is a need.
“We’ve done both, so it really depends,” Cassie says. “We also at times will provide when people have limited resources. We can help out sometimes with gas to get into town if they prefer to come in.”
While remote services are an option for rural residents, she says some prefer the anonymity of an in-person appointment in Lethbridge. Regardless of where someone lives, Cassie says, the centre works with each person to find the form of support that best meets their needs.
That can begin with a phone call, and people can call anonymously if they are not ready to give their name, or just to ask what their options are.
“We don’t expect people to tell us all of the details of what’s happened in the sexual assault or the sexual abuse,” Cassie says. “We don’t want to be secondary witnesses to the crime. We really just want to hear how they’re doing emotionally and what their needs are that way.”
Staff help people decide what fits best from services including crisis support, trauma therapy, peer support groups or specialized justice navigation (help understanding and moving through the police and court process).
Some people need help getting stabilized before they are ready for longer-term therapy, Cassie says, particularly when housing and food security are problems. The centre advocates for them with other agencies when such needs are present.
Longer-term services support people through individual healing processes, rather than following a single prescribed path.
“It’s really important for people to feel connected, to feel that type of support, to work on the issues that led them to seek the services in the first place,” Cassie says.
Peer support groups are part of that, connecting people with others who have similar experiences.
The centre offers several groups for adults, including groups focused on relationships, boundaries and recovery, as well as a weekly drop-in group for adults impacted by sexual violence.
It also offers a peer support program for youths aged 13 to 17 focused on dating abuse and healthy relationships.
The centre works with people who have experienced recent or historical sexual assault or abuse, including some who carried the experience for years before seeking support. Cassie says clients have included people in their 80s, whose experiences happened recently or much earlier in their lives.
“It’s never too late to come forward, and it always matters,” she says.
The centre’s work also reaches people who haven’t experienced sexual violence first-hand. Through education and professional development, staff work with schools, workplaces and community groups on topics such as consent, healthy relationships, bystander engagement, sexual violence and trauma, sextortion and exploitation, and workplace sexual harassment.
Who Do You Tell? is a school program offered from kindergarten through Grade 6, which teaches about body boundaries, inappropriate sexual behaviour and identifying adults they can tell if they feel uncomfortable or have experienced abuse.
Cassie says prevention work is an important role of the centre, particularly helping people recognize how to respond when someone discloses an experience of sexual violence.
“The first thing is that we believe,” she says. “When people are telling us something that has happened in their life, it’s really important that we believe them when they say it.”
She says people who are supporting someone who has experienced sexual violence do not need to have all the answers themselves.
“We don’t have to be perfect to be helpful,” Cassie says. “Tap out. Bring us in. Bring in people that know this, to give that type of support.”
The organization has grown from six staff to 25 since 2019, gradually expanding to include the Aurora Child and Youth Advocacy Centre.
The Aurora Centre provides a co-ordinated response for children who have experienced sexual abuse, severe physical abuse or severe neglect, working alongside police, Crown, child protection, medical and mental health agencies.
Referrals to that program come through child protection agencies, partnering child and youth advocacy centres or policing services. People unsure whether the program fits a child can still contact the Aurora Centre for guidance.
Last year, Cassie says over 200 children and youth were referred to the advocacy centre, while the sexual assault centre recorded 744 crisis calls.
Cassie says the Aurora Centre’s growth has also meant looking at populations and issues that require more attention, including older adults, people with disabilities, faith communities and technology-facilitated sexual violence.
The centre is also working toward a restorative justice program for adults impacted by sexual violence. Cassie says the model and its evaluative framework have been developed, but the organization is seeking funding to launch the program.
She says the most important thing is that people understand they do not need to have everything figured out before asking for help.
“They’re welcome to call, they’re welcome to engage with us,” she says. “Don’t be shy. Ask us some questions, come visit with us.”
Cassie says anyone who sees Aurora staff at a community event and isn’t sure about the centre is welcome to drop by the table.
“It is anonymous, it is confidential,” she says. “We’re open to the questions that you have, and we’ll help you find what you need.”
The Aurora Centre is at Suite 502, 740 Fourth Ave. S. in Lethbridge, and is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Those looking for more information or to access services can call 403-694-1094 or toll-free at 1-844-576-2512. Information can also be found online at aurora-ab.ca.
Alberta’s One Line for Sexual Violence is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 1-866-403-8000.
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